Sitka

Powering an Alaska Village, Sitka, Alaska

A small island village in Alaska wanted to reduce its reliance on expensive imported fuel oil, but simply switching to all oil use electricity would tax the electrical grid. The energy-efficiency approach taken at three major renovations in Sitka eliminated the use of fuel oil and demonstrates how current building stock can continue to move toward a carbon-neutral, energy-efficient future.

Five Key Design Concepts for the Sitka Renovations

Heating Load Reduction. Through investing in the building envelope and heat recovery ventilation, the heating load was reduced by approximately 50% for these three buildings. This was done with high performance glazing, extra insulation in the walls and roof and…