Back to School: Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects in Alaska Schools

Back to School: Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects in Alaska Schools

By Betty Jo Pritchett

While Alaska still has a long way to go in overall energy efficiency and renewable energy usage, several Alaska schools are taking advantage of some really great programs and technologies.  As a state with many small, remote communities, and one with extreme temperatures and weather, Alaska provides a laboratory for developing technologies and techniques to save on energy bills.  Schools in Alaska are using this to their advantage and are taking their students’ education to the next level by becoming those laboratories.  Here is a brief overview of some of the great clean energy and energy efficiency programs being used by Alaskan schools across the state.

The Wind for Schools Project: This popular program was started in Alaska schools in 2010.  In a ‘Wind for School Project’, area college students install a wind turbine in an area K-12 school.  This program is designed to serve three purposes:

-        Engage rural K-12 school teachers and students in wind energy education,

-        Equip college students in wind energy applications and education to benefit a growing Alaska and US wind industry, and

-        Introduce wind energy to rural communities, initiating discussion of the benefits and challenges.

Sherrod Elementary in Palmer was the first school in Alaska to install a turbine through this program.  Three other schools now have turbines or are using turbines installed nearby, including Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School and Juneau-Douglas High School in Juneau and Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka.  Begich Middle School in Anchorage is in the beginning stages of installing a turbine.  Sixteen other schools across Alaska also participate in this program in some form.  For more information on this program, or to find out how to become a ‘Wind for Schools’ school, click here.  For a map of participating schools (and those that recently applied to the program) across the state, click here.

 Wood Biomass Energy: Heating costs in rural Alaska communities are some of the highest in the nation.  Unfortunately, these high costs also apply to heating schools.  In an effort to replace expensive fuel oil, many communities have been able to convert to wood biomass heating systems.   In 2008, the first school wood biomass heating system was installed in Craig on Prince of Wales Island, to heat their elementary and middle schools.  This system was projected to save the Craig community $85,000 annually in heating costs.  Wood biomass heating systems have also been installed in schools in Tok and Coffman Cove and are scheduled to be developed in Delta Junction, Kenny Lake, and Fort Yukon schools.  For more information, click here.

Cordova Biogas Digester Project:  Although this project won’t be ready for larger applications any time soon, high school students in Cordova definitely reaped the benefits.  This project brought together the Cordova High School Science Club to learn how to capture methane gas and how it can be used for energy.  The team was also able to test the use of cold weather psychrophilic bacteria.  Students built digesters from scratch and used leftover food scraps from the cafeteria to ‘feed’ them.  For more information, click here.

Energy Star Labels for Alaska Schools: Many area schools are striving to be more energy efficient, not only to save money on their electricity bill, but to also provide a good example for students.  Small measures such as using efficiency lighting, installing timers on heating systems, and unplugging electronics while not in use have saved many schools around the state sizable amounts of money on their utility bills and have also earned some schools the Energy Star label.  Energy Star scores involve an Environmental Protection Agency performance scale for energy efficiency, and schools have to go through testing to qualify.  So far there are 27 schools (many from Juneau and Mat-Su school districts) that qualify for the label.  For more info click here.

SB220, Sustainable Energy Policy: In June of 2010, Governor Parnell signed the Alaska Sustainable Energy Act into law.  Among other things, this bill established a revolving loan fund for energy efficiency improvements to government buildings, including those belonging to school districts.  The loan fund was capitalized and the application process was opened.  We hope to soon be able to share with you stories of energy efficient upgrades to Alaska’s school buildings!

Additional Reading:

Wind energizes Anchorage students

Project lets Sitka students test wind power

JSD learns lesson in energy efficiency

Biogas could bring new energy to rural Alaska

Interior Alaska Villages Making Plans to Increase Biomass Use