Department of Veteran Affairs

Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home | Hot Springs, SD

West Plains Engineering provided mechanical and electrical engineering design services for the new 145,000 square foot Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home facility. The three-story building consists of 100 residential rooms situated around eight neighborhoods with a full complement of administrative and support services. In essence, it’s a self-contained community, offering residents dining, entertainment, a chapel, a library, movies, and social events, in addition to a complete range of health care options, including a pharmacy, clinic, physical therapy gym and much more.

The HVAC serving the facility utilizes a highly efficient heat pump system with a combination of standard water-to-air heat pumps and variable refrigerant water-to-air heat pump units. The hydronic loop serving the heat pump is conditioned by the steam from the boiler plant. Fresh air for the facility is preconditioned utilizing air-to-air heat exchangers prior to reaching the heat pumps. All systems utilize variable speed to optimize energy performance.

The new facility is served by a Biomass Boiler Plant that uses waste shavings and other waste wood materials from sawmills as a fuel source. The Biomass Boiler plant provides an economical heating source for the facility using this renewable energy resource. Also installed as part of the Biomass Boiler Plant is a 1,250KW generator that will provide emergency power to the new facility, as well as the Biomass Boiler Plant.