The weather on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska can be both unpredictable and harsh. Just ask anyone in the tribal Village of Salamatof, where the average snowfall is 20–50 inches and temperatures range from just 15 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Upon receiving a $40,000 award from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program in 2009, the Salamatof Native Association (SNA) had energy efficiency in mind when it purchased a 50-year-old building, previously used as a bank, to renovate it for use as its new headquarters. 

Photo provided by the Salamatof Native Association.

SNA is a native corporation founded under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. Its mission is to preserve and protect the Salamatof culture, which is reflected in the tribe’s decision to recycle the old building and reuse as much of it as possible in an effort to reduce the building’s overall energy consumption. With the help of local architect Peter Klauder and G & S Construction, SNA implemented a number of energy efficiency measures, including re-insulating the entire building, replacing all windows and doors, and installing two new heating and cooling systems.

According to Penny Carter, president and chief executive officer of SNA, the renovations added “significant energy conservation measures while at the same time conserving material consumption and reducing pressure on our local land fill. We were able to accomplish this while at the same time creating an energy-efficient, modern building for the Salamatof Native Association’s new headquarters.”

DOE funds were used as part of an overall budget of $400,000 leveraged from the First National Bank of Alaska and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  Construction began on June 1st, 2010 and was completed in early October 2010.  As SNA continues to grow the building provides ample room for the Association’s expansion.  Upon completion SNA shared its success with its SNA stakeholders and other native organizations in hopes it can be used as a model for other large scale retrofit projects.  Carter adds that the close working relationships established among the contractor, architect, Department of Energy staff, and SNA was one of the keys to the project’s successful completion.

Content for this blog post courtesy of Gretchen Pinkham, Tribal Regional Coordinator, ICF International.