Koyuk (Efficiency)

The community of Koyuk participated in Phase I of the village end-use energy efficiency program. In total, 5 community buildings and 7 teacher housing units received energy efficiency upgrades. The city-owned buildings got retrofitted with 93 linear fluorescent fixtures with T8 lamps and electronic ballasts, and seven compact fluorescent light bulbs were installed. The pre-retrofit energy use for all lighting was 14,852 watts. The energy use for all lighting post-retrofit is projected at 10,550 watts. This equals an energy reduction of 29% or 4,302 watts. The estimated annual savings under different assumptions are shown in the table below.

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The potential cost savings of energy conservation and efficiency is extremely difficult to get a handle on. During a time of rising fuel costs, efficiency may simply keep costs stable while actually reducing usage. Energy conservation and efficiency should always be looked at in usage numbers as opposed to cash payback.

In small communities, the economy of scale is at stake. If the school is the largest electric user in the community and they reduce their usage by 30%, the utility must still recover their fixed costs from the last fuel delivery and pay for employees. The community may experience a rate increase. However, exploring both supply and demand side efficiency opportunities can reduce any community-wide impact.

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