Project Overview
Tribe/Awardee
Koyukuk Native Village
Location
Koyukuk, AK
Project Title
Weatherization and Retrofitting of the City/Tribal Office
Type of Application
START
DOE Grant Number
DE-EE0006482
Project Amounts
DOE: $250,000
Awardee: $100,796
Total: $350,796
Project Status
Complete
Project Period of Performance
Start June 2014
End September 2015
NOTE: Project pages are being updated regularly to reflect changes, if any; however, some of the information may be dated.
Summary
Located in interior Alaska where winter temperatures can hover around minus 40°F for long stretches of time, the Koyukuk Native Village (Tribe or Koyukuk) faces very high costs for heat and power. Koyukuk does not own any buildings in the community, but it leases the first floor of the two-story log City Office Building for its tribal offices. Reducing the cost to heat and power this building, which is what this project proposes, will directly benefit the Tribe, allowing more money to be spent on personnel and/or other programs.
The electric costs would be more than doubled if not for the State of Alaska Power Cost Equalization (PCE) program. The PCE program subsidized just under 50% of the cost. A recent analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) staff shows that the work proposed by the Interior Regional Housing Authority (IRHA) can save at least 50% of the current costs to heat and power the City Office Building, for a savings of $14,000. A $7,000 savings to the Tribe, or half of the $14,000 in costs after the PCE subsidy, is significant to the Tribe and could be better used for hiring local members or providing additional programs to the community.
Project Description
Background
The Koyukuk Native Village was awarded Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs and the Denali Commission in 2013. This grant is a result of the technical assistance provided under that competition.
The current population of Koyukuk is 95, down from 101 in 2000 (Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development 2012). The community is located at the confluence of the Yukon and Koyukuk Rivers, 30 miles west of Galena and 290 air miles west of Fairbanks. It lies adjacent to the Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge and the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge.
There is a state-owned 4,000-foot by 75-foot-wide lighted gravel runway for year-round transportation. The river is heavily traveled when ice-free. Cargo is delivered by barge about four times each summer. Homes and businesses are heated by diesel and wood. According to a biomass study, the Village uses on average 120 cords of wood each year for heat. With the installation of a biomass boiler and heating loop to serve the new clinic, washeteria, City/Tribal Office Building and a Head Start building behind the City Office Building, the use of wood is expected to increase by as much as another 100 cords. Gathering this much wood and operating the boiler will add to local economic development. The savings from energy efficiency improvements can pay for a new position to manage the biomass boiler operation and fuel collection.
Project Objectives
The goal of this project is to reduce energy costs at the City Office Building in Koyukuk by at least 50% through energy efficiency and weatherization measures. The Tribe proposes to make energy efficiency improvements to the floors, walls, roof and ceiling, heating, windows, doors, and electrical.
Project Scope
The Tribe has contacted the IRHA , which has provided a budget for the work based on an audit performed in 2012 by Ameresco and an Investment Grade Audit performed in 2013 by Energy Audits of Alaska. IRHA has a long history of working in Koyukuk and will use local labor for the majority of the work, supervised by an IRHA crew leader. The City Office Building was built in 1981, so no toxic materials are expected to be found. The foundation will be leveled so doors and windows fit correctly. The crew will completely seal the exterior envelope of the log building by permachinking the logs, furring out the interior walls and adding insulation and a vapor barrier, finishing the interior with gypsum board for insulation and fireproofing, and then replacing all doors and windows. The ceiling will be reinforced and cellulose insulation will be blown into the roof cavity. Lighting fixtures will be upgraded to light-emitting diode (LED) lights. A new boiler and baseboard heat will replace an inefficient furnace and ineffective air vents that blow hot air down from the ceiling to the first floor. The boiler will include a tie-in for the biomass boiler installation planned for summer 2014. A new wood stove, hearth, and stack will replace an old wood stove used for backup heating.
Project Location
The community is located at the confluence of the Yukon and Koyukuk Rivers, 30 miles west of Galena and 290 air miles west of Fairbanks. It lies adjacent to the Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge and the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge.
Project Status
The project is complete. For details, see the final report.
The project was competitively selected under the Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Program in 2013, was awarded funding in 2014, and began work on June 1, 2014.