Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutWales Energy Plan 1986WIL et ENERGY | PLAN JAMES GURKE JUDY ZIAICKI DECEMBER. !986 WALES ENERGY PLAN SUMMARY CITY ENERGY SUMMARY ELECTRICAL CONSERVATION POWERPLANT OPERATION APPLIANCE PURCHASE AND USE EXISTING DISINCENTIVES SPACE HEATING CONSERVATION MEASURES HEATING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT ANNUAL HOME MAINTENANCE WEATHERIZATION AND SUPERINSULATED RETROFITS BERING STRAITS SCHOOL WASTE HEAT RECOVERY & WASHETERIA IMPROVEMENTS WIND TURBINE GENERATORS Prepared By: Judy Zimicki and James Gurke Energy Consultants to the Bering Straits Regional Strategy December, 1986 ~ 1 SUMMARY What can the residents and city council of Wales do to decrease individual and community energy costs? The purpose of this energy plan is to provide some specific ideas and actions for individuals and local governments to increase energy efficiency, and to decrease energy use and costs. A more complete discussion of the issues raised in this plan and the role of regional policies and organizations is included in our Energy Consultant’s Report to the Bering Straits Regional Strategy, available through Kawerak, Inc. With the completion of the city dome and the demonstrated interest and ability in supplemental wind generation systems, Wales has made some major steps toward improved energy conditions. Now the city government and residents should go on to decrease energy costs through other means. * Furnace maintenance and heating system replacement offer the quickest paybacks of all energy opportunities because of low up-front costs and immediate energy savings. * The city should exercise more control over the utility operator through its position as employer and through the AVEC delegate process. Load management and waste heat recovery should be pursued with the utility. * The city should work with AVEC to develop incentives for electrical conservation through appliance purchase and efficient lighting programs. This will save AVEC the cost of a new power plant and save residents on electric bills. * Continue use of wind power for electricity and space heating needs. CITY ENERGY SUMMARY for WALES November, 1986 Energy Money Coming Into City Power Cost Equalization (PCE) is a program set up by the state of Alaska to help rural residents with high electricity costs. With the program, electricity rates charged by the local utility are subsidized. Wales receives about $59 thousand annually in PCE payments. Wales has received grants and loans from the state for bulk fuel storage and bulk fuel purchase. The amounts are not known. In 1983, 25 homes were weatherized under the state weatherizgation program. With a total dollar amount of $55,000, the average cost of improvements per house was $2200. Of the 54 housing units in Wales, 33 received Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program money in 1985. Total amount was $16,923, for an average of $513 per house. Electricity is supplied to Wales by the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC). In 1985, AVEC sold 165 MWH of power with an average demand of 31 KW and a maximum peak demand of 57 KW. Average KWH/yr: Annual cost to consumer: Residential: 76,500 $16,371 Comm/Public: 72,794 $15,578 School : 87,400 NA Gallons fuel oil used for generation:25, 000 cost: $24,750 at $ .99/gal. Gallons fuel oil for space heating: residential:34, 000 cost:$77,860 ($2.29) comm/public:12, 800 cost:$12,672 ($ .99) school :20, 000 cost:$19,800 ($ .99) ELECTRICAL CONSERVATION Electrical conservation measures can significantly reduce the peak Ioad on the generator through load management. This results in increased generator efficiencies and lower power production costs. The purchase of energy-efficient appliances and their appropriate use can significantly lower power production costs and individual electric bills. Powerplant Operation Often in a village the operator runs the largest generator needed to meet the peak loads of the day even though this peak load may only be a portion of the day. A more active power plant operation in terms of match of generator size to electrical load would increase fuel economy and decrease maintenance. For example, the operator could switch to the smaller generator during the night after the load drops. This may occur at 11:00 pm or earlier. The larger generator would then be brought back on line in the morning before school begins and the load increases. It is estimated that the synchronous switch gear needed to transfer generators would cost $10-15,000 installed. The added work for the operator would be paid for by the fuel savings, thus trading fuel oil for employment in the village. The operation of the smaller generator could also reduce AVEC’s plant maintenance and replacement costs. As employer of the AVEC plant operator, the city should work with AVEC to enhance load management opportunities. With this kind of load management, much higher efficiencies can be obtained from the diesel generators. In 1985, the Wales powerplant reported a fuel efficiency of 8.5 KWH/gal Well-operated and correctly-sizged diesel generators can achieve 11 to 13 KWH/gal. This translates to a fuel savings in Wales of about 40% or 10,000 gallons annually. The city has the opportunity to affect the quality of AVEC service through the representation of the city’s elected AVEC delegate. This person attends the annual AVEC Delegate meeting and votes on matters of utility policy and operations. If the city has concerns about how the powerplant is operated, or any other aspects of power generation, it is their responsibility to go to the delegate meeting with an agenda that reflects the city’s needs. Issues that might be brought up by the delegate include waste oil disposal, the interaction of AVEC repairmen with operators, and the responsiveness of AVEC to particular city concerns, such as waste heat. Shared savings programs which result in savings to both AVEC and the village should be developed. The city should develop programs which encourage residents and schools to Participate in energy saving measures which would benefit the entire community by lowering power production costs as well as benefit the individual through lowered electricity bills. Refrigerators, freezers and hot water heaters are large power users. An energy ’hog’ can cost up to 2-3 times more than an efficient model in yearly electricity cost. With the chance of decreased Power Cost Equalization monies in the future, more attention needs to be paid to lighting and appliance electricity consumption. The Power Cost Equaligation program encourages utilities to provide electrical conservation education but provides no monies for such efforts. AVEC has included appliance electric use information in its membership handbook but most residents are still unfamiliar with the energy costs of operating electrical appliances. Unlike oil and gas appliances which can be easily judged for fuel consumption by the amount of fuel bought within a given time, the electricity use of individual appliances is not measured and often not known. For example: one 100 watt light bulb left on in the entry way will use 72 KWh/month and at $.43/KWH would cost approximately $31/mo. or $372/yr. Even at the subsidized rate of $.214/KWH the annual cost is $15/mo. or $185/yr. Many appliances do not require continuous operation and can be shut off during peak periods. Large electrical appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, hot water heaters and air handling systems can be operated with clock timers which control the on/off cycle. Improvements in energy efficient appliances have made great strides in the past few years. For example, fluorescent light bulbs are available which consume only 25% of the electricity of a standard incandescent light bulb while providing the same amount of light. Improvements in refrigerators and freezers have reduced the annual electrical consumption from 1200 KW/yr to less than 400 KW/yr. Power factor controllers and soft start capabilities have improved the efficiency of motors by 10% or more. The cost of these energy saving appliances are generally more than the comparable inefficient product but can in many cases return the cost of the added investment in less than one year and provide many years of additional energy savings at no extra cost. In order to assure the most cost effective appliance is purchased, minimum appliance efficiency standards could be adopted by the city to encourage residents to purchase energy efficient models. Some electric utilities have given rebates to customers who purchase energy efficient appliances. Your AVEC delegate should be a leader in understanding and applying these techniques to make the utility function efficiently. Unfortunately, there are two institutional barriers to actual implementation of such load management options. First, the PCE program and methods of calculation for PCE subsidies actually penalize consumers by lowering PCE subsidies when electric conservation and load management reduce powerplant costs. Second, because it is a cooperative, AVEC shares the savings in power costs from any one village with all other villages served by the cooperative. Both of these conditions greatly minimize any incentive for a village to promote ways to reduce electrical consumption. Changes to the PCE program to encourage electrical conservation will have to be made on the state legislative level and will most likely be addressed in the next legislative session. The city should work with their legislators to develop changes which benefit both the state and the city by supporting conservation and efficient powerplant operation and management. One method is to include a lifeline rate with higher PCE awards for increased powerplant KWH/gal rates. On the cooperative level, AVEC can be encouraged by the city’s AVEC delegate to provide local or regional incentives for reduced electricity consumption. This is on the assumption that their fuel and maintenance costs could be lowered and plant upgrades and major repairs minimized. SPACE HEATING CONSERVATION MEASURES Heating System Replacement Significant energy savings can be gained in both residences and community buildings through replacment of inefficient heating systems as needed. For example, a typical house may consume 1200 gallons of fuel oil using a pot-burner type oil heater which is estimated to be 50% efficient at best. By replacing the pot-burner with a heater that is 80% efficient or greater, 500 gallons of fuel oil could be saved annually. At a cost of less than $1000 installed and including the cost of electricity to run the new heater, the payback period is less than 2 years at the current fuel price of $2.29 per gallon. If a pot-burner is replaced by a forced air furnace which requires a considerable amount of electricity to operate, oO) savings from the use of less fuel oil may be substantially reduced by higher electric costs. Availability of parts and service is important in remote installations. If a back-up heating system which requires no electricity, such as a wood stove is not present, it may be wise to leave the existing pot-burner hooked up. In this case the flue pipe should be plugged to stop warm air from escaping when the pot-burner is not in use. Annual Home Maintenance A village or regional homeowners association could be established to provide many of these routine maintenance tasks such as caulking, weatherstripping and heating system maintenance. For example, efficiencies in boilers can be improved 15-20% with simple cleaning and adjustment. Simple thermometers installed in heating system flue pipes can help a homeowner monitor the efficiency of the heater. Funding for such a program could be initiated with a grant and ongoing operations could be supported by a maintenance fee. The city should consider developing such a program to provide another source of employment in the village. The Bering Straits Regional Housing Authority.might be in a position to administer such a program. Model organizations exist in other parts of the country, including the Institute for Human Development and the Citigens Conservation Corporation. The Job Training Partnership Act could likely be available for training of eligible residents at the Kotzebue Technical Center or the Seward Vo-Tech Center. The majority of the homes in Wales have been weatherized and no additional weatherization funds are anticipated in the near future. Fuel savings in the village are estimated by the state to be 10-30% as a result of the weatherigation program although no savings can be documented and substantiated in their program. In order to further reduce residential heating consumption by 50% or more, a complete superinsulated retrofit could be done. This energy-saving retrofit would involve additional insulation of R-30 to R-40 to the exterior of a house and replacement of windows and doors with the latest appropriate arctic designs. The exterior of the house would be wrapped with Tyvek house wrap before addition of new siding to reduce the heat loss from the severe wind. If moisture problems are observed within the walls a new vapor barrier would be installed on the inside of the insulation. The ceiling and floors would be upgraded to R-50 or R-60 insulation levels with an adequate vapor barrier in place, especially in the ceiling where most condensation problems occur. The estimated cost in Wales of this retrofit is a maximum of $12,000 per house. Fuel savings from a superinsulated retrofit could reduce heating fuel consumption by at least 50% and greatly improve the living conditions and comfort within the house. A typical house in Wales would be expected to save 600 to 700 gallons of fuel oil annually for a dollar savings of $1300- 1600. The simple payback for this measure is 4.6 years for a $6000 cost and 9.2 years for the total $12,000 cost. The 18 HUD houses in Wales are presently involved in the HUD 7500’ law suit concerning the design and construction deficiencies of the homes. Estimates to repair the deficiencies are $15,000 to $20,000 to replace all windows, improve foundations, repair moisture damaged areas, add ceiling insulation and replace flooring and other interior damage caused by design and construction flaws. As one of the options for settlement, HUD will offer to make these repairs. Plans to superinsulate the HUD *’500’ houses as a part of this repair option have been submitted to the Bering Straits Regional Housing Authority and HUD, but it will be the responsibility of the city and the homeowners to ensure that the repairs meet the energy improvement needs of the homes. This represents an excellent opportunity for some of the homes in Wales to complete a superinsulated retrofit with a shortened payback period. The likelihood of the homes ever being superinsulated is otherwise doubtful due to the high expense. Use of the city’s commercial urethane foam sprayer may be the most cost-effective way to insulate the older homes in the village. At a cost of $1.50 per square foot per inch of foam, the cost of adding R19 (3"), including labor and a protective skin, would be about $4000 per house. Assuming existing insulation in the wall is effectively R11 and that air infiltration is reduced with the retrofit, an estimated annual savings of $950 in fuel oil gives a simple payback of about 4 years for this technique. Application of thicker foam layers increase retrofit costs quickly due to the need to extend window and door openings and perhaps roof overhangs. The HUD houses could also utilize the foam for filling gaps around windows, doors, and other leaky areas. Bering Straits School The School District should be encouraged to apply for the Institutional Conservation Program (ICP) for energy engineering studies and for the purchase and installation of energy conservation improvements. Maintenance staff should be trained to identify energy con- servation measures which require minimal costs. Such mea- sures include efficiency testing of boilers, weatherstrip- ping and caulking of poorly sealed doors and windows, plas- tic storm windows for single and double pane windows and temperature set back thermostats. Savings can also be found in replacement of fluorexcent ballasts or installation of simple reflectors in fluorescents lights. To encourage energy conservation in village schools, incen- tive programs could be established which allow all or a portion of the money saved by the local school through conservation measures to be spent by that school for its activities. Programs similar to this have been successful in schools around the country and a similar program may soon be started in the Anchorage school district. The community could also encourage the school to educate children in energy consumption and conservation. WASTE HEAT RECOVERY AND WASHETERIA IMPROVEMENTS Because the power plant is located adjacent to the washeteria, the waste heat recovery potential is good. The Alaska Power Authority (APA) has completed an initial design for heat recovery equipment estimated to cost between $140,000 and $190,000 depending on whether it is done “in house” or contracted out and how complex a system is installed. In addition to savings in the washeteria boilers, the powerplant would also expect savings from increased efficiencies. The APA has funded most previous waste heat construction through legislative grants. With decreased revenues, alternative methods are being sought. The most promising is the use of tax free bonds where the city would be cogeneration partner with the utility. The city would be responsible for the bond interest payments and maintenance of the secondary loop from the heat exchanger to the washeteria. Preliminary discussion with APA personnel indicates that state ownership and lease management is being considered. The city washeteria has minimal insulation levels in the walls, floor and ceiling. A major renovation of the build- ing shell would be in order if the washeteria will continue to be utilized and operated. Improved R-values of the walls to R-40 and the ceiling to R-50 are recommended. Floor insulation should also be increased if possible. The city’s spray foam equipment could be utilized to greatly reduce the heating requirements of the building. The boilers should be well maintained with flue gas testing done to determine efficiencies and to fine tune the boiler. Steady state efficiencies should be at least 80%. A set- back thermostat can provide space heating savings of 5% to 10% and would pay for itself in less than one heating season. An air to air heat exchanger could be installed along with the dryers to recover the waste heat from the dryer vents. Heat exchanger efficiencies range from 40% to 80% depending upon the type and application. Assuming a reasonable 50% recovery rate and a 2000 gal/yr heating requirement for the dryers, approximately 1000 gal/yr of fuel oil could be recovered if waste heat is not used in the dryer system. The payback period at that rate should be less than two years. There would be an increase in maintenance time and costs from the need for an attendant to work a few minutes per day cleaning the system. Ultimately, once the heat exchanger has been paid for, the cost of drying clothes could be reduced. With these combined improvements, the washeteria could be operated at a cost significantly less expensive than electric washers and dryers in individual residences. WIND TURBINE GENERATORS Wales has an estimated 16 to 18 mph average wind speed (data from Tin City), with the highest winds reported during the winter months when electrical demand is greatest. Because of the high average wind speeds, wind energy holds much promise for providing both electricity and space heating, as wind generators become more reliable and dependable in harsh arctic environments. Good sites for wind generators are available. The city has operated two Enertech 1800 Watt wind generators for several years, producing approximately 850 KWH/month when in operation. In 1985, a tower failure destroyed one of the wind generators. The extremely cold strong winds are considered responsible for the broken welds on the tower. This was only the second recorded failure of a tower with that type of wind generator in the United States. The other wind turbine has been shut down until its tower can be repaired to avoid a similar problem. At this writing, a 2.5 KW wind machine from Teller has been dismantled and brought to Wales. The city is also trying to obtain the 2 abandoned AVEC wind generators in Shishmaref. In calculating the economics of any alternative to diesel generation, the affect of the Power Cost Equalization program must be considered. To be economically feasible, the costs of generation from a wind turbine may need to compete with the subsidized rate and not the real cost of diesel generation. At a 30% availability factor, 10 KW of wind generator capacity would produce approximately 26,300 KWH/year. This would supply a majority of the electrical needs of the com- munity building. In consideration of wind generation, it is important for the city to understand that AVEC has a by-law approved by the Alaska Public Utilities Commission which prohibits installation of wind capacity at more than 5% of its largest generator. Therefore, the power produced by wind turbines will most likely not be purchased by the utility but will have to be used by the city directly for power or space heat to a specific building. These issues of integration need to be resolved between the city and AVEC before wind generation capacity is increased.. 10