Coeur d'Alene Tribe – 2018 Project

NOTE: Project pages are being updated regularly to reflect changes, if any; however, some of the information may be dated.

Summary

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe will install energy efficiency measures (EEMs) and deploy a solar photovoltaic (PV) system for its senior housing complex. The current energy use for the common area averages 114,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, and the combination of EEMs and solar PV deployment is expected to reduce energy use by 99,420 kWh/year—an 87% reduction that will save an estimated $7,600 per year.

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe has established goals to protect the cultural and environmental values of the Coeur d’Alene people. In the Tribe’s Integrated Resource Management Plan 2012, the goals include preserving, protecting, and enhancing the natural resources, improving quality of life, and providing social and economic benefits across the Reservation. The Tribe has identified research, development, and promotion of alternative energy and fuel sources such as wind, solar, hydrogen, and others as important.

As part of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s 2014 Energy Efficiency Feasibility Study (EEFS), 38 tribally owned and operated facilities were assessed for building performance and energy conservation opportunities. The Tribe has been implementing the energy efficiency measures contained in the EEFS and has completed some or most of the work on several buildings, including the Tribe’s Benewah Market (completed in 2017 with support from U.S. Department of Energy [DOE] funding), the Tribal School, the Food Distribution Warehouse, and the Tribal Casino Resort.

This Senior Housing Complex Energy Efficiency and Solar Energy Project continues the Tribe’s efforts to reach its energy goals by increasing its commitment to energy efficiency and integrating renewable energy into the energy infrastructure. The Tribe pays particular attention to supporting youth and seniors, and this project will benefit tribal seniors.

The purpose of this project is to reduce the energy consumption of the Senior Housing Complex common area by an estimated 87% by completing the EEMs recommended by the Tribe’s 2014 EEFS and adding a solar PV system to the building. The decrease in energy use is expected to reduce energy costs by $7,600 per year.

The goals for this project are to: 1) increase health and safety at the Senior Housing Complex, 2) increase energy efficiency and reduce energy costs at the Senior Housing Complex, 3) increase use of renewable energy and decrease the carbon footprint at the Senior Housing Complex, 4) decrease operations and maintenance costs at the Senior Housing Complex; and 5) provide a solar energy deployment training and educational opportunity for tribal community members.

Deploying solar energy with the EEMs will diversify the Tribe’s energy sources and assist in offsetting energy costs for the Senior Housing Complex’s common area for the next 25 to 33 years. Once the EEMs are implemented and the solar PV system is installed, the Tribe will measure the percentage reduction in energy use and cost for 1 year.

The Tribe’s EEFS outlines a number of EEMs for the common area of the Senior Housing Complex. Some of the measures involve upgrading or replacing lighting. Others include replacing a propane hot water heater, installing an energy saving device on a vending machine, and adding insulation on hot water piping. Under this project, the Tribe will install EEMs included in its feasibility study and deploy a solar PV system for the common area of the Senior Housing Complex.

The overall project will be led by the Tribe’s Natural Resources Department, which spearheaded the prior efficiency upgrades at the Benewah Market and the solar project at the Natural Resources Building. The on-site work will also be overseen by the Tribe’s Facilities and Housing Departments, as they manage the specific buildings.

The Coeur d’Alene Reservation is located in northern Idaho, is approximately 345,000 acres, and comprises forest land, agricultural land, several streams, Coeur d’Alene Lake and the St. Joe River, and a small amount of developed land. This project will take place at the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Senior Housing Complex located in Plummer, Idaho, on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation. The complex, built in 2005, is an approximately 20,000-square-foot single-story structure with 4,200 square feet of central common area flanked on each side by a total of 20 individual apartments.

The project is complete. For details, see the final report.

The project was competitively selected under the Office of Indian Energy Fiscal Year 2018 funding opportunity announcement “Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands - 2018” (DE-FOA-0001847) and started in October 2018.