In concert with the Unalakleet Native Corporation and the city of Unalakleet, Alaska, the Native Village of Unalakleet (NVU) has committed to a program of energy efficiency to maintain environmental quality and lower energy costs for its citizens.
The Unalakleet Economic Development Plan 2009-2013 includes the following priorities:
• Program of comprehensive energy efficiencies,
• Conservation and erosion control,
• Improved water and sewer delivery systems,
• Energy-efficient housing,
• Community infrastructure improvements emphasizing reduction of energy use and improving health and safety, and
• Job training/local hires to implement the priorities.
An arial view of the Native Village of Unalakleet and its environs.
Prior to receiving funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant of the U.S. Department of Energy, the NVU conducted an audit of its Tribal Council Building. The Tribal Council offices (formerly the old clinic) consist of nine offices which house all the programs and a meeting/training area as well as its archives, records and institutional resources. The facility itself consists of two old, single-story BIA homes joined together. Even when new, the “building” had no foundation, single-pane windows, old exterior doors, spotty minimal insulation, and un-insulated plumbing under the floor exposed to air and wind. With the leaks and freezing temperature two offices were “usable” only nine or ten months annually. The fuel costs were prohibitive.
Retrofits to winterize the facility included:
• Energy-efficient window and exterior door replacements,
• Insulation for all plumbing under the building,
• Insulation of walls and ceilings with green insulation, and
• Building re-skirting with 6-8” blown, soy-based, EPA-approved insulation (Polyseal).
The conservation impacts have been impressive: fuel utilization of all spaces with a minimum of 68-72 degrees on the coldest days (-30 degrees F), running water 12 months per year, and a savings of over 33% of annual fuel costs. Equally important, the energy results led to ancillary improvements. For example, after training, three workers have new jobs, American-made materials were used, and the community members who received training on energy efficiency have a real-world example of how energy efficiency can benefit their lives.
According to Margaret Wood-Hemnes, who originally was the grant writer and later became the interim General Manager, the impact has far exceeded the initial investment of $57,500. “It has stimulated our strategic thinking and assisted us in developing new partnerships.” As a result of the successful DOE-funded project the Housing Director, Sheldon Katchatag has been able to implement his Title VI retrofit program which is already underway. The Tribal Council is also considering other construction projects, especially an elder facility.
The Housing Department will try to secure funding to develop a prototype house for NVU. There is a need to expand not only economic opportunity for the community but also develop energy-efficient housing on the higher ground behind the existing village. NVU had developed a plan to work with the Cold Climate Housing Research Center at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks to design an affordable panel prototype home and/or building that would be energy-efficient and geo-culturally appropriate. The panels could be built with local labor and constructed and insulated in Unalakleet. The partnership with Poly Seal Insulation in Palmer, Alaska which was developed during the retrofit of the Tribal Council can facilitate this longer-term effort.
The future looks bright for the Native Village of Unalakleet, and the DOE-funded project demonstrates how the goals of the Recovery Act to jump start our economy, create jobs and address long-neglected challenges so our country (and its communities) can thrive into the 21st century are starting to be effective. The Native Village of Unalakleet is a clear example of how these goals are becoming a reality.
Please post questions or share similar initiatives taking place in your communities in the comments section below!
Content for this blog post courtesy of Margaret Wood-Hemnes, project’s interim General Manager, Donna Hawkins, U.S. Department of Energy and James Truitt, Tribal Regional Coordinator, ICF International.