1. Alaskan Renewable Schools- Burning Wood into Educational Dollars! Art Nash, Energy Specialist 2013 Arctic Energy Summit October 10, 2013

3. Why do some Alaskan School districts care about energy? As one Superintendent said- “my job is to keep the school’s staffed with educators, not to become a plant manager”- yet…..  Most of the State’s 53 districts are significantly dependent on formulaic annual revenues from the state.  Many rural communities operate in subsistence economies and may not have a traditional tax base to levy more dollars for education.  The state’s deferred maintenance list may have a facility backlogged when it has immediate needs for repair or upgrades.

4. Alaskan school districts

6. Operational biomass projects by feedstock, boiler & year:  Alaska Gateway/Tok & Tetlin – Chips in Messersmith & logs in Tarn (2010 & 2012)  Delta Greely/Delta – Chips in Messersmith(2011)  Tanana City – Logs in Garn and Econoburn (2011)  Copper River/Glennallen – Pellets in Pelco (2013)  Southeast Island/Coffman Cove & Thorne Bay – Logs in Garn Boilers (2010)  Craig City – Chips in Chiptech (2008)

7. Plentiful feed stock- natural capital  Biomass is widely available in Interior and SE AK from:  Forests being cleared for fire remediation.  Rivers sending ‘cleaned’ drift logs each spring.  Unusable waste product from lumber mills.  Wind and beetle kill.  Land that is being cleared for development.

8. What other community development ‘capitals’ are involved in a successful project? (Flora, 2008; http://www.soc.iastate.edu/staff/cflora/ncrcrd/capitals.html)

9. Tok (pop. 1300 on Alcan Highway) Tok has an arid climate surrounded by thick forest—a recipe for fire disaster.  In the past 25 years, 2 million acres in the area have burned, costing $60 million for fire suppression and causing 6 evacuations.  In 1990, a single fire burned over 100,000 acres (400 km 2 ); in 2004, the fire almost destroyed the school and other city buildings.  Over 1000 firefighters could not stop the fire in 1990.  Low quality Black Spruce cut and deliberately burned for fire remediation (3,000 acres as the target).

10. Gateway School District

11. Annual heating and fire remediation costs :  District bought 55,000 gallons of fuel oil ($5.5/gal)-> $300,000.  District paid $350,000/year for utilities.  DOF spent $1000/acre for tree removal and disposal.  Annual heating costs after installation of the biomass boiler:  300 tons of chips required for CHP.  Funding sources:  $3.2 million grant from Alaska Energy Authority.  $750,000 from the State of Alaska.  $140,000 in AK Legislative monies for greenhouse

12. Tok continued….  In 2010, a 5.5 million Btu chip-fired Messersmith biomass boiler system was installed in the 88,000 square foot Tok High School.  In 2011, a steam turbine was added that currently produces 60 -70k (out of 125kW needed during peak times).  This savings of $300,000/year has enabled the recovery of Tok’s preschool program, as well as the rehire of three staff members for the school—a music teacher, counselor, and boiler operator.  Excess heat is still available; a greenhouse is planned to be built to provide vegetables to school lunches as less than 5% of consumed food is domestic

13. Capital benefits Financial-AEA funding, state legislative funds. Human- Bush savvy superintendent and boilermakers in the community. Built-Since WWII Tok has been built up along important junction. Natural – Lots of wood with standing cost. Political –Currently working to keep tourism to Eagle, AK; yet has not always been united in decision making.

14. Capital deficits Social- Frontier mentality in an unorganized area (no local government/count) and no ‘mainstreet’ retail. Cultural- Nearby tribes, yet Tok is recent community grown along the highway.

15. Capitals in communities with successful installations pride in the community (social) a more general wish for self-reliance within the community such as energy independence from Outside suppliers (political) creation of local jobs (human) concerns about for environmental ethics and stewardship; tied to the land (cultural)

16. Conclusion  In some cases the biomass was already a part of city or tribal energy conversion and expanded to the school where other cases the school was the initial motivator (i.e. Tok school CHP).  Former usage was diesel (and propane in one case); the prior heaters were left in place as backup.  Most buildings currently heated with wood-fired boilers are not using full capacity, and district heating loops may be installed. Having a community biomass champion to convince school boards (and teachers!) is crucial.

17. Large thanks to Alaska Center for Energy and Power’s Daisy Huang Art Nash - Energy Specialist and Assistant Extension Professor Cooperative Extension Service University of Alaska Fairbanks 308 Tanana Drive Fairbanks, AK 99775-6180 Phone 907-474-6366 Email: alnashjr@alaska.edualnashjr@alaska.edu See the blog at http://uafcesenergy.wordpress.com Go to the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UAFCESEnergy?ref=hlhttp://uafcesenergy.wordpress.comhttps://www.facebook.com/UAFCESEnergy?ref=hl