Update on Carmacks-Stewart Transmission Line | Monday, October 19, 2009

We thought it was time to give you an update on the work we are doing to complete the Carmacks to Stewart transmission line. As you may know, we completed Stage 1 of the line, from Carmacks to Pelly Crossing, last year. Now we've started the ground work on Stage 2, from Pelly to Stewart Crossing. Once Stage 2 is finished (by the spring of 2011) we'll be able to connect our two existing transmission systems. That will give us the flexibility to move power to whatever area needs it the most at any given time (from our Mayo plant to the southern Yukon, or from our plants in the south to communities in the Central Yukon). Ultimately this will help reduce the amount of diesel we have to burn to produce electricity.

The first job in physically building the line involves the surveying. We've contracted the Whitehorse firm Challenger Geomatics to do this job. They in turn have hired several survey assistants from the Pelly Crossing area. The crews will spend the next few weeks marking the line route. Next comes the brush clearing, which will start late this month or early next. We'll be awarding the contract for that later this week.

Line construction will likely start in February or March. Sections of the line will be built in wet areas, so it’s important, as an environmental protection measure, to do construction in these sections while the ground is still frozen.

For safety reasons, Yukoners are asked to stay away from the area while the groundwork is taking place. If you absolutely must enter the work area, please prearrange access with the on-site project manager. Contact information for the project manager will be posted at worksite access points along the Klondike Highway, or can be obtained by contacting us here at Yukon Energy.

Energy Saving Tips - Part Three | Monday, October 19, 2009

Our last section on energy saving tips (at least for now) focusses on home heating. If you're looking for more tips on reducing your power bill, the Yukon government's Energy Solutions Centre and the Yukon Housing Corporation have a lot of helpful information.

Oil heating systems

• Clean or replace the furnace filter regularly. Pleated paper filters perform better.
• Keep vents open to distribute heat.
• Install a programmable thermostat to turn down the heat at night and when the house is unoccupied.
• Look for the EnerGuide label when purchasing a new heating system.
• Pick up a copy of Oil Burner Checklist from Yukon Housing.
• Ask your furnace technician whether the appliance is performing to its maximum efficiency.

Energy Saving Tips Part 2 | Friday, October 16, 2009

Here are more energy saving tips for around your home.

Appliances

• Buy only Energy Star appliances – they will pay for themselves in energy savings in just a few years.
• Use a thermometer to set the fridge at +4 degrees Celsius and the freezer at -20 degrees Celsius.
• Wait until there's a full load before running the washer or dishwasher.
• Use the air dry cycle in your dishwasher.
• Dry clothes on an outdoor line. If they are too stiff after that, give them five minutes in the dryer on the air dry setting.
• Clean the lint screen in your dryer before every use.

Lighting

• Use low-energy night lights.
• Install timers on lamps and Christmas lights.
• Purchase light emitting diode Christmas lights – they save 90 per cent of energy use.
• Switch off a light if you aren't using it.
• For jobs that need good light, install task lighting close to the job.
• Keep shades and light covers clean to get the most out of the bulb. Keep the bulbs clean too.
• Install motion sensors for outside lighting and for lighting some rooms indoors.
• Install compact fluorescent lights – they cost more to buy but last a very long time. They also give the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb, but at a quarter of the operating cost.

Energy Saving Tips Part 1 | Thursday, October 15, 2009

My apologies for the absence of posts lately...I have been away from the office.

Thanks to those who took the time to comment on what works for you on this blog, and what we could be doing better. All suggestions were good ones which we will work to incorporate in future blogs. Based on the feedback, we are starting a series today on ways to reduce your energy bills. In this first installment we'll focus on your home in general, and on hot water, which accounts for a fair chunk of the electricity used in many Yukon homes.

Your house

• Use the smoke from a burning stick of incense to find spots in your house where the air is leaking (air leakage can represent up to 40 per cent of the heat loss from a house).
• Use caulking and weatherstripping to seal cracks around doors or windows.
• Install plastic or a storm window on single-or double-pane windows.
• Install foam gaskets behind the cover plates of any light switches and electrical outlets that are on outside walls.
• Book an EnerGuide for Houses audit through Yukon Housing Corporation. Call (867) 667-5759 or 1-800-661-0408 ext. 5759.

Hot water

• Install low-flow showerheads.
• Fix leaky faucets – one drop per second out of a leaky tap wastes 27 litres of water per day.
• Install a kitchen faucet aerator – this can cut the amount of water coming out of your faucet by half.
• Wrap hot water tanks with fiberglass insulation and poly or with foil bubble pack.
• Wrap all hot water pipes with foam insulation.
• If the hot water tank is on a concrete floor, raise the tank and lay a two-inch pad of styrofoam under it.
• Turn the hot water tank temperature down to 55 degrees Celsius.
• If you are going away for a week or more, turn off the hot water tank breaker at the electrical panel. When you turn it back on, you’ll have some hot water within 10 minutes, and a full tank of hot water in a couple of hours.
• If you are buying a new hot water tank, purchase the one with the most insulation (R-16 or better).

Check back tomorrow for more tips, or send us some of your own.

What Do You Think? | Friday, October 2, 2009

It's been several months since we started this blog, and we figure it's time for a bit of a reality check. We'd like to know what you think of the blog. Is the information helpful? If so, what has been most helpful? If not, what do we need to change to make this site more useful to you?  Is the information presented in language that is easy to understand? Is the 'comment' function easy to use? If you haven't left a comment before now, is there a particular reason why not? Any and all constructive comments are most welcome.