Puvurnaq Power Company – 2022 Project

NOTE: Project pages are being updated regularly to reflect changes, if any; however, some of the information may be dated.

Summary

Puvurnaq Power Company (PPC), a tribally owned utility serving the traditional Yup'ik community in Kongiganak (Kong), Alaska, will purchase, install, integrate and commission approximately 200 kilowatts (kW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation to supplement and complement the existing wind-diesel-battery power system. The addition of PV will increase tribal resilience by providing up to 2 hours of emergency power during summer months while displacing an estimated 9,000 gallons of fuel annually and enabling an additional 840 hours of diesel-off operation each year.

Project Description

Background

Kong is a Yup’ik Eskimo community of approximately 440 residents located on the west shore of Kuskokwim Bay. The community depends on a subsistence lifestyle of hunting, fishing, and gathering. Kong continues to strive towards its goal to reduce dependency on diesel by 50% in this new decade having made great progress over the past several years.

In addition to the system in Kong, there are six other high-penetration, wind-diesel systems in neighboring rural communities. Four systems (including the one in Kong) have also integrated ½ to 1 hour of fast rechargeable lithium-ion battery energy storage to remove renewable energy contribution constraints, and all seven systems include electric thermal storage devices to help lower the cost of heat for residents. This project will provide the entire region—where there are more than 20 Native communities—with a hybrid model that includes solar PV and will support others’ efforts to move from diesel fuel to renewables.

Project Objectives

Adding PV to the power system will: (1) improve system reliability and increase renewable contributions during summer months when wind resources are less available, thereby reducing wear on the overall system due to periods of reduced renewable contribution; (2) provide an opportunity to test and troubleshoot the design of solar PV integration into islanded systems in extreme climate conditions, including through the use of innovations such as bifacial arrays, semi-circular arrangements, and tilt orientations to maximize system efficiency, and; (3) establish a protocol for stable structural foundations in permafrost tundra conditions in Kong and regions with similar climatic conditions, which consistently experience some of the highest energy costs in the nation. Furthermore, Kong and PPC have developed a highly regarded workforce development program, which has successfully trained people to assist in the installation, maintenance, and repair of renewable systems in neighboring communities in the lower Yukon-Kuskokwim region. Adding solar PV into the Kong system will result in improved availability of a local, trained workforce, the benefits of which cannot be overstated for the region.

Project Scope

The solar PV array will consist of approximately 32 arrays of roughly 16 panels each. The arrays will be arranged in a semi-circular pattern oriented in the southernly direction, with individual panels tilted at an estimated 35-degree angle, to maximize the efficiency of the system. Panels will be mounted on steel platforms that can be readily assembled without the cost of professional skilled labor, heavy machinery, or concrete. Prior experience with solar PV installations in the Arctic has demonstrated the necessity to structurally support the arrays on driven pile. As such, the project team will use mini-excavators to drive screw piles to depths of approximately 12 feet, which will be welded to the ground-mounted racking system.

The solar PV project will be electrically tied into the power plant switchgear through an isolation transformer, electrical disconnects, and breakers. Dispatch control will be via the existing hybrid control system, which is embedded in the switchgear cabinets in the community power plant. The control system also communicates with the six existing 95-kW wind turbines, which are also integrated into the power plant, which allows for the power plant’s diesel engines to be turned off when renewable energy generates sufficient power.

The project will be managed by PPC through professional services agreements and specialty supply and installation subcontracts. PPC’s vendor will provide a Senior Project Manager (SPM), who will work directly with and be the single point of contact for PPC. The SPM will be supported by a staff of technicians, application engineers, subcontractors, and administrators. The SPM will work closely with PPC and the Village of Kongiganak for all matters related to the scope, schedule, and commercial terms of the project. Together with the project team, PPC and the SPM will develop and execute the installation plan. The engineering team will provide the detailed design, implementation, installation, and testing/commissioning of the system.

Project Location

Kong is a Yup’ik Eskimo community located on the west shore of Kuskokwim Bay on the southwestern coast of Alaska. Kong is located 70 air miles southwest of Bethel, the regional hub, and 451 miles west of Anchorage. The solar PV system will be constructed on approximately 1.5 acres of the Village Corporation’s land, in an area already used as the wind turbine site.