Project Title: Energy Audits (FFS #R6HZ, R6JA)

State: Regionwide

Project Description: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS, the Service) provided Recovery Act funds to several refuges in the Mountain-Prairie Region for energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy projects. Each refuge and hatchery conducted energy audits, and used data from the audits to determine how best to spend its $10,000 of ARRA funding. The projects, completed in May 2010, created a greener, safer environment for refuges across the Region, and will contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gases for years to come.

Read below for more information on the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and geothermal energy projects completed throughout the Region:

Energy Efficiency

Many of the FWS facilities in the Mountain-Prairie Region are decades old, and some have inefficient lighting fixtures, and doors and windows that leak air. Several facilities used their Recovery Act funds to replace old, inefficient windows, lighting, water heaters, and doors, as well as add new insulation to buildings. Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in North Dakota is among the refuges that used Recovery Act funds for energy efficiency improvements: the refuge replaced lights and windows in its fire cache, shop, and visitor center.

Sand Lake NWR in South Dakota used its Recovery Act funds to replace wiring, fuses, doors, and windows at the refuge. The project, completed by workers from Allen’s Electric and House of Windows in November 2009, was one of the first energy efficiency upgrades completed in the Region. Prior to the project, the refuge’s largest operational costs in the winter months were related to providing light and heat in its facilities. In addition to reducing these costs, the project also improved safety at the refuge. Refuge Manager Harris Hoisted noted that these positive changes would have been delayed in the absence of Recovery Act funding. Mr. Hoisted explained, “Without the ARRA funding, these projects would have stayed on our deferred maintenance replacement list and would have been completed as our priorities allowed. Since the ARRA funding was dedicated strictly to energy improvement work, it allowed us to pull [the projects] off the deferred list and complete them much sooner.”

Renewable Energy

New, cost-effective renewable energy technology, coupled with Federal mandates (e.g., Energy Policy Act of 2005) and Recovery Act funding, provided the Mountain-Prairie Region with incentives and resources to explore renewable energy. Several of the facilities used their Recovery Act funding to integrate renewable energy into their operations.
The Ennis National Fish Hatchery (NFH) and the Benton Lake NWR in Montana both powered up with renewable energy-producing systems in fall 2010. Ennis NFH has a treeless, south facing hill that is proving to be a great location for its solar array. Benton Lake NWR elected to install both photovoltaic and wind turbine energy systems. Two local companies, MCS and Alternative Energy Systems, installed four solar panels and a 60-foot wind turbine at the refuge in November 2009. Wind turbines technology has improved in recent years, and turbines are a good fit in windy places like Montana.

According to Refuge Manager Bob Johnson, “The first month we got the wind generator going (December 2010), we saved $200 [over the previous year’s December bill]. The system produced all of our power for the main office. We did estimates prior to the installation to see if we were a good candidate, but this exceeded our expectations.” The facility netted similar results in subsequent months and hopes to save $2,000-3,000 per year in energy costs. FWS contracted workers from Liberty Electric to complete the electrical portion of the project.

In addition, Arapaho NWR in Colorado used Recovery Act funds to install solar panels on its headquarters building, maintenance shop, and two residences. The contractor, Hydroelectric, LLC, completed the project in September 2010. The new system will reduce the Refuge’s carbon footprint, one of the Department of the Interior’s goals for Recovery Act projects. As of May 2011, the new system already saved 27,548 pounds of carbon at the Headquarters and 16,716 pounds of carbon at the shop, in addition to reducing carbon usage in the residences. Excess power generated by the panels, above that needed to power the building’s electricity, returns to the electrical grid, resulting in credits from the utility company. The office system generates approximately 12,100 kilowatt hours (kwh); the shop’s system generates approximately 7,600 kwh; and the residences generate approximately 2,500 kwh each.

Geothermal Energy

Tapping into nature through geothermal systems is another way that some facilities in the Mountain-Prairie Region have begun to control indoor climates without incurring high heating and cooling bills. A geothermal system is a closed-loop system that pumps liquid over several feet underground. It is warmed by the earth and drawn up to the facility, where it is stripped of its heat. During the summer months, the system exchanges the heat from the building with the now cooler temperatures underground. An energy-efficient electrical compressor powers the geothermal system.

Sully’s Hill National Game Preserve near Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, and Karl E. Mundt NWR in South Dakota are among the refuges that installed geothermal systems with Recovery Act funds. Sully’s Hill National Game Preserve was the first facility in the Region to complete a geothermal project. The visitor center geothermal system taps into air 200 feet below the ground and has an electrical backup. Work on the geothermal wells concluded in November 2009. The ARRA-funded system at Sully’s Hill replaced an older, less efficient system. Project Leader Tom Ibsen said the system works very well. Mr. Ibsen noted, “In the first four months of the expanded geothermal well field, the kilowatts consumed for the visitor center have been cut in half as compared to the same period of operation for the previous two years. The project has been highly successful.”

Workers at Karl E. Mundt NWR installed a new geothermal system in spring 2011 to supply heat and air conditioning to a residence building. The residence building had a 15-year-old open-loop system that failed. The newer system relies upon newer, more efficient technology and should last longer. Workers also integrated the hot water heater into the system to help the facility save on electrical costs. A similar facility on the refuge using traditional power has a utility bill that is nearly twice the cost of the utility bill for the geothermal-powered residence.

Conclusion

Recovery Act funding provided the Mountain-Prairie Region with an opportunity to make lasting improvements to its facilities. In addition, many of these projects are helping the facilities cut costs without sacrificing mission-critical programs, and will result in taxpayer savings in years to come.

As Benton Lake NWR Refuge Manager, Bob Johnson noted, “I am not sure we would have gotten [the projects done without ARRA]. It’s great. We are carbon neutral and the system produces power. How can you do any better than that? In addition, it will save us lots of money – perhaps $2-3,000 a year. That’s pretty significant.”

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Originally posted 04/14/2010
Page Completed 07/28/2011