Four organizations teamed up last week to teach local businesses and nonprofits how they can save money by making energy-efficient modifications to their buildings.
Representatives of Southeast Conference, Alaska Energy Authority, Renewable Energy Alaska Project and Alaska Housing and Finance Corporation toured nine buildings in Haines to identify how the buildings could become more energy efficient.
Jim Fowler of Energy Audits of Alaska performed a “walk-through audit” of the Bamboo Room, Pioneer Bar, American Bald Eagle Foundation, Chilkat Bakery, Wild Iris, Halsingland Hotel, Chilkoot Indian Association office, Captain’s Choice and Takshanuk Watershed Council’s new office at Jones Point.
Robert Venables, energy coordinator for Southeast Conference, traveled with the group in Haines and Hoonah. Over the course of four days, they checked out 110,000 square feet of facilities belonging to 20 businesses.
“There is rarely any assistance and outreach toward the business community; generally, any outreach goes to the residential, and sometimes municipal or tribal. Having an opportunity to do this for the business community was kind of a rarity,” Venables said.
The audit consisted of looking at current energy usage, square footage of the building, and factors like insulation, lighting and sealing gaps in places like windows and doors. Fowler, the auditor, will write up a summary of what he found for each business, a list of recommended changes, and an analysis of how those changes would pay off over time.