Unlocking the energy transition with solar power added to a microgrid in 8 remote communities in Alaska

Identifying project opportunities through modeling

Working with Mayfield Renewables and Xendee helped determine the best size for the projects and attract DOE funding, said Edward Dellamary, rural energy specialist with the Tanana Chiefs Conference.

“We were looking for the best approach to hybrid systems that would enable these communities to transition to renewable energy,” he said.

Rural communities pose unique challenges. Dellamary said most of them are inaccessible by car, but they are located along rivers. Liquid fuel is transported by large riverboats that carry thousands of gallons of fuel, usually between June and September. And some communities are so remote that they have to fly fuel, which is the most expensive way to access fuel. Although bulk diesel fuel typically costs about $3 a gallon, when delivered by plane, prices range from $6 a gallon to $15 a gallon, Dellamary said.

What’s more, pilots can face challenges flying to these communities in the winter, when fuel is needed most. It’s difficult to fly safely when the weather is bad, and communities can be left without fuel and experience day-long power outages.

A simple way to explain the benefits of solar energy and storage

“By nature, Alaska Native people are some of the most self-sufficient.

They had lived off the land for tens of thousands of years and internally understood what needed to be done to provide energy,” Dellamary said. Feasibility studies that describe solar and energy storage technologies and their benefits have helped explain to community members how they can achieve the transition to cleaner energy.

“This research is a meaningful and simple way of describing how they can go through this transformation. It’s helpful to have a concise way to show how we can achieve self-reliance,” Dellamary said.

To create feasibility studies for the different options, Mayfield began by gathering information to feed into the Xendee model. In some cases, that involved installing a meter on-site and conducting a monthly load study for communities that didn’t have utility information available, Miller said. Mayfield also asked communities how much land was available for solar. “The goal is to figure out what the constraints are. It’s a very collaborative process,” he said.

The model offers a variety of scenarios, he said. This provides information that allows everyone involved to “look clearly at what is possible.”

Mayfield then sends clients a comprehensive report to help decision makers decide how to implement the project.

Payers burdened with electricity price

“The report may concern a grant application for a client. We strive to provide information that is accessible and understandable, and that we can pass on to the client so the project can move forward,” Miller said.

The Tanana Chiefs Conference is currently seeking funding for design and construction, Dellamary said.

“Ratepayers are being put in this onerous position of paying hundreds a month. It’s a tough situation when a community of 60 people is paying three to five times more for electricity,” he said.

Not only do microgrids save money and help the environment, but less diesel consumption means less noise pollution.

Lights on, diesel sound off

When a solar-, storage-, and diesel-powered microgrid in Hughes, Alaska, first began operating solely on solar energy in 2021, Chief Wilmer Beatus asked why his lights were still operating. Dellamary previously told Microgrid Knowledge.

Beatus asked this question because he could no longer hear the sound of diesel generators – an important advantage of reducing diesel consumption.