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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTogiak Reconnaissance Study of Energy Requirements & Alternatives 1981RECONNAISSANCE STUDY OF ENERGY REQUIREMENTS AND ALTERNATIVES FOR TOGIAK Report Summary April, 1981 =F om, oe Northern Technical Services and Van Gulik and Associates Anchorage, Alaska ALASKA POWER AUTHORITY RECONNAISSANCE STUDY OF ENERGY REQUIREMENTS AND ALTERNATIVES FOR TOGIAK Report Summary April, 1981 by Northern Technical Services and Van Gulik and Associates Anchorage,Alaska ERRATUM In the Introduction to this summary report, the second para- graph, first item on the first page should read as follows: . It was necessary to assume that the cost of diesel fuel would increase at a rate of 3.5% per year above the inflation rate. Introduction As you read this report, you will see that the results generally favor energy conservation (including the use of waste heat from diesel generators) with existing systems, as opposed to conver- sion to renewable energy alternatives. These results do not mean that renewable energy sources cannot be used in your com- munity, but rather that, under the conditions and assumptions used in the study, the alternatives appear to be at least as expensive as diesel generation as well as somewhat higher in risk. The abovementioned conclusions are actually best esti- Mates based on reconnaissance work in your area. This work was essential to predict the cost using other sources of energy. The conclusions are based on past experience, present costs (of fuel, materials and labor) and estimates of what might reason- ably be expected to occur in future years. Some of the assumptions which had to be made in order to perform the economic analysis of the different alternatives include the following: * It was necessary to assume that the cost of diesel fuel would increase at a rate of 3.5% per year. * It was necessary to assume that the growth of the com- munity's population would increase at roughly the same rate that it has in past years and that the increase in community energy consumption would follow that rate of growth. * It was necessary to assume that the costs associated with maintenance and operation ot an alternative energy conversion system would be an integral part of the annual cost. It was necessary to base cost estimates on present (state-of-the-art) technology since it is virtually impossible to predict future technical advances in sys- tems for the conversion ot alternative energy resources into useful electricity. It was necessary to assume that most people would pre- fer continuously available electricity and that they would probably not be ready to accept the inconvenience of intermittant power (for instance, doing without elec- tricity when there was too little wind for their wind generator to produce electricity.) It was necessary to assume that most people would prefer that a central "utility" provide them with elec- tricity rather than installing and operating their own system. If any of the above assumptions prove to be inaccurate or if their validity changes -- and this could easily happen in future years as the costs of the existing systems continue to increase -- alternatives‘which presently do not appear to be economically or technically feasible may become real-options. Some examples of changes which could result in more favorable economics for the use of energy alternatives include the following: Fuel prices in the community could increase at faster rate than that assumed in this investigation. People in the community might decide to maintain and operate alternative energy conversion systems themselves, perhaps even trading their services within the community for subsistance commodities rather than cash. New inventions or improvements on present technology might make the cost of using an alternative energy source much less expensive than is presently indicated. What this report means, then, is that * Energy conservation is certain to lead to some savings of energy and money. Energy conservation measures will continue to minimize costs in future years, no matter what sources ot heat and electric power are in use. * There are some alternatives (presented in the summary, next section) which appear to be worthy of further investigation at this time. * It will be necessary to continue to look for ways to make the use of other alternative energy sources practical. It is important that you, the people who live in the community, and others with an interest in the community and the region (including government leaders and planners), read this report with the previous points in mind. You are most familiar with your region and can, with appropriate technical and financial support, make the best decisions for your energy future. The authors of this report and the Alaska Power Authority hope that you will take the time to comment on the information presented here and point out any alternative ideas. In this way, we can be assured that tuture planning tor energy projects will lead to the best possible options tor your community. It should be noted that the information presented here is extracted from a much more detailed report "Reconnaissance Study of Energy Requirements and Alternatives for Togiak, Goodnews Bay, Scammon Bay and Grayling" and that additional detailed information is available. “The Community of Togiak Togiak is a predominantly native Alaskan community of about 474 people located at the confluence of the Togiak River and Togiak Bay within the Bristol Bay Region of the state. The town is approximately 70 miles west of Dillingham and 130 miles south- east of Bethel. Year round access to Togiak is provided by air service out of Dillingham 6 days each week. There is presently a 2,600 foot gravel airstrip, but a longer airstrip will be constructed within the next two years. The new airstrip will tacilitate shipping ot tish trom local processors and will allow delivery of construction materials and other goods throughout the year. This compares favorably with the current system of infrequent barge deliveries. Togiak is serviced by the Northstar III and by Soreneson Lighterage out of Dillingham. Land transportation to Togiak is via snow machine during the winter months. Pickup trucks, automobiles, motorcycles and three-wheelers provide local transportation. Togiak has a strong fishing enonomy. Most local employment is seasonal in consisting of local fish processors and commer- cial fishing. Additionally, there is a small local tull-time employment with the state operated school, the city, and the co-op store. There are several National Guard reservists in Togiak, as well. Cottage industry consists ot basketry, and the crafting of dolls, jewelery and fur products. Subsistence hunting and fishing are important to the non-cash economy in Togiak. The annual household income from all sources in 1977 was $9,395. More recent figures are expected to reflect the continued development of the fishing industry in the region. A household in Togiak averages 3.9 members. Togiak has experienced a relatively rapid and consistent rate of population growth since 1940; it is anticipated that the popula- tion will continue to grow at a similar rate in future years Energy Balance For each village studied during this reconnaissance eftort, data was gathered on the amount ‘and form of energy used in the vil- lage, and a site reconnaissance was made to determine how the energy was used. Based on the reconnaissasnce data, an energy balance was prepared using proven calculation procedures to determine losses in the conversion ot the incoming energy forms such as oil to electrical power or to usable heat energy. ! Space heating data was obtained relative to heating degree days from several sources, and specific heating degree days data was determined. The village of Togiak generally. experiences a heating degree day load of 11,600 during the winter season. Togiak Energy Use The energy input and end use for Togiak, the largest community investigated, is shown in Table 1. The data presented in this table are based on 1979 energy consumption levels which is the last year.for which complete data was available for this study. The major oil consumers in the village are the Alaska Village Electric Co-op, the residential and commerical buildings, the state school (including both grammar school and high school levels), and the transportation sector. The large use of gaso- line and diesel for transportation is credited to the fact that fishing is an important commercial activity in the village. Local commercial fishing supports Togiak Fisheries across the bay and Kachemak Seafoods in Togiak. Propane and Blazo are used in the village for cooking. The Kachemak Seafoods facility provides its own power generation and oil heat. The only services it obtains from the community are water and sewage. There is a new facility under construction in Togiak, Togiak Eskimo Seafoods, which will be a large consumer of oil, as it is anticipated that they will generate all of their own electrical power for the 3-4 summer months that they are in operation. No data on this facility was incorporated in the current energy balance. ENERGY INPUT AND END USE FOR TOGIAK Number in parentheses () are (106 Btu) ENERGY FORM DIESEL/ GASOLINE/ END #1 OIL AVGAS PROPANE ELECTRICITY USE Gallons Gallons Pounds Kilowatt Hours Alaska Village 71,0001 55,3002 Electric Cooperative (9585.0) (188.7) — Residential and 130,000 10,000 271,0004 Small Commercial (17.550) (216.7)3 (924.9) + (Heat/Domestic) | Municipal and other 6,000 100,0004 public (810.0) (341.3) (non-transportation) Military 2,300 9004 (non-transportation) (310) | (3.1) Transportation 10,000 117,800 (1350.0) (14.725) ——— 4 eI SES SeTEARER ENS NSIOIEERNDOIOE State School 35,000 . 4,000 231,5004 (non-transportation) (4725.0) (86.6) (790.1) |_ _(non=transp —— mel Kachemak Sea Foods 15,4005 Self Generated (non-transportation) (2079.0) 126,300 | | | (431.0) | NOTES: l Gross generation from 71,000 gallons fuel oil was 658,700 Kwh tor a conversion efficiency of 23.4% 2 Power consumed by the utility for station service (lights, and system distribution losses Oe Ww Propane used for cooking only Net utility electric sales in 1979 were 602,500 Kwh. Kachemak estimates 1,500 gallons used for space heating and hot water, 13,900 gallons used for power generation TABLE 1 fuel pumping, etc.) Togiak appears to have a very high energy consumption per household, even higher than that of colder regions of western Alaska. The final input data for this village is considered to be unreliable in that consistent fuel consumption records are virtually unobtainable. Oil enters the community trom two major sources - Sorenson Lighterage and Togiak Fisheries. Conversations with Togiak residents confirmed that the homes were extremely cold in the winter. This village is considered to be a prime candidate for weatherization and other conservation measures. The AVEC generators at Togiak operate at an energy conversion efficiency of 23.7%. The system losses for electrical distri- bution amounted to only 8% of the total generation. The higher generation efficiency reflects the higher efficiency of larger generators. It appears that sufficient waste heat can be captured from these generators to provide all the heating requirements for the state school. This would represent a significant reduction of oil consumption in the village. Existing Power Facilities Ali electricity in Togiak (with the exception of the National Guard facility) is diesel generated. The character of the community's generators‘ are summarized in the following table. VILLAGE OWNER NO. SIZE MAKE/MODEL | VOLTAGE TOTAL Togiak AVEC 1 300 KATO 300SR9D 240/416,39 i 160 KATO 160SU9D 240/416,38 560 | 1 100 Allis’ Chalmers 240/416,39 | 8GBK { ! PHS 1 50 Caterpillar D8800 208,39 so | STATE 2 73) Delco A.C. 120,19 SCHOOL ZL 25 Kohler 25COT61 120,19 7S KACHEMAK x 50 N/A N/A 95 SEAFOOD at 35 N/A N/A als 10 N/A N/A PROPOSED 72 350 N/A N/A 700 ; TOGIAK ' ESKIMO SEAFOOD 4 Existing Heating Facilities The largest consumers of fuel for space heating in the communi- ty is the school. The BIA school uses oil-fired boilers to heat water for distribution to circulating hot water systems. Water for domestic use and showers is heated through heat exchangers in the same boilers. This large consumer of oil with a hot water distribution system is a prime candidate for receipt of waste or cogenerated heat from power production. Residential and other small buildings within the community are generally heated with simple drip type 50-100,000 Btu oil burner stoves. Heat output trom these stoves is difficult to control; the lowest settings generally provide more heat than is required in the months with the fewest heating degree days, when only minimal heat is required. Many homes make use of oil-fired cook stoves for space heating in addition to cooking and water heating. Homes in these communities generally have no means of heat distribution other than radiation and convection from the stove itself. Togiak Energy Use Togiak presently depends almost entirely upon fuel oil for space heating and upon diesel fuel for power generation. Driftwood and brush are used for steam baths, but the amount used is too small to impact the town's overall consumption figures. Fuel is delivered by the North Star III barge or by lighterage out ot Dillingham. Residents of Togiak also purchase signiticant quantities of fuel from nearby Togiak Fisheries. The community consumes approximately 244,300 gallons of heating oil, with about 130,000 gallons of this for residential consumption. As in the other communtiies studied, the homes here are generally in neeed of weatherization. It appears that even new housing is only minimally insulated. 785,000 KWh electricity were generated in the past year, with 271,000 consumed by residential and small commercial users. The local fish processor formerly purchased power from AVEC, but began generating its own power when commercial rates increased. A new fishery is planned for the town and will be a large con- sumer of electricity during summer months, but the new fishery is presently planning to generate its own electricity. It appears that Togiak residents spend about 16% of their annual cash income on heating fuel. (This is an exceptionally high figure and may result from unreliable estimates of total fuel oil entering the town. The sources of fuel delivery information were unable to provide definitive figures regarding exact amounts delivered to Togiak). Ten percent of the income is spent on electric bills, bringing the total energy expenditures to about 26% of the annual household income. Projects Which Will Influence Togiak's Future Energy Needs The only public capital improvement project noted in Togiak was an airfield upgrading project which may be completed during 1982. It is anticipated, however, that an expansion of local fish processing facilities is quite likely for this community. Large seasonal fluctuations in population patterns are likely to result from this activity. Population Growth Best estimates of the population growth of Togiak indicate a population of about 800 by the year 2000 (Figure 1). Community Meeting The community meeting participants included the Mayor, David Nanalook, and members of the Traditional Council. Those present at the meeting were Joe Nick, Henry Pavian, David Nanalook, POPULATION (Y) 600 500 400 -- 300 =f 200 | 100 1930 1940 FIGURE 1. TOGIAK 1950 1960 1970 CURVILINEAR PROJECTION x 1980 1990 X ACTUAL DATA, ISER & U.S. CENSUS — PROJECTION 70 2000 YEARS FROM 1930 (xX) YEAR Andrew Franklin, and Inuska Babyla. The meeting was very infor- mative and those present had obviously already been examining alternatives to diesel generation. There was much discussion of building conditions and energy costs. There seems to be a preterence tor hydroelectricity, but wind is also looked upon with favor. Project personnel were told of a river with much higher flow rates than that investi- gated by the Alaska Power Administration. The river is called the Quigmy. . (Project personnel later chartered Ute Air for an aerial reconnaissance of the river as a result of suggestions by the Council and others.) The river is said to have some fish, but those to whom we spoke think it is not a major salmon spawning stream. The people of Togiak were very interested in the protection of the fish resource and would not allow a pro- ject which could endanger the fish harvest. The residents of Togiak generally depend upon commercial fishing to support their families. Wind generation was of general interest. Project personnel were told ot tairly consistant and high winds. Peat was brietly discussed, but David Nanalook pointed out that it would be difficult to harvest peat because of the Wildlife Refuge status of land which surrounds the town. This land status is expected to be a regulatory constraint upon hydro development on the Quigmy, as well. A very strong preference for local corporation management of any alternative power generating facility was expressed. Energy Conservation Energy conservation is usually one of the most cost effective and readily available methods of reducing energy consumption and costs. Energy conservation herein means retro-fitting or modifying any existing heat process. This can be done by increasing combustion efficiency, or by reducing the losses from the heat using process. Villages in western Alaska can benefit from the energy conservation practices which relate primarily to weatherization and improved combustion efficiency. The homes in the reconnaissance study area averaged '750 square feet in size, were single story, built on piles, having exposed floors. Some of them had skirts around the piling to reduce cold air circulation under the building. If these buildings are occupied by a family present during the day, then oil consump- tion is typically on the order of 150 gallons per month in the colder months, resulting in heating costs close to $300. The technology to reduce energy consumption in these homes exists and could be economically applied. The requirements are simple and there should be no environmental or health impacts. Generator Waste Heat At Togiak, generation ot electricity produces about 7,340 x 106 Btu/year waste heat. Of this amount, about 4,790 x 106 Btu/year is recoverable. This exceeds the 2,830 x 106 Btu/year heat output from the school's boilers but is substan- tially less than the 8,770 x 106 Btu/year delivered by residential heating systems. Transmission distances are vari- able, and a distribution system will require careful planning. The waste heat resource at Togiak is significant in magnitude and quality and can provide an alternative source of heat for the town's consumption. Wind Only a limited amount of wind data is available for estimating the Togiak Bay wind resource. Some recorded wind data for Platinum is available for the period of April, 1939, through March of 1941. The total recording period was 500 days and the wind distribution was as follows: Mph & Calm 5 4-15 Si 16-31 39 32-47 5 over 47 <1% The weighted mean of these winds is 13.1 mph. Difficulties in extrapolating this data to Togiak include: o Shorter recording period than statistically desirable o No indication of seasonal wind distribution o Ditferent topography and wind exposure A small amount of additional data is available for nearby Kwigil- lingok. This data is available for a period of one month only, April-May of 1980. The mean wind speed during that recording period was 13.56 mph. Winds in this region of the state are said to be "weak and persistent" during the summer months but much stronger during the winter months. Winter periods of high winds (60-70 mph) for several days at a time have been described. This is likely to indicate a good match of wind resource availability and electric load and should allow economy of scale with minimal storage. The local people describe Goodnews Bay as being a very windy location. The principal ot the BIA school, began continuous recording of wind at Goodnews in 1980. His strip chart re- cordings are sent to BIA regional offices in Bethel and Juneau. (An attempt to obtain reduced data from the BIA was unsuccess- ful.) This program of recording should be encouraged and possibly assisted by the Power Authority, since it will provide extremely valuable data for future planning. Other BIA schools partici- pating in this program are: Alakanak, Kwethluk, Kwigillingole, Nightmute, Tununak and Chefornak. It is noted that winds of 60-70 mph for several days at a time have been reported at Togiak. (It is uncertain, however, how accurate these velocity estimates are.) The Army National Guard has installed a 2 KW wind generator at Togiak and is attempting to measure wind velocities, as well. The recording device in use requires that daily readings be made. Until these daily readings are made and analyzed it is difficult to estimate the wind resource at Togiak. Attempts should be made to obtain more reliable readings at Togiak. A school project in which the children measure the wind daily (or more frequently) all year would be helpful. Togiak probably has a wind resource worthy of further investiga- tion but additional data is needed. Hydro Two different hydro sites were considered in this investigation. The Kurtluk River, with a drainage area at dam site of 22 square miles, was assessed first. U.S.G.S. Coefficients Flow Mean annual low monthly 1 cfs/mi2 22 cfs Mean annual 3 66 Mean annual peak 10 220 The Alaska Power Administration reports a flow of 10 cfs on August 6, 1979, for a drainage area of 20 sq. mi. which converts to a unit runoff of 1/2 cfs/mi2. This appears to be very low, especially since the report states rain and fog hindered the field investigations in the area. The measured value is well below the general regional values and the values found on other / streams in the study area. It appears there is some unusual hydrologic phenomena in the drainage. It is difficult to specu- late just what causes this apparent anomaly but perhaps some gain-loss measurements along the stream would provide some useful data. Based on the estimate of potential hydroelectric power, it appears winter flows are expected to be much lower than the mea- sured August flow of 10 cfs. This may be due to freezing of the stream during the winter months; however, no such information is given. The Quigmy River was recommended by local residents for recon- naissance as part of this investigation. The drainage area at proposed dam site is 85 square miles. U.S.G.S. Coefficients Flow Mean annual low monthly 1 cfs/mi2 85 cfs Mean annual 3 255 Mean annual peak 10 850 There is no measured stream flow data available on this stream. The Quigmy River drainage is adjacent to the Kurtluk River drainage so it could be expected that similar relation- ships hold between unit runoff and discharge. However, since the regional analysis results is not supported by the measured dis- charge on the Kurtluk River, the computed values on the Quigmy River must be viewed with some skepticism. The Quigmy River appears to have substantial potential for hydroelectric generation. Transmission costs over the 7-10 mile distance between the generation site and Togiak, along with the dam costs, are expected to make hydro power a very capital inten- sive project. Peat The quality of peat occurrances in Togiak is expected to be very poor due to active drainages and unfavorable surface geology. Some limited organic deposits may be suitable for marginal space heating needs but the probability of utilization for any but absolute minimal needs is remote. Solar Solar incidence at all of the study communities is concentrated in the summer months. Although lacking in intensity, the daily solar input from long summer daylight hours is considerable. Until annual storage becomes technically and economically feasi- ble, it is not anticipated that solar energy will be competitive with other energy sources for the production of power. However, housing design can make use of passive solar input. Energy Alternatives for Togiak The following alternatives have been analyzed for Togiak and are considered worthy of further investigation. Togiak Alternative Plan A This plan for Togiak is based on the installation of a waste heat capture system associated with diesel generators currently providing heat and power for the school building. The school is conveniently located approximately 420' from the AVEC plant and is presently using a hot water heating system. The existing radiators and heat exchangers in the school could be utilized in the new heat capture system to reduce the total cost of obtaining the usetul heat energy. The waste heat available from the diesel power generators is sufficient to fully offset all the oil useage at the school. The diesel generators have an estimated heat input of 9580 x 10° Btu in 1979, with a possible 4790 x 106 Btu available for building heating. The school consumed 4725 x 106 Btu of which about 70% or 3307 x 106 were delivered to the space. The other 30% was lost in the combustion process. Togiak Alternative Plan B Based on projection of water flow from the drainage system and the topography, it appears that a substantial hydro power facility could be developed on the Quigmy River about 12 miles west of Togiak. Minimum stream flows of 85 cfs are projected and with the construction of a dam, up to 100 feet of head could be achieved. The dam would provide storage ot water to allow flexibility in meeting the demand variation of the village electrical load. No data are available on the peak flow or flow variation of this water system. Visual observation of the river and estimate of the drainage area, rainfall amounts and other factors effecting runoff are the basis for this analysis. The village has a projected electrical peak demand of less than 300 KW (not including the two seasonally operational sea- food plants) to the year 2001. This capacity can be met with a hydraulic turbine generator operating with a head of 55' and discharged 75 cfs. The facility would consist of a dam approximately 60' high by 1000' long, a power house with a 300 kw hydraulic turbine, and approximately 14 miles of electrical transmission line. This transmission line could be candidate for single wire ground return system. The existing diesel generators could be retained for backup and the existing distribution system in the village would be retained. Summary ot Recommendations tor Togiak Preterred Energy Alter- native (in order of earliest feasibility) Recommended Resource Assessments and Feasibility Studies 1. Energy conservation No resource assessment or teasibili- » building insulation ty study indicated; immediate action - building envelope required to bring Energy Audit. and/ infiltration or weatherization program to this « improved combustion community. 2. Waste heat capture from Obtain baseline data on heat availa- diesel generators bility for specific generators; per- form preliminary design and detailed feasibility study. 3. Hydroelectric power Begin stream gauging and investi- from Quigmy River gation of fish habitat and spawning potential in summer 1981 if possi- ble; perform site analysis; partici- pate in land use study in 1981 to attempt to change land designation west of Togiak and including Quigmy River (presently Wildlife Refuge under BLM); pursue possibility of tradeoff of native or state lands. Costs and Benefits of the Proposed Alternatives Plan A, waste heat capture, appears to have potential for decreasing the cost of electricity in Togiak relative to the costs of continued diesel generation without waste heat capture. Further detailed analysis of this option is recommended. It appears that a hydroelectric installation on the Quigmy River would lead to significant cost savings. Major problems asso- ciated with such a power project are 1) the relative remoteness of the site and its distance from Togiak, 2) the potential impact on the anadromous fish population and/or the costs associated with protecting this population, and 3) the Wildlife Refuge designation of the land surrounding the potential hydro site. However, none of these problems are insurmountable, and further consideration of this option is recommended.