NOTE: Project pages are being updated regularly to reflect changes, if any; however, some of the information may be dated.
Notice of Substantial Completion—Energy Retrofit Project
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy is pleased to announce that the Akiachak Native Community has substantially completed an energy retrofit project focusing on the Tribal Office building. This initiative aimed to improve energy affordability and reliability. The project, funded in part by a grant from the Office of Indian Energy, is expected to reduce energy use at the building by approximately 25%.
Project Overview
| Tribe/Awardee: | Akiachak Native Community |
|---|---|
| Location: | Akiachak, Alaska |
| Project Title: | Energy Retrofit Project |
| DOE Grant Number: | DE-IE0000141 |
| Projected Impacts: | Energy Affordability: Approximately 25% reduction in energy use at the building Energy Reliability: Decreased dependence on outside shipments of fuel oil |
| Project Amounts: | DOE Office of Indian Energy: $123,220 Awardee Cost-Share: $16,044 Total: $139,264 |
| Project Period of Performance: | Start: May 2022 End: September 2025 |
Project Description
This project stemmed from energy audits conducted in 2017 which revealed opportunities for cost savings. The retrofits included high impact improvements such as:
- Heating system upgrades, including the installation of isolation valves, replacement of an expansion tank and auto vents, refilling of service fluid, replacement of circulator pump with variable speed pump, replacement of boiler and zone controls with a delta direct digital controller, and cleaning and tuning the boiler, all of which are part of a hydronic heating system.
- Lighting and other upgrades, including reworking existing lights with LED retrofit kits, replacing exterior wall packs with LED fixtures, and installing occupancy sensors and humidity sensors for restroom exhaust fans and lights.
Following the retrofits, significant reductions in energy use were observed even when accounting for seasonal variations.
About the Akiachak Native Community
The Akiachak Native Community is a federally recognized Yup’ik Alaska Native Village located 18 miles northeast of Bethel, on the west bank of the Kuskokwim River, in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The Community, like many remote Alaskan Villages, faces unique energy challenges due to its isolation and climate, often relying on expensive diesel and heating oil deliveries for power and heat. The Community is accessible year-round by small plane, receives supplies each summer via barge delivery, and is accessible by hovercraft in the winter when the river freezes over.
The Native Village’s project was competitively selected under the Office of Indian Energy’s energy deployment funding opportunity (DEFOA-0002317) which was fully supported by annual appropriations.