Energy Savers Guide - 2010

Saturday, September 11, 2010

“The voice of Interior Alaska since 1903” newsminer.com

• Learn how to test home appliances for energy consumption • Some quick and easy energy-saving tips • Assess your boiler’s efficiency • Get advice from the experts

2

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

Study looks at insulation practices for climates similar to Fairbanks Molly Rettig mrettig@newsminer.com There are many good reasons to retrofit your house, including saving energy, saving money and adding comfort. And a new building study tells you how much insulation you should add — and other factors you should consider — to increase energy efficiency and avoid molding walls.

The Cold Climate Housing Research Center recently completed a report from a yearlong test of how various wall systems handle moisture in Fairbanks. The study tested whether the conventional ratio for insulation applied to the local climate.

“The rule of thumb is that two-thirds of the R-value (thermal insulation) should be outside the structure and onethird inside,” said Colin Craven, product testing director at the research center. “What we found for the worst-case scenario is that this is definitely true.”

Craven manages the Mobile Test Lab, a 100-square-foot

trailer containing a patchwork of nine walls, each with different combinations of studs, insulation and vapor barriers.

Last winter, Craven’s team simulated a worst-case scenario by setting an extreme indoor temperature 70-degree indoor temperature with 40 percent humidity (average is 25 percent).

Humidity is important because your walls need to dry in the summer by shedding moisture deposited in the wall cavity during the winter.

When walls warm in the sun, built-up water vapor wants to go back outside where there’s less moisture.

“You want your walls to be able to breathe one way or the other,” Craven said.

Today, many homeowners add foam board outside their houses to save energy. But the side effects of this type of retrofit in Fairbanks have never been researched.

“We always thought, ‘Should we really do this?’

It seems to be working, but there’s no real data besides ‘We haven’t seen houses

fall down yet,’” said Terry Duszynski, a Fairbanks energy rater who helped jumpstart the project.

During the winter, the lab not only exaggerated the heat and humidity but also punctured the vapor barrier with picture frames and windows and pressurized the interior to push air into the walls. The researchers wanted to know whether adding exterior foam would help walls by keeping them warmer or hurt them by encouraging condensation.

It all depends on how much insulation you use.

A balancing act Water vapor, generated by cooking, showering and breathing, permeates your walls from the inside through little leaks and seams in your vapor barrier, a polyethylene sheet directly behind your drywall (if you have one).

Walls can handle a certain amount of vapor without growing mold, but problems develop gradually once they become moist enough.

Every summer, the water

vapor tries to escape, typically through more-permeable outside walls but also through the same channels it entered.

But adding exterior foam blocks this escape route and creates a vapor barrier on each side. But would this double vapor barrier cause moisture problems?

Testing showed that adding enough insulation to the outside kept the walls warm enough to deter moisture problems, because the wall surfaces couldn’t get cold enough for water vapor to condense into liquid.

“It allows the water vapor to stay a vapor instead of letting it condense to a liquid that can then accumulate,” Craven said. “But (not everyone) does that. They’re putting a couple inches of foam on the outside, and that reverses the ratio.”

The recommended ratio usually translates into three or more inches of outer insulation, Craven said, but varies depending on your wall composition.

“Insulation that was prob-

lematic was only a couple inches of foam on the outside, three inches or under,” he said.

While this research highlights potential risks of insulating outside, retrofitters shouldn’t be deterred, said Craven and other local building scientists.

“As an energy rater, I don’t hesitate to recommend an insulation to the outside for every house that hasn’t yet,” said energy rater and borough assemblyman Mike Musick, who helped create the trailer.

The trick is maintaining the thermal balance and vapor control of your walls.

“It’s a little bit of a tough message because insulation costs money. Because of the costs, people prefer to put a thinner layer on the outside,” Craven said. “If you’re committing to do this, we want to make sure you do it right.”

Beginning this April, the research center will study the same walls under more realistic conditions.

“We anticipate that will be more forgiving,” Craven said.

3

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

Paid Advertising Content

WOOD HEAT ... bringing the Alaskan lifestyle home.

The Woodway would like to thank the Fairbanks, North Pole and surrounding communities for their continued loyalty over the last 32 years. The community has continued to grow and change over the past few decades, and The Woodway has striven to adapt, improve and diversify to meet our customer’s needs.

In the last few years there have been all sorts of stores opening and closing that have sold different types of heating appliances. The Woodway welcomes competition as it helps us to assess what we do more critically and enables us to offer the community even more.

This last year has offered us the opportunity to help people take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit which enables a homeowner the ability to save up to $1500.00 on a qualifying wood or pellet stove. On top of this, the Borough is spearheading a Woodstove Changeout Program by incentivizing eligible residents to upgrade their older woodstoves to cleaner burning appliances. These newer stoves not only assist in cleaning up our air, these units also help people to burn up to a third less firewood than their older stoves did. (For more information on the Borough program, please call 459-1312).

LET US PRICE A SYSTEM FOR YOU!

EXCEL Chimneys The Technology Leader.

• 30 Minute ULC Certification • Welded Seam • Lifetime Warranty against defects, fire, and corrosion

AT A GLANCE The Woodway • •

•

• •

Where: On College Road next to Farmer's Market Products: Wood and gas stoves and fireplaces, Monitor and Kuma oil stoves, chimney and stovepipe, hearth accessories, chainsaws and accessories, lawn mowers and small engine products Services: Wood stove, fireplace and chimney installation, Monitor service, chainsaw and small engine service Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday Phone: 452-4002

Unless You Own An Oil Well, You Had Better Own A

Bl A The a u in ze tho On th Kin riz ly e e In g D d te ea rio le r! r

SAVE AN EXTRA $150 OFF ANY BLAZE KING STOVE (for a limited time only)

BUILT FOR YEARS OF RELIABLE SERVICE!

AN INVESTMENT TO LAST A LIFETIME !

• Incredible Efficiency • Long Burn Time • Available w/Ash Drawer Ask us • Thermostat Controlled Tax about

WOODWAY Warming the heart of Alaska since 19 78

Credit

s!

Open: Weekdays 9-6 Saturday 9-5

On College Road next to the Farmers Market • 452-4002 • www.thewoodway.com

12371266-9-11-10ET

THE

Experience the beauty and security of an RSF Wood Fireplace.

Stop by to see it burn!

Another exciting opportunity that has made its way to Fairbanks is the opening of a local pellet mill. The mill enables The Woodway to offer appliances that use a locally made, renewable fuel as an economical alternative way to heat their homes. We are excited to introduce the Enviro pellet stoves that are not only extremely quiet, but they have the ability to burn lower grade pellets which cost less, allowing people to save even more money on their heating bills.

The Woodway small engine shop has expanded to cover everything from lawn mowers and chainsaws to ice augers and snow blowers, and with an average turn around time of 3 days, we service what we sell!

Don’t forget The Woodway also has local pottery and art that is displayed throughout the year and new artists are featured along with refreshments throughout the winter months on First Fridays. We also offer our “Light the Fire” classes free of charge on Saturday mornings where folks can come in and ask questions and learn how to start a fire properly and operate their stove as efficiently as they can.

The Woodway would again like to thank the community for its trust over the years and look forward to keeping interior Alaska warm for many winters to come.

4

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010 Photo courtesy of Golden Valley Electric Association

The Kill A Watt energy meter allows consumers to monitor the energy usage of their appliances

Keep a keen eye on energy Heather Bryant For the News-Miner With the cold Alaskan winter approaching, now is the time for many Fairbanksans to take stock of their energy consumption and budget for the winter. One way to start doing that is to find out what household appliances are the largest energy drains.

“The water heater and the dryer are the two top users mostly,” said Rich Seifert, Energy and Housing Specialist with the Alaska Cooperative Extension. “Refrigerators now are twice as efficient as they were 20 years ago.”

Seifert suggests consumers be conscious of the labels on appliances. The estimates for energy costs and consumption are based on the national average. Due to the nature of Alaska, costs here are generPhoto courtesy of Golden Valley Electric Association ally twice that amount. ConGolden Valley Electric Association employee Sophie Tan demonstrates using the Kill A sumers should do their own Watt energy meter testing in order to make a

Stoves & Fireplace Inserts iscount 10% D-stock all in ves sto

Ask ab $15 out Tax Reb00 ate!

NEW LOCATION at 2081 Van Horn Rd. #4

455-7722

CALL Call before this happens.

978-0059 or 389-3001

Tune-ups and inspections on boilers and forced air furnaces.

18372287-9-11-10ET

12371289-9-11-10ES

3410 College Road, Fairbanks

www.canvasAK.com

Keith's Heating Service 18372284-9-11-10ES

Visit us at the Winter Show at the Carlson Center

realistic budget for their energy consumption and costs.

One way to cut costs is by purchasing a chest freezer instead of upright or side-byside models, according to Seifert. “Always buy a chest-type freezer if you have a choice.

Upright freezers and side-byside freezers are always less efficient because when you open the door, the cold air falls right out,” Seifert said.

Seifert also recommends self-testing appliances to verify the manufacturer’s measurements. The Kill A Watt energy meter is a device designed to monitor the energy consumption of 120-volt appliances in kilowatt-hours.

The device is available for checkout at local schools and public libraries.

Golden Valley Electric Association recommends using surge strips for appliances, such as computers and televisions, so they can be turned on and off easily. Such appliances draw energy even when not in use. Other tips include the use of countertop appliances because they use less electricity than an oven and using timers for vehicle plug-ins and holiday lighting.

5

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010 Photo courtesy of Altrol Heating & Cooling

Numerous servicecalls during a year is an indication a boiler needs to be replaced.

Boilers: built to last The new rebate program for energy efficiency home modifications has led many Alaskans to replace their boiler systems.

Dave Bridges, owner of Altrol, said his company has done 275 system replacements this year.

“Like an old vehicle you like, at some point [the boiler] starts costing you more than it’s worth,” Bridges said. Regular preventative maintenance can extend the life of most boilers to almost 20 years, however, longer than that can lead to more expensive maintenance. Altrol recently held a contest for the oldest boiler.

The winners, Patricia and Christy Stipe, had a boiler that was about 40 years old.

Rich Seifert, an Energy and Housing Specialist with the Alaska Cooperative Extension, recommends getting a tune-up once a year. He also recommends making sure consumers choose a boiler type that has

local service technicians.

“Do not, in our climate, choose a high-efficiency condensing oil fired boiler, because the condensate is often acidic and can ruin a septic system.

It’s a really bad idea from a maintenance and corrosion point-of-view,” Seifert said.

“Boilers have doubled in Photo courtesy of Altrol Heating & Cooling price since 2005,” Seifert said. Regular preventative maintenance can extend the life of most boilers to almost 20 Regular tune-ups, though not years cheap, are far more affordable than a replacement.

Numerous service-calls during a year is an indication a boiler needs to be replaced.

Bridges recommends looking at fuel costs for the last year, and getting the efficiency of the unit tested. “If it’s running at 75 percent efficiency and they get a new system at 87 percent efficiency, they can subtract 12 percent from the fuel bill for the next year. The fuel savings will pay for the system,” Bridges said. Bridges also recommends using programmable thermostats to lower fuel use.

NORDIC SMART

Nokian has done one thing for over 70 years: manufacture tires for people who live near the Arctic Circle.

They have never branched out to find other markets.

They are at home, much like Interior Alaska, in the cold, dark and ice.

IF YOU WANT TO...

Made in Finland, Nokian Tires are one of the few things made specifically for Fairbanks' climate.

• replace your cabinets • remodel your kitchen or bathroom • replace inefficient windows & doors • add custom built-ins to your home

Call for your free in-home consultation.

www.nokiantyres.com

Building Alaska since 1977 We’ll be here next year!

17371567-9-11-10ES

451-0632

455-7450 metropolitangarage.com

18372268 9-11-10ES

Heather Bryant For the News-Miner

6

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010 Paid Advertising Content

SAVE ENERGY SAVE MONEY SAVE TIME

Alaska Thermal Imaging LLC Has the Right Tools to Save You Time & Money

Is Your Residential or Commercial Structure Airtight?

Where Are Your Leaks?

COMMON AIR LEAKS Air leaking into the house

Air leaking out of the house Plumbing Vent Stack Recessed Lighting

WHAT CAN ALASKA THERMAL IMAGING DO FOR YOU?

Attic Hatch Duct Register

Home Envelope Dropped Soffit

Top Plate

Sill Plate Dryer Vent Outdoor Faucet Crawl Space

• Commercial & residential building diagnostics • Air leakage testing • Infrared inspections • Certified energy audit/ratings • Heat loss analysis • Insulation Assessment

• “Map” water damage in walls, ceilings & floors • Locate radiant tubes and plumbing pipes • Improve the comfort, health & energy efficiency of your home • Quality assurance

Source: U.S. EPA

Get an Energy Rating Today & Start Saving Tomorrow!

Alaska Thermal Imaging’s (ATI) blower door test is used to measure and quantify the airtightness of a structure with a powerful, calibrated fan that is temporarily sealed into an Doorway Calibrated Blower Gauge exterior Door Test doorway.

The fan Window depressurizes the house Fan to create a slight pressure Blower Door difference between inside and outside allowing areas of air leakage to be pinpointed Outgoing Outward Inward Air Leaking Air Leaking Air and corrected.

Infrared (IR) Thermal Imaging The Leading Edge in Energy Auditing Technology -8.4°C

-23.7

ATI’s sophisticated and sensitive highresolution IR camera can document your building’s thermal performance with unsurpassed accuracy and detail.

The non-destructive diagnostic IR technology identifies patterns of heat loss that are invisible to the naked eye and, in many cases, can identify the correct manner in which to eliminate the heat loss.

134.4°F

80.4

Calibrated Blower Door Test with Thermographic inspection

Leaking heat Outgoing air

Blower Door

Drawn-in cool air

Indicates Warm air leaks

Warm areas

Hot areas

Leaking heat

Alaska Thermal Imaging LLC Residential & Commercial Building Diagnostics Specialist BPI Certified Building Analyst ITC Certified Thermographer • AHFC Certified Energy Rater Infrared Thermal Imaging Specialist www.AlaskaThermalImaging.com

16372329-9-11-10ES

Blower Door Test

Visit us at the WINTER SHOW! Sept. 24,25,26

488-4332

7

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

Some of the services we provide: • • • • • • • • •

4x4 fuel delivery trucks Competitive pricing Friendly staff Budget Payment Plans Auto-service available Prompt payment discounts Call-in delivery service Environmentally conscious 24-hour Emergency Service

Aviation: • • • • •

Off Airport Deliveries Full into-plane service at Fairbanks International Airport 24-hour self-serve Avgas Cardlock "Fairbanks International Airport/Chena Marina Airport" Full service FBO on West Ramp of Fairbanks International Airport Pilots' lounge on the East Ramp of Fairbanks International Airport

Products we deliver: • • • • •

Heating Oil Diesel Fuel Unleaded Fuel Jet-A Fuel Avgas

HOME HEATING OIL Locally Owned and Operated Since 1982

Servicing Nenana, Salcha, Fox, North Pole and Fairbanks

18372350 9-11-10ES

P.O. Box 60669, Fairbanks, Alaska 99706 www.alaskaaerofuel.com • email: admin@alaskaaerofuel.com

8

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

Funds available for making homes energy efficient program. When signing up, the Alaska Housing Finance The new home construcCorporation will confirm tion rebate and the retrofit there is funding available for rebate gives homeowners your rebate. If there is, the the opportunity for an hom- homeowner will be assigned eowner, owner-builder or an energy rater. That person new homebuyer to offset a will come to the house and significant portion of the perform a blower door test construction or retrofit costs to determine the efficiency of and ultimately enjoy the long the home. term financial and environAfter receiving the report mental benefits of building and required documents, the an energy efficient home. homeowner submits it to the At this point, the rebate corporation and the money program is being sustained will be set aside in the homeby money that was set aside owner’s name. for homeowners, but never As soon as the energy ratcollected—perhaps they ing done the homeowner can decided not to continue with start making improvements. the program, did not make The program for new their 18-month deadlines, construction is still active or only collected $5,000 of as well, although long-term the $10,000 the program set funding is uncertain. aside for them. In these casAny homeowner who es, the money goes back into builds a home that meets the the pot and new participants Alaska Housing Finance Corare allowed in. poration’s 5-Star Plus energy Homeowners can still get standards is eligible for a on the wait list for an energy $7,500 rebate, however there rating and participate in the are some important details

By CCHRC Staff

that determine who qualifies and a specific process that must be followed.

The program operates from a statewide waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis. So the sooner ownerbuilder signs up, the better the chances are for benefitting from the program.

The first step is to get on the waiting list. Locally, the staff of CCHRC’s Portal on Retrofits Training and Loans can guide the ownerbuilder every step of the way.

Call 455-HEAT (4328) or contact the AK Rebate Call Center toll-free at 1-877-AKREBATE (1-877-257-3228).

Once the owner-builder’s name reaches the top of the list, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation sends out two forms: “5 Star Plus new construction energy rebate encumbrance request” and the “5 Star Plus new construction energy rebate form.”

After submitting the

completed forms, the ownerbuilder must also include a copy of an energy rating taken from the building plans that validates that the home will meet 5 Star Plus standards, which can be found on the corporation’s Web site: www.ahfc.state.ak.us.

Once the corporation receives and approves the forms, $7,500 is set aside for one year during which the house must be completed.

There are several criteria that must be met in order to be eligible for the program.

Only the original owner qualifies for the rebate, and the home must serve as the primary residence. If the home is purchased from a builder, it cannot be more than one year old at the time of the first sale.

Owner-builders can qualify too, however the home cannot be occupied for more than one year from the date of completion.

In order to qualify as an owner-builder, two forms must be submitted to the state once the home has been completed.

These forms include the “building energy efficiency standard certification

(BEES),” which certifies that the home was built to meet the 5 star Plus thermal and ventilation standards.

The form can be signed by a certified home inspector, engineer, energy rater, architect or the builder if he or she is approved to certify and has met the current BEES training and testing requirements.

A “summary of building inspection” form also must be submitted, which validates the home was built in compliance with local building codes. This form must be signed by a state-certified building inspector who has conducted all the inspections during the construction process, starting with the building’s footings.

For this reason, it is important to begin the rebate process and hire an inspector before breaking ground on the home.

Finally, the finished home must also have an energy audit. These three forms must be completed, signed by the appropriate authorities and submitted to the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation with the reimbursement form.

Alaska’s first large-scale producer of wood pellets Providing a renewable, affordable and environmentally friendly

Energy Source Alternative Superior Pellet Fuels wood pellets will be available through local retailers soon Call the plant at 488-6055 for more information.

Benefits of wood pellet fuel to Interior Alaska:

16372328-9-11-10EG

• More than a dozen new jobs created • Cleanest burning solid fuel available

• Significant heating cost savings when compared to fuel oil • Approx. 500 tons of wood pellets produced weekly provides a consistent and reliable pellet source to the Interior • Reduces local forest waste by using wood materials from local sawmills, land clearing projects and fire breaks

9

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

, r e k a t i Jim W h

former North Star Borough Mayor, chose the Energy Kinetics System 2000 for his home heating system in 2007. It was not an accident that Jim chose Energy Kinetics to lower his fuel bill. Jim Whitaker has been heavily involved in energy concerns for Fairbanks and Alaska in general. He has been one of the principals in the move to get a natural gas pipeline to Fairbanks. He researches his options before making a decision.

Here are the facts from his fuel records before and after the installation of his EK-2 New Frontier boiler.

As you can see below, he saved more than 37 percent on his heating fuel from 2007 to 2008.

After researching Energy Kinetics installers, he concluded that Joshua Industries, Inc., was the best for efficiency and price.

Fuel delivery charges BEFORE ENERGY KINETICS boiler installed,2,810 Gallons

Fuel delivery charges AFTER ENERGY KINETICS Boiler installed, 1,759.3 Gallons

Gallons Date Gallons Date 11/17/07................164.0 10/02/06................384.4 12/11/07................147.0 11/22/06................351.8 01/05/08................232.5 12/20/06................350.4 01/30/08 ................254.5 01/14/07................330.0 gallons the first year 02/21/08................244.2 02/10/07................263.0 Energy Kinetics system 03/21/08................185.30 03/10/07................362.30 was installed!

05/06/08................208.8 04/10/07................271.60 08/07/08................166.2 07/10/07................297.60 10/20/08 ................156.8 10/18/07................199.9 If a smart man like Jim Whitaker chose the System 2000 boiler system from Joshua Industries, then maybe you should follow his lead and give us a call. Jim saved enough fuel in 3 years to pay for his installation.

SAVED 1050.7

Say so long to high fuel bills.

We'll upgrade your heating system to provide virtually unlimited hot water, silent operation and the lowest fuel bills possible.

18372274-9-11-10EG

Call now! Free in-home estimates available.

Saves up to 30-40% off fuel! Quieter than a microwave!

• Joshua Industries has been in business 25 years.

• We installed more Energy Kinetics boilers and hot water heaters last year than any other dealer in town.

• Low overhead means savings to you.

• Speedy installation, boiler usually operational in 12 hours with Joshua Industries.

• We will dispose of your old boiler and hot water heater free of charge.

We are now scheduling installations

JOSHUA INDUSTRIES (907) 457-3832 • (907) 460-7523

For

STEW'S HEATING (907) 378-7467

Emergency

Installing Boilers and Heaters locally for over 25 years!

Jaye Delbridge, President

Service Calls, Call Any Number

10

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

Keep the garage at 40 degrees, other housing questions answered

By CCHRC Staff seeing a lot of condensation acidic wine. A ph test strip ASK A BUILDER in the garage, which can for pool water or hot tub

The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.

Q: What’s an acceptable temperature to keep my garage at throughout the winter?

happen by parking a wet vehicle inside, you might want to keep the temperature a little warmer or ventilate more.

Q: I’ve read LED lights perform well in cold temperatures. What about in Alaska?

different environments. If you are looking at buying an LED light for outdoor use, get one with a good warranty. The bulbs may last a long time, but there are other components in the light that may not fare as well.

air is transferred to the cold, fresh air through a heat exchanger.

These devices will help keep your home warmer in the winter, while saving you energy and money because you do not have to reheat the air coming into your home quite as much.

water would give you some info on the acidity of the condensate from the fuel you are using.

Q: I heard that metalframed windows are a bad choice for Alaska. Why and what should I do about it?

Most metal-framed windows are made from aluminum which is a highly conQ: I heard that the conductive material. The laws of physics dictate that heat will densate produced by new A Heat Recovery Ventilaalways move in the direction oil-fired condensing boilers tor, or HRV, is designed to bring fresh air into your contains "strong acids" and of cold.

When the temperatures home. The “tighter” your they should be avoided for drop outside, the aluminum home is (fewer leaks in insu- that reason. Any truth? acts as a pipeline, moving lation, doors and windows), The CCHRC facility has heat from inside to outside. the more essential an HRV a Monitor FCX oil-fired Also, a colder window is is to the safety of the occucondensing boiler. We use a pants. site-made trap of black ABS more sensitive to moisture and will gather condensaThe other important part 3 inch drain fittings filled tion. of an HRV, heat recovery, with limestone chips. This Replacing metal frames is means it captures as much neutralizes the condensate of the heat that is leaving before we discharge it to the the preferable thing to do, the building as possible. You sewage treatment plant that however, not always practical. Fortunately, there are have already heated the air is in the basement of our some other easy solutions. in the house. To bring fresh facility. air in, you are going to have We have had no problems Covering the inside face of a window with a shrink wrap to expel stale air, but that air at all with the condensate will create dead air space has heat in it that you do not from our boiler. that will help keep the winwant to waste.

The LifeWater Engineerdow warmer. Curtains and So the HRV acts as a heat ing facility is heated by a shutters will help as well. exchanger. As cold fresh air Monitor FCX oil-fired conmoves in, the warm stale air densing unit with the conmoves out. When the two air densate drained directly into Q: My walls have black flows pass by each other, the the sewage treatment plant lines where dust has colheat from the warm, stale the serves that facility. lected. What could cause They have not been able dust to collect in this patto detect any change in the tern?

The weatherization program provides ph of the waste water sysOne telltale sign that you weatherization work on houses, apartments, & tem with the addition of the have heat loss through the mobile homes for qualified households. acidic condensate. framing in your house is that The boiler itself uses a the studs will be outlined in high grade of stainless steal black lines on interior walls. and polypropylene exhaust This is what happens when Renters and homeowners with low to moderate income may be eligible for components that can handle moist indoor air condenses thermal doors, windows, insulation, air-sealing, weather-stripping and the acidity without any prob- on the cooler portions of a heating system repair at absolutely no cost. Save money on your fuel and lems. wall where the studs are electric bills! The paperwork is extremely simple!

The acidity of this condenPlease see BUILDER, Page 11 sate is around that of very A household is automatically eligible if any household resident documents receipt of SSI,

Absolutely. LEDs are genIf the house is attached to erally pretty tough. They are the house, you will want to shock and cold resistant. In keep it a little warmer, about fact the colder it gets, the 50 degrees. In many cases, if better they perform. When it you have a boiler and pipes comes to outdoor lighting at in the garage, they may extreme temperatures, some warm the garage more than fluorescents can suffer from you want just from the heat performance losses when they give off, especially if compared to their use inside. your boiler is an older unit.

Currently, LEDs are popuSince it is not living space, lar in low-light applications if you have a garage that is such as pathway lighting 70 or 80 degrees, you may be or for task lighting such as using a lot of energy to heat workbenches, nightlights, that space. Also, that is a lot flashlights and other devices of heat that could be leaking where incandescent bulbs out through the walls, which have traditionally been used. adds up to wasted energy.

Because small incandesDon’t heat your garage cent bulbs are the least effianymore than you have cient, they are perfect to be to because it is a wasted replaced by an LED. expense.

When it comes to the A cooler garage is a good lighting industry in general, place to keep a refrigerator changes are coming along or freezer. Keep the tempera- quickly. Prices are coming ture at 60 to 40 degrees, or down on LEDs and fluoreswhatever your comfort zone cents, and they are being is. On that note, if you are better designed to work in

Q: What is a heat recovery ventilator and what does it do?

HOME WEATHERIZATION

Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), ATAP, TANF, Senior Care Benefits, APA/IA or Food Stamps.

Homes weatherized before April 2008, are eligible to be re-weatherized.

Income Guidelines 100% of Median Income:

Interior Weatherization, Inc. today for details!

452-5323 or Long Distance 1-800-478-5323 713 15th Avenue Download application at: www.interiorwx.org

Funded by Alaska Housing Finance Corp., US Dept. of Energy, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

• New Construction • Remodels • Roofing • Footings • Slabs • Sidewalks • Decks • V.A. Approved • A.D.A. • Light Commercial • Residential • Retaining Walls 18372291 9-11-10ES

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Max Income $53,800 $61,500 $69,200 $76,800 $83,000 $89,100

D&G CONSTRUCTION Licensed – Bonded – Insured

488-4041 or 347-9074

18370736 9-11-10ES

Household Size 1 2 3 4 5 6

OVER 20 YEARS COLD CLIMATE EXPERIENCE

Call

11

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

BUILDER: Insulating concrete foundations can save heat, money a little more forgiving with temperature differences located. Air carries tiny little between the supply and dirt particles, so as moist air return water, so they don’t condenses on those studs, suffer the temperature shock the particles accumulate on that older boilers do.

Q: I have a concrete founthe wall and begin to show This iron prevents the dation.

I heard insulating over time. return water from cracking your foundation can save These black lines are a the castings, which means heat. How can I do that? sign of significant heat loss the return water can come Concrete is very conducin a building, but there are back into your boiler at a tive, and heat always goes to Q: I have some foam board steps you can take to reduce much lower temperature. insulation I want to put on cold, so a foundation without this heat loss, including retAnother technology is the insulation is basically a bot- the outside of my house. Is rofitting your walls or reduccondensing boiler. This boilit a problem that it’s wet? tomless heat sink. ing the amount of moisture Be cautious with wet foam er performs better because If the foundation is not in your home. it extracts more heat from board insulation. The more insulated, there are defithe flue gas than typical oilwater in the foam, the less nitely opportunities to save fired boilers. Because more Q: I have heard of the insulating value it has. some heat. heat is pulled out, the gas BEES regulations in Alaska, If you have a piece of Current code requires an gets significantly colder and though I don’t know quite foam that is so saturated it R-value of 15, which is about what they are. Is this someweighs a lot more than a dry condenses. three inches of blue foam.

Propane and natural thing I should know about if piece, it will not have the Ideally, digging out the same insulative value as the gas-fired units have offered I am a homeowner or want outside of the foundation condensing options for a long new, dry piece of foam. to build a home? and insulating the outside time, but now a condensing Also, since the water got The BEES (Building will keep the foundation oil-fired boiler is an option. in, there is a good chance Energy Efficiency Standard) warmer but doing this type With these new boilers, it will get out. If you have Q: What is the relationship of work on the outside of a regulations are part of the you don’t have to worry a wall that is susceptible to between boilers and comcompliance requirements home is not always practical. about the condensate causmoisture damage, it is not a for any home built to Alaska bustion air?

In such a situation, put ing corrosion because they good idea to put wet foam on Housing Finance CorporaAny appliance that expels foam on the interior of the are mostly made of stainless your structure. tion’s (AHFC) cold climate air must have its own air home’s outside walls and steel and plastic parts. construction standards. More supply, or one appliance tape the joints.

These condensing boilrecently, AHFC has adopted could be drawing air through On a similar point, the Q: Is there any new, fasciers can run upwards of 90% the International Energy another. When a boiler rim joist area is prone to nating boiler technology in efficiency, but do require a Conservation Code and expels gas out its flue, an air leakage where the joists development? drain. amended specific portions of equal amount of make-up air meet the outside wall.

They are making boilit for construction in Alaska. must be brought in. SimilarOften fiberglass insulation ers out of different cast Q: I have a log home. Is Because we are a colder clily, any appliance that sends is put into joist bays, but iron materials. Some of the there anything special or mate, AHFC has set higher air out of the house needs to that is not enough to stop air boilers have what they call insulation values for winbe supplied with intake air. leakage. A better choice is to “eutectic cast iron,” which Please see BUILDER, Page 14 dows, floors, roofs, walls, and If an appliance is not supinstall sheets of foam fitted is a little more flexible and other areas. There is also an plied with intake air, it may energy credit for building pull the air it needs down a home that meets AHFC 5 through the boiler’s chimney, star plus requirements. In thus “backdrafting” the boiladdition, a mortgage rate er and pushing combustion reduction is possible through gasses into your home.

The special stainless steel heat exchanger carries the highest efficiency AHFC when purchasing a For example, in a “tight” code and 87.7% (AFUE) rating. It surpasses oil and gas systems and is four or five-star home that home (one with sound insumuch more efficient and economical than wood stoves and electric heat. meets current AHFC BEES lation and well-sealed doors standards. When considerand windows), where a wood ing this credit, make sure stove and a boiler both draw to start the paperwork and air, the boiler may get its air have a state certified inspec- supply by backdrafting the tor on board before breaking wood stove. However, if you Continued from Page 10

ground. Also, local contractors should be familiar with the AHFC requirements, so ask before you start building.

The BEES regulations can be found on the AHFC website and are arranged by region. For each area of the state, the minimum insulation requirements are listed for windows, walls and other parts of a home. The statewide recommendations for ventilation are also covered. What is important to remember, is that the BEES regulations are minimums and more insulation is still beneficial in many cases.

The current AHFC requirements can be found here: http://www.ahfc.state. ak.us/iceimages/reference/ bees_amendments.pdf

have provided adequate air supplies for both appliances, both should operate with no problems.

to each joist bay, then spray foam around the edges.

Another option is to hire a spray foam contractor to spray between the joists.

These techniques will help stop air flow and heat loss through that part of the foundation.

licensed • bonded

17371566-9-11-10ES

1-0632 MIKE NESS • 45 • insured

13372330 9-11-10EG

Fall is the time for • Kitchen & bath remodels • Window & door replacement

12

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

• BOROUGH STOV THESE STOVES • 30% FEDERAL TA QUALIFY • DEALER MANUF P43 (0-43,000 BTUS)*

P61 (0-61,000 BTUS)*

When purchasing a "Pellet Stove", you immediately receive a $250 00 check from us!

MODEL

PURCHASE PRICE

P-43 $2,400.00 P-61A $3,200.00 ACCENTRA $3,130.00 P-68 $3,400.00 XXV $3,400.00 ADVANCE $3,320.00 PF100 $3,659.00 PB105 $5,850.00 TL300 $2,350.00 WOODSTOVE (not shown)

30% FED TAX CREDIT

FINAL COST*

$ 720.00 $ 960.00 $ 939.00 $1,020.00 $1,020.00 $ 996.00 $1,095.00 $1,500.00 $ 705.00

$1,430.00 $1,990.00 $1,941.00 $2,130.00 $2,130.00 $2,074.00 $2,305.00 $4,100.00 $1,645.00

ALL PELLET STOVES & BOILERS IN STOCK *After Federal Tax Credit & Promotions

Accentra (0-40,000 BTUS)

P68 (0-68,000 BTUS)*

“THERE IS A D

We encourage you to CALL and/or come see u sets a Harman Pellet Stove apart, and wha Once you know, you can c BURN POT CLEANING • ASH PAN AUTOMATICALLY BURNS “AL AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLS TEMPERATUR AUTOMATIC SWITCHING INVERTER (OPTION) – KEEP MOST USER-FRIENDLY STOVE

“Drive a These prices can be REDUCED EVEN MORE with "Borough Change-Out" $$$

END OF An Exclusi

We Specialize in Woo

M.P. 272 RICHARDSON

(Located 3 miles south of the Pipeline

Ph. 907-895-5321 • Fx 9

SEE ALL HARMAN ST

13

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

E TRADE-IN $$ (CHECK BOROUGH REQUIREMENTS) AX CREDIT $$ (TAX CREDIT ENDS DEC. 31, 2010) FACTURER PROMO $$ (THIS PROMO ENDS OCT. 2, 2010) XXV Anniversary (0-50,000 BTUS)

Advance (0-48,000 BTUS)

HOT AIR PELLET FURNACE PF100 (112,000 BTUS)

DIFFERENCE.”

us. Operate our burn stoves and learn what at makes them the best in the industry! compare these features: N SIZE • HIGH BTU RATINGS LL GRADES” OF PELLETS RE • AUTOMATICALLY GOES OFF & ON PS STOVE OPERATING DURING POWER OUTAGES ES FOR INTERIOR ALASKA

little - save a lot”

F THE ALCAN

ve Harman Stove Dealer

od Pellet Stoves, Fuel & Accessories

N HWY • BIG DELTA/DELTA JUNCTION

INDOOR PELLET BOILER PB105 (113,900 BTUS)

e Bridge, on river side of hwy, across from Big D Fire Station)

* Stoves shown with trim - additional charge.

TOVE MODELS AT www.harmanstoves.com

18372344-9-11-10ES

907-895-2208 • endofthealcan@wildak.net

14

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

BUILDER: Vents from pellet stoves lose less heat than wood stove chimneys Tube, Viessman, Buderus, Energy Kenetics, Low Mass different I need to know Boilers, Quietside and even about insulating around direct vent hydronic hot doors and windows? water heaters are pressed Q: Is it really necessary to When they are new, into service as radiant heatQ: What are the advantages A lot of people can take a insulate my hot water tank? log homes typically leave ers for the home. Look for The newer tanks have a and disadvantages of a pellittle solar panel, a DC motor four to six inches of space the AFUE efficiency and high-density polyurethane let stove? and some wiring and make around doors and windows get recommendations from foam insulation around There are a couple of big to account for settling. Gen- a little fan. However, when them. But a lot of the older advantages. The pellet stove mechanical contractor and you get into home systems, erally builders will stuff in homeowners. ones have a thin layer of provides a very regulated solar power is much more some fiberglass and seal it The best way to find out fiberglass around the tank, and controlled burning enviwith Visqueen or some other complex. This being Alaska, what size boiler you need home of the do-it-yourselfer, and that results in lost heat ronment with a high quality, 6-mil. polyethelene product. for your home is to look at a people tend to read an article called standby loss. The idea uniform, combustible mateIf you don’t know for sure, heat/loss calculation for your behind standby loss is that it rial.

The pellet stove can and think they can do it take a look inside after the specific house. You can have regulate the rate at which themselves with a quick visit takes energy to keep water home has taken a few years this calculation done by a warm. the pellets are fed into the to the parts counter. to settle. plumber or through a home Even if you aren’t using firebox, and it controls how After purchasing some That space can be sealed energy rating among other the water at the time, you much oxygen goes into the with some compressible foam panels, batteries, controller places. are still using energy to keep firebox.

It creates an optiand inverter, they may have backer rod or spray foam.

The calculation takes it heated. If your tank is mum burning environment a decent system. However, In order to do that, take into account the R-values of not insulated, you are losing for the pellets. after some time they may off some of the casings walls, windows and roofs, heat and using more energy The pellets themselves are notice their batteries are not around the window. If you an evenly-sized product that and the exposed surface charging as well and may be to keep it at temperature. see just fiberglass, then areas of each, then estimates Insulating the tank helps looks a little like goose food unusable, or something may you’ll want to make some how much heat will leave the keep it warm and you end up except that it’s made from have gotten fried. other provisions to stop air building at a specific temusing less energy and there- compressed wood rather Remember, a solar power leakage. Seals in this area perature. For Fairbanks, -40 fore pay less as well. than grain. project is a system and must are a common problem in F is often used.

You can also look up speThey get fed in by an older log homes that have air be designed as such. The The right size boiler cific information about your auger, and are sized to run bottom line, if you are seripenetration problems. will offset the heat that is tank online by going to the through the system for ous about installing a solar expected to leave the buildoptimum burn efficiency. ing. There’s an old rule of Pellet stoves are generally thumb that uses the square very easy to install. Often footage of your home to calthey can be direct vented through a wall, which is a lot culate the right boiler size. easier than trying to place a Unfortunately, this will often chimney from a typical wood call for too large a boiler. A boiler that is too large for stove. your home will operate inefIn an older wood stove, you lose heat from the chim- ficiently. ney, but you lose a lot less Q: Refrigerators are expenwith a pellet stove.

In terms of disadvantages, sive to operate, how can I make sure mine is using you have to buy the pellets.

That makes you dependent less energy? on the market and who is In terms of energy effiimporting the pellets. You ciency, refrigerators are, also need electricity to run unfortunately, are often the auger that feeds the pel- ignored. Typically, a new lets and the fan. If you don’t refrigerator, with automatic have power, or suffer from defrost and a top-mounted an outage, your stove won’t freezer, uses about half the function. energy of a 1990 version. So use that as a benchmark.

If your refrigerator is old Q: What types of boilers and needs repairs, or is close are out there and what do to the end of its expected I look at? How do I know life, which could be around which type of boiler is the 15 years, then it makes good right one to get, and what sense to replace it. size?

In terms of maintenance, Alaska is a cold and farcheck door seals. Sometimes away place, but even way the seals get brittle, or lose up here in Fairbanks, we their compressive memory, have a wide variety of boilwhich can cause small gaps. ers. Some common brands As a rule of thumb, you do include Weill Mclain, Burnnot want to be able to take a ham, Slantfin, Monitor FCX Condensing Boilers, Triangle Paid for by Hank Bartos for Assembly, 1427 Gillam Way, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Please see BUILDER, Page 15 Continued from Page 11

Q: I am interested in putting up some solar technology, is this something I can do myself?

power system and you want to avoid trouble down the road, contact a professional.

HANK BARTOS ASSEMBLY for

Hank Bartos is working hard to bring low cost, clean energy to Fairbanks.

Natural gas will reduce our PM 2.5.

57372425-9-11-10ES

Vote for an experienced leader.

manufacturer’s website.

There you can find out how it was made, and how it might already be insulated.

15

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

BUILDER: Increased energy usage from heat pumps offset by fuel cost savings A heat pump is a mechanThere is some concern gains from the sun should in the evening summer sun, ical system that uses a series that, depending on your not be underestimated and then put windows in the piece of paper and slide that of liquid-filled pipes or tubes site, the heat pump will take sunlight is also good for your appropriate place for that. between the seal. run underground to heat enough heat from the ground mood.

It’s not just about getting Another method is close a (or cool) a building. The to cause freezing, however At the same time, some light to see and heat your flashlight inside the fridge. If liquid captures the ground more research needs to be homes can become overheat- home, think about how light you turn off the lights in the heat and uses it to heat your done on this question. ed in months like March, will affect your life in your room and can still see light home.

Locally, we’ll probably see when there is no vegetation home. coming out of the fridge, You might think that our more of these systems being to provide shade, and the then it’s probably time to Fairbanks ground would be installed in the next few sun comes directly through Q: I want to put a chimney replace the seals. too cold to support such a years, but for now, it is an your windows. in for a stove, but there are Also, the refrigerator com- system, but even at lower emerging technology for our Also, in the summer, the a bunch of things in the partment should be between temperatures a heat pump area. hot sun can overheat your way, including a beam. How 36F and 38F, and the freezer can still function approprihome if your roof does not can I get around that? should be between 0F and ately. have enough overhang to Q: Why is it beneficial to It’s always frustrating 5F. In Alaska, this tubing has have south-facing windows shade your windows. Again, when you’ve got the perfect You can’t always trust the antifreeze added. In Fairtrees and other vegetation on a home? place for a stove, but somedial in the fridge to do that, banks, these tubes need to will help here as well.

Due to the orientation thing is in the way. so if you really want to be be buried below the frostline with the sun, south-facing Before you build your Ideally a chimney should sure, put a thermometer in (about ten to twelve feet home, get a sense of where windows bring in both light be a straight shot for easy there and use the dial setdown) where the temperathe sunlight falls in both the cleaning and proper drafting, and heat, which are very ting as a point of reference tures are fairly stable across important for homes in our winter and the summer. but sometimes it just isn’t to make sure everything is the seasons.

If you are a morning perclimate. possible and you’ve got to working as it should.

Heat pumps use more If you have a lot of north- son and you need that morn- put an elbow in the pipe.

Another thing to look at is electricity than the typical facing windows, you’re going ing light to help wake you The best place to put cleaning the condenser coils. house, but the increased up, you’ll want to place your an elbow is at the bottom to lose a lot of heat with Those coils are the back or costs are offset by the savwindows appropriately. not a lot of heat gain. The bottom fridge. They collect ings in fuel.

If you like to entertain Please see BUILDER, Page 16 amount of heat your home dust and make the fridge work harder to do its cooling job.

The location of your fridge is also important. If the refrigerator is in the sun, next to the stove, or any other warm space, it will use more energy trying to stay cold.

A fridge in a cold space will work the opposite way and save energy as well.

When you’re preparing food to go into the fridge, let With the Weatherization and Energy Rebate Program well on its way and winter fast approaching it is not looking food cool down fully before storing it away. Remember, a like fuel prices will be dropping soon. There is still plenty of time to improve the energy efficiency of your home refrigerator is a temperature before the high energy bills start arriving in the mail. After your energy rating is complete, give Alaska Quality regulating appliance.

Insulators, Inc., a call for an estimate or to schedule your work.

Hot food will raise the temperature inside the com• Attic Insulation: Both blown-in fiberglass or partment and the fridge has cellulose insulation to work harder to bring that temperature down to the • Batt insulation and vapor barriers P43 level it is set for.

• Exterior door weatherstripping (0-43,000 BTUS) If you are looking into • Urethane foam insulation: foundations, buying a new fridge, top and rim joists, and hard-to-seal areas bottom units tend to be more efficient than side by side units.

However, the bottom line In when buying a fridge, or our tion to ia c re any appliance, is to look at p ap ilies, m ry Fa a a the yellow Energy Star tag. t i l i M r we offe Energy Star information will count s i d tell you kilowatt hours per 5% sulation on all in . year for your model, which work you can compare with other Leave it to the pros! models.

Continued from Page 14

Thank you, Fairbanks and North Pole, for the great response to our previous ads!

Alaska Quality

Insulators, Inc.

e Insulat now.

't You can afford not to!

Need to

Think Green… $ave Green

www.alaskaqualityinsulators.com

insulate?

488-3832

13372325-9-11-10ES

Q: What is a heat pump and can it work in Fairbanks?

Improving your home's energy efficiency now will lower your heating cost this winter!

16

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

BUILDER: Burning coal in wood stoves could do damage to the stove Continued from Page 15

teria that will break down septic sludge. These organbecause it allows you to isms will do much better in scrub the chimney top to a warm environment than a Q: I have a wood stove, can bottom when you clean it cold one.

I burn coal in it too? and you can still get inside There is some debate on Unless a wood stove has the stove and vacuum out how much insulation makes been specifically designed to that elbow piece. a difference when it comes burn coal too, I would not Sometimes you can run to soil temperature and bacburn coal in it. a stovepipe directly out the teria performance. However, Q: Is it worth the energy For starters, coal has the side of the house and up the ability to burn much, much savings to put my computer a bigger concern is a septic exterior wall. How well this tank freezing because it was hotter than wood so it can to sleep, or to just shut it works is case dependent. If damage the stove, or heat it off every time I’m not using not buried deep enough, or there is too much pipe in does not have enough insulaup so much that it can be a it? an uninsulated space, then fire hazard to nearby objects.

That depends on how fre- tion to protect it from cold the pipe can get cold and as air.

Also, burning coal in a quently you are using your a result, some of the smoke A frozen septic is more stove that isn’t air tight or computer. If you go back will get cold which can cause specifically designed for coal and forth to your computer likely in the winters of creosote build up and crecan be dangerous because with hours in between, then extreme cold with little ate a chimney fire hazard. snow. In that case, the there is no way to shut down putting it to sleep is more Also, a fire started with a ground freezes very hard and the air supply if the fire gets beneficial. stovepipe that is cold may very deep. too hot.

However, if you only use not draft properly so it may When in doubt, it is cheap Add that to the fact that a your computer once per day, smoke and smolder and even coal fire takes a lot longer to such as when you’re at work, insurance to add a layer of introduce pollutants into rigid two-inch foam insulago out, and you’re asking for or when you’re at home in your house if it’s not an air- trouble. tion on top of the tank and a the evening, then turning tight stove. few feet down on the sides. your computer off is more In fact, insulating a septic Q: What is a low e-coating? energy efficient.

Q: What are the advantages tank is a good way to use up The low e-coating is a Remember, keeping your of LED lights over those spi- metallic finish on one side computer on all day, even in all the damaged or left over pieces of foam from a job ral compact fluorescents? of a window pane. This finsleep or standby mode, uses site.

LEDs use less power, have ish will reflect radiant heat power that you have to pay Another alternative is a longer life and are more energy. Radiant heat is heat for. durable than compact fluothat passes through electroAlso remember that com- to have the top of the tank rescents. Initially there have magnetic waves, like sunputers, like cars and people, sprayed with several inches of polyurethane foam. been some costs that have light. need a break from time to Do not forget to consult kept them from reaching the If you have a multiple time. Turning your computer with the Alaska Department broad market, but every year pane window with multiple off will give it a rest and it of Environmental Conserbrings new innovations in coatings, the coating on will function better in the vation for the most recent LED technology, bringing the the outside of the glass will long run. codes for insulating a tank. cost down and improving the reflect summer heat away quality of light they produce. from the building to keep it Q: Recently, I was scoffed Compact fluorescents con- cool, and the coating on the Q: Is there a way to tell if at for wanting to insulate tain mercury, so disposing land is full of permafrost inside of the glass will reflect my septic tank when I of them is a problem, while indoor heat back into the install it next summer. How just by looking at it?

LEDs are fairly non-toxic. house to keep it warm in the much insulation is necesThere are some visual LEDs also work better than winter. indicators, but they are not sary for a septic tank? the average bulb in cold temHere in Alaska we typi100% reliable when deterSeptic tanks contain bacmining whether or not land has permafrost. For starters, look at the other houses in the area and the types of foundations they have.

If there are a lot of houses on posts, or if houses with peratures, which is important in our climate.

cally favor coatings that will reflect heat inside while also choosing a pane that has a high solar heat gain coefficient. That means a window that allows more heat to pass through into the house, rather than reflect it.

Wood Boilers

of A LASKA

The original downdraft high efficiency gasification indoor boiler.

Q: Not everywhere has a lot of wind, so when is putting up a wind turbine system practical?

You can still put up a turbine, but it is important to have a good wind resource.

If you are connected to the electrical grid, you want to have average wind speed at about ten miles per hour or better. Of course the cost of electricity for your home will dramatically affect any possible payback of putting in a wind system. If you are in a village and paying 60 cents a kilowatt hour for power, then having “enough’” wind is going to be different than if you are in Anchorage and paying eight cents a kilowatt hour for power. Look at how much energy you are likely to produce annually, how much money you will save, and the cost of installing a system – all before deciding if a wind system is cost-effective.

Alaska HomeWise articles promote home awareness for the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC). If you have a question, e-mail us at akhomewise@cchrc. org. You can also call the CCHRC at (907) 457-3454

Major area of concern:

JOBS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS!

Woodhawk, Inc. • 388-7357 • 488-0139 www.setonboilersalaska.com

BOROUGH ASSEMBLY SEAT B

WE NEED: • Low cost energy • Low tax structure, conservative values • Quality college prep and vocational/technical education Paid for by Diane Hutchison for Borough Assembly, 140 Falcon Drive, Fairbanks, Alaska 99712

18372398 9/11/10Ener

2,500 sq. ft. home heated entirely with a W-90 Seton Boiler.

21370821-9-11-10ES

CERTIFIED FOR $1500 FEDERAL TAX CREDIT!

• 20 year warranty on firebox refractory • 85% Efficiency • Burns 60% less wood.

• 2010 models use the original Seton design but with an improved smoke bypass system.

• 2011 models will all be EPA & Borough certified.

conventional foundations are sagging, that could be a sign of permafrost.

If the land is down in the flats or on the north side of a hill and has mostly little black spruce trees and moss, that often indicates ice in the soil, because the land cannot support a big root structure.

Sometimes a piece of land can have good-looking ground but permafrost underneath at a low depth or ice lenses (pockets of ice) only under small areas.

17

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

Impact of oil drilling moratorium

DEAR TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA

By CLIFFORD KRAUSS and JOHN M. BRODER The New York Times

The Associated Press

Chipped trees, shown in this Aug. 31 photo, from the Pickwick Creek restoration project will be used as an energy source near Pickwick, Minn. Workers cleared trees from a 66-foot stretch of Pickwick Creek as part of Trout Unlimited’s plan to improve about 19 acres of trout habitat, one of the first “fuel for habitat” stream restorations in the state.

Instead of being burned, the wood cleared for the project will be taken to wood-burning energy plants.

“The Door Store” S ER AV R T KE MI

I NT N E R RESID LO

C

M OM

&

457-7221 Fax: 457-7211 2626 Phillips Field Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99709 Bonded & Insured Lic #23550

www.Klondikedoor.com

Please see OIL, Page 22

3740 Braddock St. Tel: 907-456-6200 Fax: 907-456-8295 1-800-478-6204 E-Mail: info@hoffer-glass.com www.hoffer-glass.com

Low-E Storm Panels • Energy saving window inserts • Custom fabricated (white, bronze) • Save money • Save energy • Easy installation • Adds up to 1.6 R-Value to your existing windows

18372347-9-11-10ET

D

Call

DR. DOOR

11372892-9-11-10ES

K O OI A L C ER

AL

moratorium would be lifted before Nov. 30 for certain types of rigs.

Bromwich’s boss, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, said the agency was “ahead of schedule” in drawing up new rules to allow drilling to resume and suggested that the moratorium could be eased as early as next month.

Oil workers idled by the government-imposed drilling suspension are not eligible for BP money intended for people directly affected by the spill, like gulf shrimpers and charter-boat captains. But BP has set aside $100 million to compensate rig hands and support workers who lose their jobs because of the moratorium. The Rig Workers Assistance Fund has not started to make payments.

Oil companies continue to lobby for a lifting of the ban and warn that if it goes on much longer they will move their operations elsewhere. Yet they are hedging their bets by keeping crews and equipment on standby, expecting the pause to end well before the end of the year.

“It’s like a taxi that stops but the meter keeps going,” Ola Morten Aanestad, a vice president for Statoil, the Norwegian company that is a major producer in the gulf, said of its stranded rigs.

Statoil has invested in a halfdozen drilling projects that

Free Estimates

NOW AVAILABLE!

ce E ce i i K rvr v

D I S eS e

WASHINGTON — When the Obama administration called a halt to virtually all deepwater drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon blowout and fire in April, oil executives, economists and local officials complained that the six-month moratorium would cost thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in lost revenue.

Oil supply firms went to court to have the moratorium overturned, calling it illegal and warning that it would exacerbate the nation’s economic woes, lead to oil shortages and cause an exodus of drilling rigs from the gulf to other fields around the world.

Two federal courts agreed.

Yet the worst of those forecasts has failed to materialize, as companies wait to see how long the moratorium will last before making critical decisions on spending cuts and layoffs. Unemployment claims related to the oil industry along the Gulf Coast have been in the hundreds, not the thousands, and while oil production from the gulf is down because of the drilling halt, supplies from the region are expected to rebound in future years. Only two of the 33 deepwater rigs operating in the gulf before the BP rig exploded have left for other fields.

While it is too early to gauge the long-term environmental or economic effects of the release of 4.9 million barrels of oil into the gulf, it now appears that the direst predictions about the moratorium will not be borne out. Even the government’s estimate of the impact of the drilling pause — 23,000 lost jobs and $10.2 billion in economic damage — is proving to be too pessimistic.

There are several reasons the suspension has not cut as deeply as anticipated.

Oil companies used the enforced suspension to service and upgrade their drilling equipment, keeping shipyards and service companies busy. Drilling firms have kept most of their workers, knowing that if they let them go it will be hard to field experienced teams when the moratorium is lifted. Oil companies have shifted operations to onshore wells, saving industry jobs.

And the administration has dropped repeated hints that the offshore drilling ban will be eased or removed before it is set to expire on Nov. 30.

Michael R. Bromwich, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, the agency responsible for policing offshore drilling, said Monday in a letter to the presidential commission investigating the accident that it was possible that the

18

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

Owners counting on a change in the way Alaskans heat their homes

By JEFF RICHARDSON jrichardson@newsminer.com

about four times as many pellets in per year as everyone in Alaska used in 2009.

The backers of a soon-toHe said the company is open wood pellet factory are counting on that big growth betting that Alaskans are in the use of pellet stoves will ready to change the way they make demand keep up with heat their homes. the increase in supply. A local Superior Pellet Fuels, producer of pellets will help located between Fairbanks boost confidence among pellet and North Pole off the Richstove buyers, he predicts. ardson Highway, is set to “The biggest thing about become Alaska’s first largehaving a pellet facility here is scale producer of wood pellets. that it’s a consistent, reliable Its new 12,000-square-foot source,” Schumacher said. factory plans to begin producKent Severns, who sells ing the product, which is used stoves and woodcutting supto fuel wood-pellet stoves, on plies at The Woodway, said Aug. 23. pellet stoves have become The plant is being a more popular option for launched with ambitious customers in recent years, goals. Early plans call for four but agreed that inconsistent days per week of around-the- prices and supplies have limclock production, which will ited sales. produce about 500 tons of “Sometimes you can get pellets per week. The factory (pellets) for 5 bucks a bag, will have 14 employees when and sometimes you can’t get it opens, with as many as 20 it at any price,” he said. workers planned if it ramps up to full-time production.

At that production rate, Superior Pellet Fuels General Manager Chad Schumacher Wood pellets are considered said the factory will make a clean fuel source, producing much less particulate pollution than a typical wood stove.

In a community like Fairbanks, which has struggled to meet federally mandated air quality standards, Schumacher said a higher profile for pellet stoves could make a big ~ Service Heating ~ difference. That factor, along with the Interior’s reliance on costly heating oil, is one reason to be optimistic about the growth of pellet stoves.

“It’s a huge selling point for us,” Schumacher said.

“This could single-handedly solve the air pollution problem we have in Fairbanks.”

The plant will be able The most thorough to use a variety of trees — service check in the including cottonwood, aspen, North Star Borough spruce and birch — to make pellets. When they’re dried We recommend an annual service maintenance of your heating and compressed, Schumacher system to improve the efficiency said the species all have simiof your unit. lar heating properties. The We service all makes of Boilers plant will use sawdust, wood and Forced Air Furnaces, chips and trees that aren’t a including TOYOSTOVE Lazer heating products. high enough grade to be used Call to schedule your for lumber. appointment today!

“We’re trying to find the Locally owned & operated lowest-quality wood in the Serving FNSB for over 15 years industry,” he said.

Licensed Schumacher said he’s been Bonded working with state forestry Insured

Environmentally friendly fuel

Offering our 28 Point Annual Service check!

officials and local sawmills to find a wood supply for the plant. He said a portable wood chipper will be able to go to land clearings where trees would otherwise be burned or left on site.

Northland Wood will be providing its surplus sawdust to the plant, which will offer an estimated 8,000 cubic yards of material each year for pellet production.

Northland Wood manager Jason Knoles said the agreement will provide some financial benefit, but more importantly will allow the lumber company to operate without any waste of its forest products.

“From our standpoint, we want to have 100 percent usage of the trees we harvest, and this allows us to do that,” Knoles said.

The pellet process A tree goes through an elaborate process to become a batch of pellets, starting with a shredder that tears it down to roughly half-inch chunks of wood.

The chips are moved to a 40-foot-long, 8-foot-diameter cylinder that evaporates the moisture out of the wet chips, fueled by a 24-millionBTU burner that operates at 1,200 degrees or more. After another round of pulverizing reduces the chips to an even smaller size, they enter one of two pressing units that squeezes out three-sixteenth inch pellets.

Those 180-degree chunks are funneled into a giant bin, where they’re air-cooled until they reach a temperature of about 100 degrees.

18372401-9-11-10ES

The pellet-making process is almost self-sufficient.

Some of the wood material is too small to be turned into pellets, and those fines are burned to power the system.

Schumacher said they’ll provide 97 percent of the plant’s power needs.

The plant can process a vast amount of wood — about 12 tons of green material every hour. That will, in turn, make about 6 tons of pellets.

The final product, with a

Eric Engman/News-Miner

A welder works under the drying tumbler as Chad Schumacher gives a tour of the Superior Pellet Fuels pellet plant off of Cobb Road between Fairbanks and North Pole on Aug. 6. moisture level of 8-9 percent, looks a lot like processed rabbit food.

Schumacher said a ton of premium pellets, which has the BTU equivalent of about 1 1/2 cords of moderately seasoned wood, is expected to sell for $295. Superior Pellets plans to sell the product statewide through retailers.

The new plant is expected to give a significant boost to the local economy. According to a study by the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation, it will directly add $4 million to the local economy, with another $4 million expected in indirect benefits.

Schumacher declined to say how much the 12,000-

square foot facility cost, but said it was a “sizable investment.” A Tulsa, Okla., couple, Dale and Debra Rich, are backing the project.

Severns said he’s thrilled with the project, since locally produced pellets are a stark contrast to the typical petroleum-based fuels that heat Interior Alaska homes.

“It’s awesome that this money is staying here, and not going to Saudi Arabia or even Seattle,” he said.

Superior Pellet Fuels plans an open house of its new plant from 4-6:30 p.m.

Sept. 8.

Contact staff writer Jeff Richardson at 459-7518.

19

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

Swiss man travels around the world in solar, wind powered car The Associated Press

energy through his “ICARE Project” and said the project In English, “I care” refers represents his desire to escape to a person showing concern from the oil system. for others. Elsewhere, it refers His 18-month journey to an attempt to escape. started in May and brought Both definitions could be him to Tiffin over the weekfitting to describe a trip being end. He is traveling in a car taken by Marc Muller, a 28that uses solar and wind year-old native of Lausanne, energy for power.

Switzerland.

The 24-foot-long vehicle He is going around the has a windmill and 33 solar world to conduct research panels, creates its own energy about alternative forms of from the sun and stores the

ALTROL’S “ENERGY SAVINGS CLUB” MEMBERSHIP SAVES YOU $$ MONEY $$ What You Benefit By Becoming An Altrol Energy Savings Club Member: • As an ESC member you will receive a 20% discount off the Standard Rate in the Customer Approved Pricing Book, on all tune-ups and service calls.

• ESC members are entitled to a 10% discount on a boiler of furnace replacement.

• Altrol will call all ESC members once per year to schedule their yearly tune-up, at the ESC member’s convenience.

• ESC members receive a 32 point service checklist, at each yearly visit, showing that a thorough inspection has been done. Efficiency of heating unit will be listed also.

• ESC members pay no overtime charges for afterhours, weekend, or holiday service calls.

• ESC members receive priority service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Scheduled maintenance keeps your equipment running at its highest efficiency, thereby saving breakdowns during extreme temperatures. Gives you peace of mind, knowing that your equipment is being maintained property, by a quality company.

CALL TODAY 452-8680 “THE COMPANY YOU CAN TRUST”

18372362 9-11-10ES

E SINC!!!

1982

energy in lithium batteries.

Muller said it has a small electric engine and a generator that uses biofuels in case of emergencies. It can travel 80 miles with its stored energy, and its maximum speed is 60 mph.

Goals of the global project are to visit alternative energy projects around the world and show what has happened in the world in relation to energy and new forms of it.

Muller said he is not in the U.S. to sell a product or do marketing. Also, he is not making the trip to increase awareness. Instead, he is in the country to listen to people and create articles and reports.

He started his voyage in Switzerland in May and traveled to Italy, Tunisia and Morocco before he had his car shipped to New York. He said it took 50 days to have his car imported, and he arrived about a month ago.

Muller spent several days in Ohio and arrived in Tiffin Saturday night. When he is between cities, he camps or stays in hotels.

He planned to leave that night to head to a meeting with Ford engineers in Detroit Wednesday. He said from there, he will go to the University of Michigan because it has a solar car. Then, he is to head to St. Louis and Dallas

before finishing his time in the United States in California. His trip is to continue to South America, India and possibly Russia.

Muller said he has to take the shortest path possible with his vehicle and tries to avoid cities and places where there are a lot of people. He said he spends four to five a hours a day traveling, and the rest of his time is spent talking to people.“I take my time (traveling),” he said.

Muller, who created the car, said it took 14 months from the time the idea was born to the start of the trip in May. There are two engineers in the organization, and about 60 people spent thousands of hours building the vehicle.

The car, Muller said, has three functions. It must drive him around the world, offer him a place and the power to produce articles and reports, and serve as his house for 18 months. The car offers Muller space for equipment needed for cooking and camping.“It’s uncomfortable,” he said.

As Muller travels, he is interviewing people about sustainability.

In Morocco, people are involved and active in energy and alternative energy, while in Tunisia, the involvement is slightly less, he said. The United States, he said, is 20 years behind Europe.

He attributes it to three reasons. The first, he said, is Americans have a strong belief in independence and liberty. Second, the U.S. is large. Other countries, such as France, Germany and Switzerland, are developed, and generally, citizens know the environment is fragile because of the lack of space for development, he said.“It’s so big,” Muller said of the U.S. Third, he said, is that the administration of former President George W. Bush didn’t sign the Kyoto Protocol, which deals with decreasing carbon dioxide emissions.

Muller said he believes the world needs to hasten the transition to alternative energy. A push for alternative energy would mean jobs would stay in the U.S., he said.

20

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

Public land set aside for solar energy projects stands largely vacant BLM, which oversees federal land and knows oil, gas and mining leases but is new to solar.

ROACH DRY LAKE, Nev. The Bush administration, — Not a light bulb's worth however, kept BLM's focus on of solar electricity has been oil. BLM's database of solar produced on the millions of acres of public desert set aside applications shows many lanfor it. Not one project to build guished for years while the agency approved more than glimmering solar farms has 73,000 oil and gas leases in even broken ground. the last five years. BLM has Instead, five years after federal land managers opened yet to give final approval to up stretches of the Southwest one solar lease.

BLM's solar leasing system to developers, vast tracts still ended up allowing developsit idle. ers to lay claim to prime sites An Associated Press — many located in the deserts examination of U.S. Bureau of Land Management records that span California, Nevada and Arizona. All developand interviews with agency ers had to do was fill out an officials shows that the BLM application, pay a fee and file operated a first-come, firstdevelopment plans. served leasing system that But many were so vague quickly overwhelmed its small that it was difficult for BLM staff and enabled companies, to separate the serious projregardless of solar industry ects from the speculative experience, to squat on land ones. without any real plans to "People were making develop it. (solar) applications on federal At a time when the nation lands not knowing what kind drills ever deeper for oil off of technology to propose and its shores even as it tries to ... how to develop the land," diversify its energy supply, Brady said. the federal government has, In the Southern California so far, failed to use the land desert near Palm Springs, for it already has — some of the example, San Diego-based world's best for solar — to produce renewable electricity. LightSource Renewables filed an application in August 2008 Nowhere is this more evident than in Nevada, where a for 2,500 acres, BLM records Goldman Sachs & Co. subsid- show. The small, two-periary with no solar background son development firm knew enough to recognize the land's has claims with the BLM on nearly half the land for which worth — it was close to transmission lines — but had no applications have been filed, previous experience with such but no firm plan for any of projects. the sites.

Co-founder Paul Whitworth The Obama administration said it is now focusing on getsays it is expediting the most promising projects, with some ting private land, and is not approvals expected as soon as pursuing plans for its BLM September. And yet, it will be site. The agency, however, still considers the application years before the companies active, meaning other interbegin sending electricity to ested firms cannot access it. the Southwest's sprawling, "We don't know what techenergy-hungry cities. nology will win or lose, and "Clearly we spent a lot of certain sites cater to certain time and effort on oil and technologies, but a good site gas, but those priorities have is a good site," Whitworth said changed," Ray Brady, BLM's head of energy policy in Wash- when asked why they filed their application. The firm ington, told the AP. has never filed a development Congress in 2005 gave the plan, records show.

Interior Department a deadWhile dozens of smaller line: approve 10,000 megafirms like Lightsource joined watts, or about five million in the rush, BLM records homes' worth during peak hours, of renewable energy on show two Goldman subsidiaries filed 52 of the 354 applicapublic lands by 2015. Reachtions throughout the region, ing that goal was left to the

By JASON DEAREN Associated Press Writer

map with potential projects, and since then they haven't moved on any of them," said Gregory Helseth, the BLM's new renewable energy project manager in southern Nevada.

"You can't hold the land forever. You can't be a prospector and hope somebody down the road wants to buy."

A Goldman representative defended the firm's solar investments, saying the Wall Street titan has since gained experience through its 2009 purchase of an aged solar facility in San Bernardino, Calif., that it was moving forward in good faith and was not blocking anyone. The company also announced this month it had reached a deal to build a small, 250-acre project in Colorado on private land.

"While we continue to pursue development of projects utilizing public lands in the Southwest, we have not held land reservations if they are determined not to be viable for future solar development," company spokesman Ed CanaThe Associated Press day said in an e-mail.

The Obama Administration Electric towers and power lines cross the proposed site of has identified 14 promising a BrightSource Energy solar plant near Primm, Nev. "fast-track" projects targeted more than any other company. rejected applications or comfor approval by year's end so "Those 52 applications are panies withdrew them, bring- they can qualify for stimulus an example of the problem ing the total active applicafunding. None of Goldman's of clogging up the system," tions to 123. claims are among them. said V. John White, execuSome of Goldman's CaliWhen completed, these tive director the Sacramento, fornia applications were with- facilities could generate 6,000 Calif.-based Center for Energy drawn after U.S. Sen. Dianne megawatts, enough electricEfficiency and Renewable Feinstein proposed last year ity for several million homes Technologies, a clean-energy that part of the Mojave Desert during peak hours. There is a advocacy group, in an e-mail. where some of the projects ready market for big plants, The system has limited access were proposed be declared with California's strict climate by experienced solar develop- a national monument. Now change laws creating a huge ers to the best sites.

Goldman holds 10 of the 123, demand among utilities for "Some of these lease appli- including eight that cover solar power. cations tied up more land nearly half the land proposed Companies that hold BLM than would be needed for a for solar in Nevada. solar development applicareal project," he said.

An AP review of BLM's tions are prohibited from sellFor example, records show applications database found ing them, but the companies Goldman-owned Cogentrix Cogentrix has staked more themselves can be sold along Solar Services, LLC, the subdevelopment claims in the with the potentially lucrative sidiary with no previous solar Southwestern deserts than applications. experience, has a pending any other company. In Nevada Tempe, Ariz.-based First application for 13,440 acres in alone, Cogentrix has applied Solar, an industry leader Nevada for a 1,400-megawatt for exclusive development and a maker of solar panels, solar plant. Another claim on rights on nearly as much bought two smaller compaland nearby asks for 22,400 federal land as all other com- nies, including the companies' acres for the exact, same-sized panies combined. Its active land rights and power agreeplant. lease applications cover about ments with utility companies.

BLM records show other 120,000 acres — the equivaFirst Solar paid about $400 companies proposing the same lent of more than eight Manmillion for OptiSolar and type of solar plants were ask- hattans. $285 million for NextLight. ing for 6,000-7,000 acres.

"Goldman Sachs was one of Analysts say the sale value of Over the years, BLM the first applicants to dot the Please see SOLAR, Page 22

21

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

Germany extends lifespan of nuclear plants, levies new utility taxes

By JUDY DEMPSEY The New York Times

The Associated Press

A protester, wearing a giant mask depicting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, tries to catch “atomic balloons” during a demonstration against the extending of nuclear power plants operating time Sunday in Berlin. Posters read: ‘Nuclear power’s only safety is the risk.’ will be allowed to operate for up to 14 additional years.

Merkel, who was an environment minister in the 1990s, called the decision “a revolution for energy supplies,” and said Germany’s energy sector would be “one of the most environmentally friendly and efficient throughout the world.”

Shares in Germany’s big energy companies jumped Monday on the news of the extension. Shares in renewable energy companies also rose, signaling market acceptance of the government’s pledge to increase the share of renewable energy as a source of electricity to 20 percent by 2020, from 15.6 percent now.

Nuclear energy now

accounts for 22.6 percent of Germany’s net electricity consumption.

Compared with coal or natural gas plants, nuclear

plants are hugely expensive to build. But once up and running, they have been relatively inexpensive to operate.

Land - Commercial Residential - Recreational 907.456.8000

According to a report published by the DIW, the German Institute for Economic Research, combined Please see NUCLEAR, Page 23

Christina Ashton Realtor Broker

YOUR Hometown professional REALTOR serving all your Real-Estate Needs!

New! $228,000

5 STA

ENER R Brand new and move in ready! Beautiful 1244 sq ft, 2 bedroom/1.5 bath log home, featuring a 5 star energy RATINGY rating, open kitchen with stainless steel appliances, and G main level bath/laundry area, with full size stackable washer/ dryer. The huge windows let in all the natural light and the vaulted tongue & groove ceilings add the feeling of spaciousness. This home is situated on a nicely wooded 1.14 acre lot, in the hills, off Farmers Loop, within the Pearl Creek school district! This home truly shines!

VIEW MORE LISTINGS AT WWW.ALASKA-LAND.COM

57372424-9-11-10EG

BERLIN — The German government has decided to extend the life spans of the country’s 17 nuclear plants while alternative energy sources are developed, a move that is also likely to create windfalls for both power companies and strained government coffers. The decision comes at a time when several European countries, including Italy and Sweden, are reconsidering long-held policies against nuclear power, not only to develop new sources of energy but also to combat climate change.

New taxes levied on utility companies as part of the deal will be used in part to help develop renewable energy sources, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday.

But she said Germany could not afford to get rid of nuclear power as planned because the amount of renewable energy available would not be sufficient to fill the gap.

“Nuclear energy is a bridge,” she said.

Under a German law, passed by a previous government in 2002, the last nuclear power plant was to be shut by 2022. That decision, bitterly resented by the nuclear energy companies, was largely supported by the German public, which has a deep aversion to anything nuclear, a sentiment that intensified after the nuclear accident at Chernobyl.

Recent polls have shown attitudes shifting, however.

A survey by Forsa, an independent polling institute, in July found that 81 percent of Germans said the country could not do entirely without nuclear power, up from 59 percent five years ago.

The new accord, reached late Sunday night after months of wrangling inside Merkel’s coalition of conservatives and the businessfriendly Free Democrats, will prolong the life of the nuclear facilities an average of 12 years. The oldest plants, built before 1980, will remain open for a further eight years. Newer ones

22

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

SOLAR: Bringing plants online to take years OIL: Some rigs now in limbo These fast-tracked sites are located on either side of the both companies likely was dormant Goldman lease near increased because they held Roach Dry Lake, located about BLM solar development appli- 35 miles south of Las Vegas, cations. and will utilize the same First Solar spokesman Alan Southern California Edison Bernheimer said the acquitransmission lines that pass sitions were valued on the over Goldman's site. companies' signed agreements Goldman spokesman Canawith utilities not on their day said the company is still BLM land positions. trying to work out a deal with In September, at least two a utility. of the "fast-track" projects And BLM's Helseth said — by Oakland, Calif.-based he still is seeking final plans Brightsource Energy and by from Goldman and Cogentrix.

First Solar-owned Nextlight He said the agency's main — are expected to get the first problem was that there were solar permits issued by BLM. too few employees available to Bringing plants online howwork on the applications. ever will likely take years.

Under Obama administraContinued from Page 20

tion, more BLM staff like Helseth have been hired to help weed out dormant applications so developers better suited for the job can be found.

Officials say the administration is trying to avoid future land rushes by identifying the best solar locations with the fewest environmental impacts, rather having a free-for-all.

Critics say BLM should have done this in the first place and help avoid years of delay.

"BLM let people file applications willy nilly wherever they wanted," said Johanna Wald, a land-use attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

are now in limbo, said John Breed, a company spokesman, are frozen by the moratowho added that the company rium, including two in which was “looking at opportunities it is the main operator. outside the United States.”

“We are looking at what But Breed said the compaother alternatives there are ny had not let any rig workers elsewhere, but I can’t prego so far. dict what will come about,” “Our goal has been to try Aanestad said. to maintain the continuity But he added that Statoil of our work force, but how had not laid off any gulf work- long that will go on we don’t ers. “Our base assumption is know,” he said. we will be able to resume our Breed said a long moratoactivities and work with our rium would hurt not only the deepwater leases,” he said. drillers but also the service Noble Corp., a major offcompanies that do the seismic shore driller, had six rigs work, the caterers who feed operating in the gulf before the thousands of rig workers the BP accident and has and the sellers of uniforms since acquired a seventh. All and safety boots.

Continued from Page 17

Fairbanks MACS Transit

Save Gas , Save Money , Ride the Bus! 17371565-9-11-10ET

Day Pass only $3.00 • 459-1011 • See our maps and schedules online at www.fnsb.us/macs/

23

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

NUCLEAR: Critics say extension places obstacles in front of renewable energy lobbying the government to reverse the closure decision profits of the nuclear energy that was made by the former companies could grow by 6.4 Social Democratic-Green billion euros, or $8.2 billion, coalition, which governed for each year of additional from 1998 to 2005. life span.

The companies also took As a result, the German out full-page advertisements government will impose a in the main newspapers to new tax starting next year convince a skeptical public on the four German nuclear that a prolongation of the companies — E.ON, RWE, nuclear power industry was EnBW Energie Baden-Wuert- needed for Germany’s energy temberg and Vattenfall. Esti- security. mates are it will bring in 2.3 Complicating the debate, a billion euros a year until at recent government-commisleast 2016, money that will sioned report said that withgo to the general budget. out nuclear power, Germany The companies also will could not hope to reach its also pay 300 million euros target of reducing carbon in 2011 and 2012 and 200 million euros in subsequent years through 2016 into an investment fund for renewable energy projects.

But at news conferences Monday, German officials sidestepped questions about the cost of bringing alternative energy to the level needed.

It was also unclear how the funds will be invested.

Alternative energy lobbies and analysts said it was essential that the electricity grids be expanded or new ones built to deliver renewable energy to the consumer.

“If the government is committed to renewable energy, then the energy companies have to build more grids to meet growing consumer demand,” said Claudia Kemfert, professor of environment at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. Even if that were to be agreed, it takes several years to obtain permission to build new grids because of administrative procedures, she added.

Dietmar Schuetz, president of the German Renewable Energy Federation, was pessimistic that this would happen. He also accused Merkel of caving into pressure from the nuclear lobby.

“By extending the life of the nuclear power plants, she has placed obstacles to the expansion of renewable energy,” he said in a statement. “The cat is now out of the bag.”

The nuclear energy companies had spent months Continued from Page 21

dioxide emissions by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050.

A recent Forsa poll found Germans still split on the issue, with 56 percent favoring sticking to the phase-out schedule and 37 percent in favor of extending it. In 2007, the split was 47 percent to 31 percent, with 17 percent either undecided or in favor of immediate closure.

Sigmar Gabriel, leader of the opposition Social Democrats, called the new extension a “black day for energy policy.” Along with the opposition Greens, the Social Democrats have vowed to

annul it if the party returns to power in the next election, which is not due until 2013.

When Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party and the Free Democrats were elected last September, they made no secret that they wanted to extend the life span of the nuclear industry; it was part of their election program.

Her coalition, as it turned out, was far from united on the issue. Norbert Roettgen, the Christian Democratic environment minister, had opposed extending the deadline while Rainer Bruederle, the Free Democrat economy

minister, wanted the maximum extension possible.

It is not certain the government can implement the accord without going to the Bundesrat, the parliamentary upper house where the 16 states are represented. The government no longer has a majority in the Bundesrat.

Merkel believes she will be able to bypass the Bundesrat because the accord prolongs the phaseout period, but does not overturn the 2002 law. Several states, however, have threatened to take the issue to the Constitutional Court, the country’s highest.

24

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, September 11, 2010

SAVE ENERGY

SAVE MONEY

PRICES EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 9 – 29, 2010 An LED light bulb can last up to 50,000 hours – that averages out to 12 hours of light per day for 10 years.

Triple Expanding Spray Foam

24 LED 50,000 Hour PAR20 Bulb

36 LED 50,000 Hour PAR30 Bulb

60 LED 50,000 Hour PAR38 Bulb

t 72 lumens of light output t Uses 1.5 watts of energy

t 108 lumens of light output t Uses 3 watts of energy

t 180 lumens of light output t Uses 5 watts of energy

(23762034)

(23762035)

(23762036)

999

$

1499

t Fire retardant, water resistant and non-shrinking t Fills larger holes and gaps

12 oz.

(16900031)

$3.99

20 oz.

(16900032)

$5.99

1999

$

$

Minimal Expanding Spray Foam t Less expansion for small gaps and cracks t Cures in lower temperatures t Interior / exterior use

Garage Door Insulation Kit t Single car garage kit t Use radiant foil insulation to help make your garage more comfortable and reduce energy costs. Helps keep garage cooler by reflecting 97 percent of the sun's radiant energy.

In the winter, it helps protect radiant heat from escaping garage.

YOUR CHOICE

4

$ 99

(16700082)

$3.99

16 oz.

(16964416)

$6.99

Window & Door No-Warp Foam t Low pressure formula t Fills and insulates better than fiberglass

(1257807)

13W Mini Spiral Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

12 oz.

3999

$

t 4 Pack t Soft White or Natural Light t 10,000 hours average lifetime

Shrink and SealÂŽ Window Insulation Kit

(23706235/7)

t 42" x 62" kit fits one standard window t Prevents cold drafts and heat loss through window panes

12 oz.

(16204000)

$4.99

16 oz.

(16964416)

$6.99

Before you bulk up with blankets, seal the leaks. Inexpensive caulking and spray foam can cut your heating and cooling bills up to 30%.

42" x 62" (4624201)

3

$

99

84" x 110" 62" x 210"

R-Tech InsulSnap Rigid Insulfoam t 4' x 8' sheets t ENERGY STARŽ qualified, Free of dyes, formaldehyde and HCFCs, Does not support mold or mildew growth. t R-value – 12.60 per 1" thickness (ISI34RT)

4499

$

(5899216) (6434492)

$8.99 $9.99

6 ft. Pipe Wrap

All-Purpose Professional Sealant

Window & Door Sealant

t 24 oz.

t 20 oz.

(16902420)

(16942012)

999

899

$

$

t Flexible pre-slit pipe jacket cuts heat loss, helps prevent freeze ups and stops cold pipe sweating

Gun Foam II Fireblocking Foam Sealant

1/2" (9846825)

t Fireblock penetration sealant t Class I residential fireblocking foam

1

$ 29

(16429813)

3/4"

(4009379)

$1.49

1"

(0679738)

$1.79

999

$

1)*--*14 '*&-% 30"% '"*3#"/,4 t Ĺą t .Ĺą' ". Ĺą 1. 4"5 ". Ĺą 1. 46/ ". Ĺą 1.