| Project Detail |
The main goal of the project is to “solarize” the community of Hughes, Alaska, in a way that will reduce diesel consumption and costs in the community of Hughes.
With this, the objective of the Sustainable Solar Energy for Hughes Tribe Project is to:
Increase tribal energy security and tribal resilience through the design and installation of a 100- to 150-kW solar PV array that will produce an approximate 30% reduction in fuel use for electricity production in the community;
Develop a replicable PV-diesel hybrid electric system that can be deployed in Alaska Native villages across the state; and
Implement a financial model that allows for tribal ownership of such a system while not negatively affecting the payments to the community through the state of Alaska PCE program.
Prior to the project, all of the electricity for the 78-member community, which is 96% Alaska Native, is produced from diesel generators at the community powerhouse and all fuel burned to generate electricity is flown into the community on 50-year-old Douglas (DC-6) planes. The project will supply electricity into the local village electric grid and provide electricity for each of the 50 buildings in the community of Hughes that have electric meters. All of these buildings will be affected by the proposed project in the form of reduced electric rates.
Once completed, this project will be the largest solar PV array installed in a rural Alaskan community, will utilize industry-leading technology and microgrid expertise, and will help accomplish the stated goals of the Hughes Village Council. Specific anticipated project benefits are:
Annual savings: 30% reduction in fossil fuel use, which translates to an average of $65k/year over the projects 20-year life span.
Opportunity for expansion: 30% reduction in diesel use across just the communities in the Interior which burn 1.7 million gallons of diesel annually for electrical consumption, would result in a savings of 510,000 gallons of fuel each year.
Tribal members trained/jobs created: This project is expected to employ up to 10 local laborers, operators, and construction workers.
Reductions in emissions: The savings of a 10,494-gallons-per year reduction are: 234,855 lbs. of carbon dioxide, 6,338 lb. of nitrogen oxides, 416 lbs. of sulfur oxides, and 445 lbs. of particulate matter.
Environmental impacts: Fuel reductions will result in 10,494 gallons of diesel fuel that will not need to be produced, transported to, or burned in Hughes.
Step toward RPS: Hughes Tribe passed an RPS resolution that states it has a goal of 50% renewables of 50% diesel displacement by the year 2025.
The project methodology will be as follows:
Access the detailed historical energy use logs that are recording the electrical production at the Hughes power plant, these are recording data in 5-minute intervals, and downloading that data onto the server in the Hughes power plant.
Work with consultants to design an optimal solar PV system that will allow the community to run on solar PV and batteries rather than diesel during parts of the summer.
Facilitate a community-led solar PV installation and training of what is predicted to be a 100- to 150-kW solar PV installation on land identified by the Tribal Council near the power plant in Hughes .
Install a lithium-ion battery bank sufficiently large to allow diesel-off operation at the Hughes power plant.
Work to develop a system operations and maintenance (O&M) manual with specific maintenance tasks and estimated replacement costs in different years.
Establish a financial model that optimizes the community’s benefit from the integration of solar PV and the state’s Power Cost Equalization program.
Develop an O&M manual with the Hughes Village Council to ensure the future sustainability of the diesel-solar hybrid system. |
