AKU-El-80-005 c.3

Vol.HE, No. 1 A UniversityofAlaska Sea Grant PubHcatlon forAlaska Schools September, 1$80 UNL ENERGY: Sowe can'tall be as luckyas AlaskaCharlie Electricityin remotevillages runs around 50' andplug ia completelyto nature'senergy. But so a kilowatthour and more, as compared with about what? is loadedwith the usualldnds of 3' a kilowatthour ia Anchorage. A kilowatt equals energyfuels oil, naturaIgas and coal seepages 1,000watts. So a kilowatthour is the amountof 4-5!.We havepleaty for ourselvesand enough to energyyou would use burniag a 100-wattlight bulb helpfill the energy needs of the rest of the natioa as for10 hours, Or watching color TV for three hours. well. Orrunaing the clothes dryer for about 12 minutes.! True,But there are a coupleof problems. Thesecosts are a specialhardship for people who Foroae thing, those fuels are all fossil FAH- livemainly by hunting and fishing, and whose cash sull!fuels, made from the remainsof pleatsand incomeis low. aairaalsthat livedmillions of yearsago. Sure, SoAlaska Charlie may be onthe right track. natureis still makingfossil fuels, But we're using And fortunately,along with its wealth of fossil themup about a billiontimes faster than they are fuels,Alaska is alsoloaded with possibilities for forming.The word "fossil" cornea from the Latin developingnatural unlimitedenergy. It costs fossilis,meaning "dug out." Aad once dug out and somethingto get started,of course.But once a burned,they are gone forever. windrnillis setup, the wind blows free, Once a For anotherthing, even in Alaskathose fossil aad whee1are in place,the water flows on and on. fuelscan be veryexpensive. Some cities, like Aa- Andthe warming power from the sun and the earth chorage,are able to use nearby natural gas fields will last for a loag,long time. for low-costheat and power. But the majority of Today,the state is using some of the billions of smalltowns aad villagesrely on oil to run their dollarsrecrrived from the saleof Alaskaoil to en- electricgenerators and heat their homes. And most courageits citizensto saveon fossilfuels and to ofAlaska's oil flows right down the pipeline and seeksources ofenergy that won' t run out seepage outof the state for processing. Bythe time it gets7!. And it's surprising how many people already back to rural Alaska,traasportation costs have are gettinginto Alaska Charlie's act. Here are a pushedfuel prices higher than anywhere else in fewexamples ofhow they are using energy... the United States.

water flow can be controlled. across Turnagain and Kaik arms Vaidez Eleven years ago Along with all its other to generate power as the water Chester Johnson found a small resources, Alaska has more than flowed in at high tide and out at discardedPelton water! wheel. oae-third of the nation's remain- low tide. He hauledit home,rigged it up at ing unused hydroelectric sites, Although the tidal-power a low waterfall on his property, But except for a few large pro- plan has possibilities,the pro- andit has provideda11 thepower jects, like Snettisham near posed is almost he needs ever since. Juneau or Eklutna near An- forgotten.Because big damscan Juneau Most of the elec- chorage, most are designed to create big problems. Lands tricity for Alaska's capital city serve just oae community or ia floodedby the back-uplake are now comes from Snettisham ChesterJohnson's case, just one lost to , caribou and other Dam, the iar'gest in the state. But fannly! wildlife. And any changein the two small projects bui1t in 1915 Not that Alaska caa't think water flow can damage on nearby Salmon and Annex big. Ia the 2960s, there was downstream areas as well, creeks suppliedJuneau's power much talk about buildinga dam Today, arguments are alonefor morethan 50 years and near Rampart on the Yukon heatingup over a proposedpro- are sti goingstrong. River, whichwould have produce- ject on the Susitna River, which dd twiceas muchpower as aay would provide nearly twice the Hydroelectric power is other darn in the world and back- electricityaow usedia the whole made by turniag wheels with ed up a body of water larger Anchorage-Fairbanks railbelt falling water. Hydro HIGHWo! than . And just last area, Backers say that low-cost means "water" ia Greek.! A winter, the idea of harnessing dependablepower would bring small waterfall caa do the job. Cook Inlet's huge tides took on industrial development to the But the higher the faQs and the new life with a visit to An- area aad much-neededjobs, But more water flowing over, the chorage by Edmund de opponents argue that bigger more power you get, For this Rothschild, member of the famed isn't necessarily better, and that reason, a dam is usually built British bankingfamily and tidal a number of smaller hydro pro- across a river or stream to back power enthusiast. That, too, jects would be less damagingto up the water in a man-made lake wouldbe a super-project,involv- the environment, so the height of the falls aad the ing construction of low Page 2 Wind, Water and Fire

... I'OM 8 Livengoad At his cabin on natural for Alaska, where the to electric energy. The com- Money Knob north of Fairbanks, winds blow longest and monest way to make electricity miner Larry Nelson uses a small strongest during the dark winter is by using the power of wind, windmill to generate power for months when the need for power water or steam to turn a wheel six electric lights, a stereo, CB is greatest. Any area where the ta cut the force field between radio, TV set, and the stack rob- wind averages 10 to 12 miles an two magnets.! ber an his stovepipe. hour or mare is a good place for A major problem with wind- A number of villages, in- a generator. That in- mills, of course, is that they only cluding Gamble, Kotzebue and cludes most of Alaska's island, work when it's windy. However, Nelson Lagoon, hove tied wind- coastal and flat delta regions, as at remote sites the power they mills inta their diesel power well as high hills and narrow generate can be stored in heavy- systems to cut fuel costs. This mountain passes in the Interior. duty batteries for use on year s tar t-up programs are plan- Historically, windmills have windless days. And when they ned for Unahskleet, SheMon's been used for grinding flour are tied in with a village diesel Point, Ume VQlege end Shag- that's where the "mill" comes system that takes over when the way, among others. from! and pumping water. Only wind is still, a steady source of recently have they been adapted power is supplied at far less Windmills seem like a to change mechanical energy in- cost.

... rom e in e Pilgrim Springs What can TE62Vvf-ull! energy. The word Alaska a prime spot far the yau da with a hat sprmg besides means "earth" gea! "heat" development of geothermal take a bath ar wash your thermalj. And the energy is power. clothes? PJenty, so it seems. At drawn from the fiery core of Water from hot springs can these hot springs 50 miles north partly melted rocks and be piped in to heat homes as is af Nome, the state is funding a minerals that lie beneath the already being done in Boise, demonstration project ta show earth's cool crust. , and Klamath Falls, the many ways heat energy from The earth's crust is general- Oregon!. And if the water is very the earth can be used. ly 15 to 30 miles thick. But it isn' t hot say, 356'F or more the In the works are pLansfor ! all solid. Instead, it is made up of steam can be used to generate commercial-sized greenhouses, huge plates that move ever so electricity. able ta supply fresh fruit and slowly, sliding above and below vegetables for the whole Seward each other, bumping together Peninsula; ! fish and shellfish and drifting apart. In the pro- aquacuJture ponds; ! a tree cess, the hot molten lava farm for lumber and fuel; ! sometimes comes close enough reindeer caJving barns; ! a to the earth's surface to heat resort and swimming poaJand 8! ground water or even blast maybe a power plant. through in the form of a volcano, Adek By 1985,if all goes Alaska is a young land stiU weLJ, the 5,000 people at the forming. You can feel it in our NavaL Air Station here will be frequent earthquakes, caused by getting all their electricity from those bumpings and grindings the hot depths of a nearby going on there below. And our 88 volcano, instead of fram active volcanoes and more than generators run on jet fueL Test 100 known hot springs make weLLsalready have been drilled into the sLopesof Mt, Adagdak in the first stage af the project. Whet Makes e Hot Spriegt Cold water sinks down through a fault in the earth's crust Jt passes Hot springs and steanung through soft rocks heated by the volcanoes are outward signs of layer of mixture lavo below, Then it an underground source af power rises through another fault and bub- called geothermal GEE-oh- bles up as o hot spring, ABDC adaptedl Page 3 "'Fk 'V EXPFRT'S CHF I'V l < II ALASKA'S POWERHOUSE 1. What kinds of natural energy seem to be the best bet for ths Aleutian Islands? and For Southeast Alaska? and plus maybe some ! 2, Using the scale of miles, figure nit how long the Trans-Alaska pipeline is; 500 miles. 800 miles. 1,000 miles. 3. A new refinery near Fairbanks processessome of the oil from the pipeline. But for most of its heat and power, the city still relies on fossil fuel from a pro du..iig field about 80 miles to the southwest. What kind of fuel is it?

4. The Southcentral Alaska area around Anchorage is the most heavidy populated in the stats. It also has the widest variety of both fossil and renewable energy sources. What ars they? and 5. So far, only one city in the Arctic has been able to uss natural gas from nearby fields to heat its homes. What city is it? 6. !ust living on top of oil, gas or coal deposits doesn't make your fuel all that e bendy. 'I'wo yours ugo the village of Nuiqsut near the Arctic coast ran out of fuel because the oil delivery barge couldn't make it up the Colvilis River. If that barge was delivering diesel from the refinery just south of Anchorage, about how far would it have had to travel via Unimak Pass! to get to Nuiqsut? 1,000 miles. 2,000 miles. 2,500 miles. About how far is it from Nuiqsut to the pipeline? miles. Oil com- panies helped out in the crisis by flying in emergency supplies from Prudhoe Bay.! 7. One of the biggest power projects on the state's drawing board right now is a hydroelectric darn developmenton ths Susitna River. It is located about half way between Anchorage and Fairbanks. Find its symbol on the map and draw a circle around it. 8, Writs the name of your city or village on this map if it doesn't already ap- pear. Are there natural power sources in your area that might be developed?Do you know of others that aren't shown on this map? ! f so, check the list of sym- bols and draw them in.! What energy fuel s! are you using nowT

A'nswers on page 8!

cg~p Uaima 0 Unlimited Power Supplies ~Major water hydro! power sites promising areas for development!. g> dPo a~ +Developed. ~Hot springsor promisingareas for geothermalpower development. Windmill power promising areas for development.

Source: Stets of Alaska Division of Energy and Power Development-1977 Page 4 Page 5 SUN POWER IN ALASKA?? V OK,so Alaska has plenty of leftoverheat in bins of earth and sidein the kitchen. Yau can feel wind,water, hot springs and gravelor barrelsof waterfor theheat au the coils at theback volcanoesto tap for naturaluse at nightor on cloudy days, ofthe refrigerator.! power.But sun power? In the Andif thesun's energy can be A ground-heatpumpworks middleof winter?At Bar- recoveredfrom artificial bins in exactlythe same way. And row where the sun goes down and barrels inside, itcan also be since you ate actually in Novemberand daesn't come pulled out of the earth and water refrigeratingtheground while upagain until January? outside with the use of a you're pullingthe heat out, it Believeit or not, scientists mechanical marvel caHed a heat doesn't Inake any difference sayyes. Well, maybe yes. It is pump. whetherthe ground isfrozen or becauseofthe surprising fact A heatpump iswhat makes not. Thefoadinthefreezingsec- thatsun solar! power can be yourrefrigerator work. It cir- tion af yadrrefrigerator is storedinearth, rocks and water. culatesand cotnpressesa frozen right?! Solar-heatedhomes aren't chemical called Freon, which Fora numberof years, justwarm when the sun is shin- becames very hat and very cold ground-heatpumps have been ing.That wouldn't doyau much as it changesfrom vapor ta li- usedto heat buildings in Scan- good.Instead, they are designed, quid and back again. In thepro- dinaviancountries where the first,to capture as much of the cess,it puHsthe heat aut of the climateisn't tao different fram sun'sradiant heat and light as food yau put inside the ours.Now scientistsat the possible,and, secand, totrap the refrigeratorand releases it out- Universityof Alaska'sGao- Reada Table: Makea Graph: Thistable shows the average monthly amount ofsolar radia- Completethis bar graph by using tiontheat and light! received at fourAlaska cities,* the figuresan the bottomline of the I, Whichcity is the farthest north? . Checkthe table,Draw lines abave each bar on the mapif you're notsure. Palmer is about 40 miles northeast of graph,marking the averageyearly Anchorage.!Thefarthest south? amount' of solar energy each city 2. Whichcity gets the most amount afsun in june and the received.Then extend the bars up to leastamount in December? thelines and fiH them in. 3. Cloudcover and shade from mountains and such can cut Wouldyou say the fnidnight sum- downon the sun's radiation, Which city gets the least sun mersun in the northern cities makes up powerduring May, June and July? . Drawa circle forthe iong dark winters? around the months on the table. 4, Whichcity gets the most solar energy during July, August AERAGEYEARI.Y SUN POWER and September? Draw a circle around the months. 240

AVERAGESDN POWERRECEIVED EACH I4ONTH measuredin Lanttleys"J Barreuf Fairbanks Palmer Juneau Jan. 17 36 51 trt 230 Feb. 36 74 67 105 IVlar. 183 219 220 194 t Apr, 395 378 339 325 Mey 526 495 422 445 June so2 531 433 451 July 461 477 393 413 220 Aug, 267 338 307 393 l Sept. 123 212 211 291 I Oct. 43 85 112 199 tt Nev. 3 32 43 52 tt Dec. a 6 17 34 200

Average 22a 239 219 224 Source:University ofhtsshu, fnstituto ofharing ulturel Scmncrs huaraaodaily amounts measured ona flatsurface, f960-tsy1. 'Sularrudiuhon ismeasured m Langfeys, named after U.S scientist Samuel P.Laogtot tera-tueat h Lungfuyisu unitof energy equal toonegramcelorm persquare centimeter lh grain calorie isthe amount ofhoot oondod inriuso the temperature oft gramof water 1 Gd Page 6 physical Institute are working on ways to adapt those systems for Alaskan use. Professor Hans Nielsen figures it would take about 1,000 feet of plastic garden hose filled with Freon, buried about six feet deep and spread out through a The sun is the No. 1 The Water quarter of an acre of ground to powerhouse, of course. Without Like the aif, warm water heat an average-sized home. it, no plants or animals could rises and cold water sinks see "And if yau could use a windmill have lived and died to form our Tidelines, April, 1980!. As the to provide power for the heat fossil fuels of oil, gas and coal. sun warms the surface of the pump," he told Tidelines, "it And it is also the moving force in water, it turns to vapor which would be perfect." nature's life-giving energy cycle rises like steam from a teakettle. The main problem for af wind and water. IGeothermal The vapor cools off, collects into Alaska is that the heat you are energy may or may not have heavy clouds, turns into rain or pulling from the ground is solar come from the sun when our snow, and falls back down heat nest geothermal heat. So it planet was forming billions of again. Carried by the wind, the has to be replaced by the sun the years ago. There are a lot of dif- samewater just makesa kind of following summer. Where does ferent ideas about that.! circular journey between earth that leave Barrow? Check the Very simply, the cycle and sky. No new water is ever figures in the table on page 6 works something like this: added to our planet. and you might find some sur- And how about the prises. The Wind hydrogen fuel that Alaska Around the equator where Charlie puts in his the sun is always hot, the air is snowmachine'? Well, splitting Formore mforinution about WINt!MII.th Dr Tunis Wentink, Gonphysirai ln warmed by radiation from the water into its basic elements of etituta.University ofAlaska, Fairbanks, nrErrdrgamcu surface of the earth and water. hydrogenand oxygen isn't that AncburagaCommumty CoUegs. Ani.hursge WA'IEKVOWER Alaska Vower Authority, Aii The air takes on very little heat difficult. One way is to send an cborege.or LouBntere, Water-Monagnnmnt Secbon. directly from the sun .! This light electric current through the SlateDepartment nfNatural Resourras. Ars:hnregii GEUTIIERMALENERGY Donald tvtsrkle, Stute warm air rises and spreads out water in a process called elec- ofAlaska Division ofEnergy end Pew or Devslupnivnt.until it reaches the North and trolysis, which causes oxygen Anrhorsga,or Or DonaldL. Turner.Geophysical In- slitnte,Univarstty of Alaska. Fairt>ani v South poles, where it cools off gas ta feed out one side and SOI.ARPOWER Dr. E,'ord Woodier, Geophysn.ai restitute,University nf Alvsk». Fairbanks or forI he and sinks. Meanwhile the cool hydrogen gas ta feed out the ground-heatpump! profesvor Usns Ninlsnn, air from the poles is flowing other. Geopttystratinstitute. Univsrmty ofAlaska. I'errbsnks towards the equator where it is But changinghydrogen gas warmed, in turn, and the cycle into a liquid hydrogen fuel, like continues, that used in space ships. is If the earth did not rotate, something else again. It requires the wind would blow only from very high pressureor very cold the north and from the south. But temperature or both! say, the earth is turning very temperatures as low as minus fast more than 1,000 miles an 423oF. And that's a lot colder hour at the equator. This than conditions on Alaska s eastward rotation places Charlie's Homestead. But then, natural energy sa another force upon the winds. It we knew from the start that will still be arou causes winds blowing nor th Alaska Charlie was a very ~ oil runs aut. from the equator toward Alaska resourceful person. But yau don' t to turn off toward the east, and have to build a winds blowing south from the darn up your favo North Pole to turn off toward the stream to qualify west. energy you have counts, too, These are the general pat- Under a new law passed by terns of the wind or what are the legislature, you can: called "prevailing winds." Ac- ~have a complete energy tually air masses called high audit [examination! of your < homefor just $10, and cold! and low [warm! pressure cells, formed from the uneven *get a refund from the state of up to $300 for the cost of temper atures o f ear th and water, are constantly stirring up making energy-saving the atmosphere. And nttruntains, changes recommended by the valleys, islands and flat lands or auditor weather-stripping, in- bodies of water make a dif- sulation, thermal windows ferencein wind spqedand direc- and doors, etc.!, tion, tao. Page 7 Oopsl Good Deal One very important item ac- Want to know how other ctdenta!ly got dropped off the Alaskans are going solar, tilting list of things you should put in with windmills, saving fuel and your "Coffee Can Survival Kit" such? Get your FREE subscrip- which appeared in last May's tion to Energections, published issue of Alaska Tidelines. It was, four times a year by the Alaska of all things, WATERPROOF Energy Extension Service, by October Issue: MATCHES! writing to: Tug'-War The lis t di d include a Energections disposable propane lighter like Division of Energy and Power Over Walrus a "Bic"!. But you should have Development waterproof matches as well, Room 110, MacKay Bldg. This column is your place to because they light better in a 338 Denali St. SPOUT off. Send in your ques- wind, Anchorage, AK 99501 tions about Alaska's water So unseal that coffee can Tbmissue was ruvurwed for content end accuracy world. along with fish stories, and put in the matches about a byDr. T. NailDavis. Coophysicel institute, University fables, photographs, jokes, dozen or so. If you used your sur- ofAlaska, Fairbanks, snd by John Hale, Stale of Alaska Divisionof Energyand PowerDevelopmeot, An- recipes, whatever. Or talk back vival kit this past summer. we chorage. to Tidelines with your comments, hope it served you well and Answersto mapquestions 1.Aleutians. wind snd opiftions and suggestions j'or that it wasn't too windy and that geothermubSoutheast. «ster lhydrc J eoothormst,plus wmd2staa miles. Scout. s-Od. natural gss. cosh future issues. Write to SPOUT. the lighter worked. waterend geothermal 5.Barrow S-ZS00 uules, ga c/0 Alaska Tidelines at the ad- miles Answersto solar questions:1-Barrow; Juneau. dress below. 2-BarrowI-palmer 4-Fairbanks POMi'KR PLAY Starred e! words are basedon information in this issue. ACROSS 29. Unidentified Flying Ob- ' 1. Alaska is loaded with ma- jects [init.!. jor fossil fuels, such as oil, gas *31. The first 2 letters of the itad fossil fuel that is bringing in * 5. But as sn alternate bdlionsof dollars ta Alssts. energy source, mills seers e32. Solar homes and like e natural for Alssts. greenhousesget energy from 9. You can burn fossil fuels the direct af tbe sun, ance. *34 If we keep using oil el the 10, If RampartDarn had been rate we' re going,our gas tank built on the , its gaugessoon may be swinging beck-up lake would have from to EMPTY, covered an larger then 36, Exclamationof disgust.as Lake Erie. in " that cat!" 11. The state's !ergest *37. Fossil is formed from populationend widest variety the remains of prehistoric af both fossil snd natural plantsand animals, power sources are located in DOWftf {abbr,! Alaska, 1. In rural Alaska, the 12. Another form of "aa." as of electricity is higher than in any. anywhere else in the U.S. t4, Smell abbr,!, e 2. Yau csn burn fossil fuels 15. The sun draws vapor only from the surface af the water 3. Who wiII win the World like steam ftom n kettle. Series the National Leagueor' earth is genetslly 15-30 miles you're nat using them, v17. The earth's inner fire the abbr. thick, 33. Young Alaskans abbr.!. the ground water which 4. Lyndon's friends call hun. '22. The 0 down! is made up 35, Upper Ugssbik inlt,!. bubbles up in geothermal * 5. HiO. of rocts. but it isn't sjj Answers in Oclaber issue.j springs. 6. Ishtowik River init.!. solid. 19, Electric current Qowing 7. A bird's home. "23, On the average, Barrow in one direction is called Direct 6. In hydroelectric projects, gets more solar energy a Curr ent ot init.!. are built to back up the than Pabner daes, 21. Railrasd abbr.j. water and controlits flow. 24, The United States 22. The Greet word for 13. {postalabbr.j. America. water, as in electric. 15. The appasile of 26. Because of the earth' s "25. If your winds blow at an "substrsct"in atiihmstic rotation. winds blowing down average of 10-12 abbr.!. 16. The high tides of Cook In- from the North turn aff yau could probably use a wind- let could be harnessed by toward the west. mill. building across! at the en- *27. A good place for a wind- *25. AnOther ward fOr trance of Turnagain and mia is on top of 0 high nature's energy is Alternate Knit *30. You can save electricity Energy init.!. *20. The cool auter of the by turning lights when Ma X-Worgf Answers Alaskakgeffsum ispubes bud by tbe Caiversity ofAlaska See Grant program. Dorm td ErbtorVirginia Sune; kteuaging Editor, Fran Tsnnisn. Address sllconununics hoesto H.fzosenberg, Dbnclv r. Tbepragram ie fundedby the Offtce of SeeGrant. National AlaskaIldsaaas. Coauatmtcations' Office, Alaska Sea Crant program, university of Oceamcsad Atmaspheric Admgsstrasrm. D.S. Department af~. aadby ths Alaska,Fturbanks, AX aayat Tbe university ofAlaska provides equal educational Stemof Abiska. Afuskn Itdufbum is published once a aumthduring the school year endemployment opportunities. '<3Copyright. Cruversiiy of Alaska. 1000 anddistrllnited fnm to asAlaska Schoon ~ it. Page 8