Village of Aniak – 2021 Project

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 Policy and Programs is pleased to announce that the Native Village of Aniak has substantially completed an energy retrofit project in their Tribal Office building that will help to advance energy affordability and reliability for the remote community. The retrofits were funded in part by a grant from the Office of Indian Energy. They are expected to reduce energy consumption by as much as 47%.

Aniak Tribal Office, Aniak Alaska
Aniak Tribal Office, Aniak Alaska. Photo by J. Fowler, Energy Audits of Alaska

Project Overview

Tribe/Awardee:Native Village of Aniak
Location:Aniak, Alaska
Project Title:Energy Retrofit Project
DOE Grant Number:DE-IE0000152
Projected Impacts:Energy Affordability: Achieved approximately 47% reduction in energy use in the first year of monitoring.
Energy Reliability: Increased reliability due to decreased dependence on outside shipments of fuel oil.
Project Amounts:DOE Office of Indian Energy: $167,948
Awardee Cost-Share: $18,708
Total: $186,656
Project Period of Performance:Start: November 2022
End: September 2025

Project Description

This project stemmed from comprehensive energy audits conducted in 2017 across several Tribal buildings. The implemented retrofits were chosen for their high-impact potential to advance energy affordability and reliability:

  • Heating system upgrades: Sixteen thermostats were replaced with programmable models. Additional upgrades included new zone valve power heads, rebuilt zone valves, a new advanced control system, and two variable-speed circulation pumps for the hydronic heating system. The boiler was also cleaned and tuned, and its control relay and relief valve were replaced.
     
  • Lighting upgrades: More than 200 lamps were upgraded with LEDs. This also included removing and replacing five exterior wall packs with new LED fixtures.

During the monitoring period, the impacts on both electricity and heating oil affordability exceeded the projected cost savings of 16%. 

About the Native Village of Aniak

The Native Village of Aniak is a federally recognized Yup’ik Alaska Native Village located on the Kuskokwim River in southwestern Alaska. The name Aniak means “the place where it comes out” in Yup’ik, referring to the Aniak River’s confluence with the larger Kuskokwim. Aniak serves as a vital hub for the surrounding smaller communities by providing essential services, such as healthcare facilities, diverse economic opportunities, various grocery and supply options, and more extensive transportation links. This role means that residents from outlying villages frequently visit Aniak to access goods and services, minimizing their travel expenses to farther destinations.

The Native Village of Aniak was competitively selected under the Office of Indian Energy’s energy deployment funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002317), which was fully supported by annual appropriations.