HomeMy WebLinkAboutSavoonga Reconnaissance Study of Energy Requirements & Alternatives 6-1981
RECONNAISSANCE STUDY
OF
ENERGY REQUIREMENTS AND ALTERNATIVES
FOR
SAVOONGA, ALASKA
(A SUMMARY)
PROPERTY OF:
Alaska Power Authority
334 W. 5th Ave. c
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Prepared by: HOLDEN & ASSOCIATES
Planning Consultants
Juneau ERYER .: PRESSPEY)2-ELLI@eT
Consulting Engineers
Anchorage
JWA
Professional Engineering
Alaska
June 1981
Prepared for:
ALASKA POWER AUTHORITY
INTRODUCTION
The Alaska Power Authority undertook an analysis of the current and future
energy use patterns and possible alternative energy sources in various com-
munities in rural Alaska. The results of one portion of that work are con-
tained in a report entitled: Reconnaissance Study of Energy Requirements
and Alternatives for Kaltag, Savoonga, White Mountain and Elim. The re-
port, prepared by Holden & Associates, Fryer : Pressley : Elliott, and JWA,
outlines in detail the current energy use patterns and suggests some alter-
native methods of providing for future energy needs of the communities
surveyed.
This summary is intended to describe the recommendations and findings of
the above mentioned report. If you desire more information on this subject,
you may obtain a copy of the full report from your City Council, Village
Corporation or High School, or you may contact the Alaska Power Authority
(Attention: Mr. Don Baxter, 333 W. 4th Avenue, Suite 31, Anchorage,
Alaska 99501, 276-7641) or Holden & Associates (Attention: Mr. Richard
Holden, 1710 Davis Avenue, Juneau, Alaska 99801, 586-3687).
Briefly, the forecast for the future energy needs of Savoonga are as follows:
FORECASTED ENERGY CONSUMPTION
1981 1986 1991 1996 2001
Electric (kWh x 1000) 653 758 1,027 1,276 1,517
Peak Demand (kW) 192 222 301 373 444
Thermal (Btu x 109) 34 44 54 59 65
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The residents of Savoonga are dependent on high cost, imported diesel fuel
for the production of electric energy. The cost is stiff. Fuel oil for power
generation (and space heating) is about $2.00 a gallon (1981) and electric
energy is generated at a cost of approximately 37¢ per kWh. Savoonga's
residents also depend on high cost, imported petroleum fuels for all space
heating requirements. The anxiety over an oil-dependent future for them-
selves and their children was expressed during the reconnaissance team's
visit to the community.
The high cost of electricity is reflected in low consumption rates. The
average household uses about 1,600 kWh per year, or about one-third of
railbelt consumption; yet pays about twice the utility bill. Under such
"subsistence" level consumption, it is difficult to consider significant savings
through conservation, not withstanding total disconnect.
Home heating, on the other hand, does not mirror conservative electrical
consumption. Building heat loss is more a function of the building's charac-
teristics (e.g., size and condition) than a function of occupant habits.
Although the average house is only 550 square feet, the family occupying it
must provide about 157 x 10® Btu annually for space heat (1,100 gallons of
fuel oil, equivalent). Some houses consume up to 2,000 gallons per year.
The extreme subarctic cold, high winds and substandard housing (built pre-
vious to 1978) aggravated by escalating fuel costs cause an ever increasing
stress on household budgets. Unlike residential electric consumption, con-
servation of residential heating fuel has obvious merit.
The commercial and public agency buildings such as schools, clinics and
stores also depend on imported fuel oil for space heat. Continued depen-
dence on fuel oil for these sectors will cause an escalation in cost, or a
reduction in quality, of the basic goods and services they provide.
Regional transportation is by barge (in the ice-free summer months) and by
air (year-round). Due to remote location and logistical difficulties, the cost
of many goods and services consumed has a relatively and absolutely high
transportation component. Escalating fuel costs will be compounded by esca-
lating transportation charges. Gasoline for local snowmachine and_ boat
transport is about $2.50 per gallon (1980).
Construction of the community's energy balance revealed that schools are the
largest single consumers, as well as the largest consumer class of electric
energy, with residential being the second largest consumer class. However,
residential is the largest consumer class of space heating fuels, and schools
are the largest single consumers. Of every four million Btu's consumed
today for non-transportation needs, about one million are used for electric
power generation and three million are used for space heating -- an early
indication of where future emphasis may well be placed.
As the population continues to grow, the quality of housing continues to
increase and government related construction continues to expand, the de-
mand for raw energy resources will rise significantly. Base case forecasts,
performed by the reconnaissance team, indicate about a 60 percent increase
in per capita total electric consumption and about a 30 percent increase in
per capita total thermal energy consumption over the next 20 years.
The reconnaissance team evaluated a number of alternative fuel sources and
energy conserving technologies within the framework of this study. Primary
to evaluation procedures are the elements of cost, availability, reliability,
complexity and the desires and traditions of the community's residents.
Conclusions based -on our technical and economic feasibility work are as
follows:
° Improving diesel-electric conversion efficiency and capturing generator
waste heat for space heating purposes appear to be the best short-term
methods of defraying the high cost of electric generation.
Power generation technologies alternative to diesel-electric and hydro do
not appear to be economically or technically attractive for the small remote
load centers considered herein. Wind power may be economically feasible,
but there are doubts about the reliability of this technology.
Weatherization is a low cost proven technology with obvious merit.
The exploitation of regional coal resources for use in Savoonga was inves-
tigated. This option shows economic promise for providing economically
priced space heating fuel for the residential, commercial, and public
agency sectors. A fine-tuning of the cost and timing assumptions made
in this work will be possible at the conclusion of Dames & Moore's assess-
ment of Northwest Alaska's coal resources.1!
Although coal can have a major impact on reducing the study community's
dependence on imported petroleum, this development would not completely
solve the region's energy problems. At least 50 percent of the energy
used by these communities cannot be replaced directly by wood or coal,
using currently available technology.
We, therefore, conclude a long-term solution to the region's energy problems
appears to be development of an alternative liquid fuel, derived from wood
or coal or both. Technologies required to convert wood and coal into fuels
for transportation, power generation and space heating are now being devel-
oped, and may be available for use, on a regional basis, in the future.
Of course, the success of new and innovative technologies in rural Alaska
depends on the same transportaton systems needed to distribute coal and
wood within the region. Thus, in addition to the establishment of wood har-
vesting and coal extraction industries, a major component of the region's
energy plan should be the development of transportation systems of suffi-
cient scale to handle these fuels.
1 Dames & Moore, Assessment of Coal Resources of Northwest Alaska - Phase I
(Draft); being prepared for the Alaska Power Authority, December 1980.
-4-
Within the offshore areas of Norton Sound, exploration for oil and gas has
taken place. If the federal government leases tracts in the sound, and if
commercial quantities of oil and gas are found, a regional refining industry
might provide the study community with a reliable supply of fuel. But, the
uncertainty of those prospects, plus the long lead time for development,
precludes the authors from including them in this work.
In conclusion, the alternatives evaluated herein can have a significant impact
on lowering Savoonga's dependence on high cost petroleum fuels. To do this
the plan must tap another bountiful form of energy -- the willingness and
desire of local residents to participate in finding and implementing solutions
to their energy problems. Thus, the ultimate solution must be consistent
with emerging village lifestyles, as well as being within the financial and
technical capabilities of local residents.
RECOMMENDATIONS
° Electric Generation Plant
®
The fuel efficiency of the electric generation system should be increased.
This project involves the further training of operators, improved manage-
ment of the plant facilities, load management and replacement with higher
efficiency units as older units reach the end of their physical life.
Proceed with design and feasibility for retrofit of existing generators so
waste heat may be captured and used for school space heat. The esti-
mated cost of this work is $20,000.
Investigate the implementation of a 30 kW wind turbine as the first phase
of 25% insertion of wind driven electric power. While a beneficial present
worth calculation for a wind turbine installation at Savoonga has been
developed in this study, it should not be construed as a "next step"
endorsement of a wind turbine installation at this community. As de-
scribed in the wind turbine technology profile, the success of wind
machines jin Alaska over the last decade has been poor. In veiw of this,
all available data on historic success or failure of Alaska wind turbine
projects should be thoroughly reviewed to develop final feasibility for a
Project at Savoonga.
With this necessary step in mind, it can be stated that the preliminary
work of this study indicates wind turbines are worthy of further investi-
gation, particularly where communities lack viable hydroelectric alterna-
tives. Machines smaller than 30 kW in size are probably not cost effec-
tive. Further, only those machines with simplest array of components
(i.e., without batteries and inverters), built on first class towers and
foundations, will offer the potential to be life cycle cost effective. The
cost of such further investigation has been estimated to be’ $20,000.
° Energy Conservation in Buildings
An energy specialist and auditor should be brought to Savoonga to assist
the residences in participating in the various weatherization programs that
exist under state and federal law.
A technical audit should be conducted of school buildings and appropriate
retrofit programs undertaken.
Coal
Immediate steps should be taken to investigate local exploitation or impor-
tation of coal into the Savoonga for space heat. This work requires two
steps:
1) Determining the logistics of coal handling and price to the Savoonga.
2) Determining the cost of converting of space heating units from fuel oil
to coal.
Education
Implement educational television to teach the skills of home weatherization
and energy conservation, etc.
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF ENERGY RESOURCES
(SAVOONGA)
Source of Reliability Resource Quantity Quality Cost Data of Data
Wood Unknown and Adequate for Not for QM) (10) very limited space heat Sale (1) (1) (1)
Wind Very strong 12 mph (avg) $120,000 (1) (5) (10) (12) & persistant (5) Capital,
30 kW (2)
Coal Two occur- Adequate for (3) (1) (4) (11) (12) rences identi- space heat (1)
fied. Grade
& tonnage
unknown(1)(4)
Generator 3.7xl0°Btu/yr Adequate for $250,000 (10) (12) Waste Heat (2) space heat (2) (2)
Building 18.4x10°Btu/yr Adequate only (2) (10) Envelope for space heat
Heat Losses
Geothermal 15 gpm (1) "lukewarm"(1) (3) (1) (10)
Sources of Data:
(1) Estimate by local residents.
(2) Engineer's estimate.
(3) Inadequate data for the purpose of estimation.
(4) Personal communication with Bill Patton, USGS (December 1980).
(5) U.S. Weather Bureau statistics.
Reliability of Data:
(10) Adequate for the purpose of this work (reconnaissance level). (11) Not adequate for the purpose of this work.
(12) Further data is required to verify or proceed to feasibility work.
TABLE 2
CURRENT ENERGY BALANCE (SAVOONGA)
(1979 - 1980)
RAW _FUEL CONSUMPTION
ELECTRIC GENERATION
SPACE HEAT
Residential
Institutional
REAA - 18,751 Gal.
BIA - 31,888 Gal.
Commercial and Public Agencies
TOTAL SPACE HEAT CONSUMPTION
Water and Sewer Utility Heat
TOTAL BULK RAW FUEL CONSUMPTION
(Without Transportation)
ELECTRIC POWER CONSUMPTION
Institutional
REAA - 189,228 kWh
BIA - 126,908 kWh
Residential
Commercial
Public Agencies
Water and Sewer Utility
TOTAL ELECTRIC CONSUMPTION
TRANSPORTATION
Ground and Water (Regular Gas)
MISCELLANEOUS FUELS
Fuel Oil Fuel Oil
(Gallons) (Btu_x 10°)
78,300 10.8
127,260 17.9
50,639 7.0
34,400 4.8
212,229 29.4
12,600 1.7
303,136 43.0
kWh Btu x 109
316,136 1.1
180,224 0.62
69,926 0.24
73,224 0.25
13,065 0.05
652,574 2.22
Gallons Btu x 102
98,500 12.4
Propane 23,500 Lbs.
White Gas 1,925 Gal.
Kerosene 1,100 Gal
Driftwood 40 Cords (Residential heat)
Note:
Waste Heat
(Btu x 102)
8.6 WO oh
All values are
annual.
sant USE CONSUMPTION BULK FUEL CONSUMPTION | RESDENTAL ELecmc Cid ELEoTRIC Yo WASTE FUEL OL peer 22 KLJH
EC, ERATION | Pustaunouas ELECT. FUEL-CIL . @ aco GAL. m Sie 130 KWH TO SLEcT. 6.6 Lio? BTU = ee CMMERCAL ELECTRIC, ge aie yd teed AGENCIES ELEc, 73,224 heron. AND SEWER UEC.” 13,065 ra
FUEL Ol Pom. RESIDENTIAL SPACE HEAT Yo WASTE HEAT 121 ,2L0 = SPACE HEAT 212,299 GAL. 11-9 x 10% 2DA%10> BT
PET WOOD 40 coeDS 0.62% lo? BTU
INSTITUTIONAL SPACE HEAT . % WASTE HEAT P2IFTLOOD 40 co2DS, 0.21 10
FUEL oll FoR ——e % WASTE HEAT
WATER € SEWER UTILITY 12, GOOGAL. 17X10? 8T } 9, | were HEAT
REGULAZ GASOLINE 17.4410? BTU
SAVOONGA ENERGY BALANCE Clore - 1920) NOTES: ALL VALVES ARE ANNUAL, BULK FUBLS ONLY. FeUZE -|
RESULTS OF COMMUNITY MEETING
A public meeting was held in Savoonga on November 5, 1980 with community
residents and representatives of the Alaska Power Authority and this study
team. Approximately 40 people attended and expressed their views on cur-
rent energy related problems and possible solutions which may be imple-
mented now and in the future. In subsequent days, the engineer met
informally with several smaller groups and had many conversations with
individual Savoonga residents concerning these same matters. The method
notification was radio announcement on KNOM and posted messages.
It is felt, from these meetings and conversations, that the people of
Savoonga view their energy related difficulties generally as follows:
The cost of fuel oil and electricity for residential housing is exces-
sive for people existing primarily on a subsistence based economy.
The current electric power generation system is unreliable.
Some residents felt they were being overbilled for electric power
consumption.
° Much of the older housing is inadequately insulated and sealed
causing excessive fuel oil consumption and personal discomfort.
Government housing constructed in 1975 (25 units) jis not adequate
to withstand the strong winds and extreme cold of St. Lawrence
Island resulting in cold drafty housing and excessive fuel oil con-
sumption.
- Some residents reported discrepancies in construction practices
in these houses such as installation of wet insulation and exclu-
sion of floor vapor barriers causing considerable ice build up in
corners, floor-wall intersections, and on floors.
-11-
Settlement of foundations is causing structural "cracking",
greatly increasing interior drafts and heat loss.
Some residents reported that heat loss is such that their oil
fired pot burners do not provide enough heat on cold days,
causing whole families to sleep in the front room near the
heater. This was of particular concern to residents with small
babies.
Skirting was not installed.
Some residents are contemplating moving back to their old
(smaller) houses to conserve fuel oil.
Government housing built in 1979 (25 units) is of much higher
quality (as witnessed by the engineer) than the 1975 housing.
Although much better insulated and sealed than the 1979 housing,
owners did express several concerns as follows:
The housing has closed floor plans and long central hallways
that are impractical in the Arctic because natural heat circula-
tion to rear bedrooms is so small as to require forced warm air
heating which is inoperable during power outages. Emergency
heat via propane cooking stoves also will not circulate causing
families to sleep in the front room during power outages on cold
nights.
Simularity of foundation types to 1975 housing may eventually
lead to settlement and structural "cracking" with resultant heat
loss as in the 1975 housing stock. It was reported that some
1979 houses were already experiencing structural damage includ-
ing interior cracks of up to 1/2 inch.
The use of driftwood heaters (installed during construction) is
also inhibited by poor heat circulation due to closed floor plans.
-12-
° Driftwood (the only locally obtainable alternate fuel) is limited due
to accessibility and volume of wood. This resource is currently
used part time by approximately 15% of the residences but is hard
to obtain due to the distance which must be traveled and season of
harvest. Local residents also felt that if a greater percentage of
people turned to driftwood, the accumulated resource would be
quickly depleted and the small amount of seasonally deposited drift
would not accommodate the increased use. Some residents reported
the high cost of snow machine fuel (for the distance traveled),
physical depreciation of chain saws and snow machines as well as
the difficulty of harvest and value of a person's time all contribute
to making this resource less than attractive for individual harvest.
Scattered driftwood is currently gathered after Bering Sea freeze-
up along a stretch of coast 5 to 25 miles east of Savoonga.
The residents of Savoonga expressed preference for the following concepts
as means to deal with their current energy related problems:
° Development of wind power for electric energy.
Development of hydropower if available.
Implementation of a program to better insulate and weatherize
existing buildings.
Strict attention be paid to the extremely harsh environment of St.
Lawrence inland in the design and construction of any new struc-
tures in Savoonga.
Development of educational TV programming to teach techniques of
home weatherization and increase general knowledge of energy
technologies. Programs could be aired on the State satellite TV
station and on video tape at the high school for students.
- 13-
° Development of importation of lower cost fuels to displace high
priced fuel oil for space heating.
Implementation of a grant or low interest loan program for wood
heaters for those who cannot afford them but wish to convert to
driftwood.
The residents of Savoonga were aware of several possible alternate fuel
sources which exist on St. Lawrence Island and are as follows:
° Driftwood in limited supply, as previously mentioned.
° Strong and persistant winds at Savoonga.
° Coal occurrences along riverbanks to the south and southeast of
Savoonga approximately 20 miles distant.
° Coal occurrences at the ground surface approximately 12 miles
southeast of Gambell. It was reported that some residents of
Gambell collect this coal for residential space heating (Gambell is
approximately 50 land miles west of Savoonga). One resident with
knowledge of the local area reported the deposit to approximately
two feet thick, with approximately three to four feet of overburden
and occurring in a flat area.
° A hot spring approximately 70 miles to the east of Savoonga. One
resident with knowledge of the area reported the spring to be
lukewarm and flowing at approximtely 15 gpm.
- 14-
LIBRARY COPY
PROPERTY OF:
Alaska Power Authority
334 W. 5th Ave.
Anchorage, Alaska 99501