Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 06/02) - Two veterans of life off the grid are going where no Northerner has gone before.

Nick and Pat Strus are about to install what is believed to be the NWT's first micro-hydro system to help power their Prelude Lake home.

The couple were attracted to micro-hydro for constant power it provides -- power that flows as continuously as the water the units sit in.

"We figure it will give us about 75 per cent of our household energy power and we'll use the generator for washing and pumping water," said Pat.

Generator is a dirty word at the Strus' household. Pat said 90 per cent of energy from their 10-kilowatt unit is wasted whenever they use it.

"You never have the impression out here you can do things in isolation of the environment, because you see where it all goes," Pat said. "When we flush the toilet we know where it goes (into the septic system the home relies on.)

Micro-hydro will be the third form of alternative energy used at the Strus' household.

And it's a household that, on its own, fills every position on a baseball diamond with a few bodies to spare. In all, 11 people call the house home.

Renewable energy gap

Pat recalls the original home-built generator that came with the house when they bought it 16 years ago was not wired to a voltage regulator.

"So when the wind really started blowing, all the lights would get really bright."

Twelve years ago the original wind generator flew apart when an automatic shut- down mechanism failed during a strong blow. Pat and Nick replaced it with a manufactured one that's been spinning atop a 27-metre tower ever since, augmenting their array of photo-voltaic solar panels.

But the prime wind and solar seasons end when the need for energy is greatest.

A ridge near the home blocks out the sun for the darkest four months of the year.

"It's the same time of year you don't get dependable wind," Pat said. "You don't get the changes in temperature that create wind."

Location is the factor that restricts the use of micro hydro power.

"Pretty much anywhere has a certain amount of solar or wind resource," said Arctic Energy Alliance energy management specialist John Carr. "Hydro is very site specific. You have to be close to a fast-moving river or creek."

Stream of energy

The three units Nick will place in shallow but fast-moving water by the middle of February work on the same principle as hydro dams. They use the force of flowing water to turn the shaft of an electrical generator.

Instead of huge turbines, the Strus' hydro generators harness the energy of the water with a propeller similar to those found on outboard motors.

Nick welded angle iron brackets for the generators. Rocks placed on the square base of the brackets will hold the units in place. Wires with waterproof connections will lead from the micro-hydro units to the Strus' 24-volt battery bank.

"This system is designed for fast-moving water, but not as fast as most require," said Pat. The generators were originally designed to be towed by barges or sail boats.

With an estimated output of 12 amps, 24 hours per day, she said they will reduce use of the generator by 80 per cent. The Strus's estimate the fuel savings over three-and-a-half years will amount to the $4,500 cost of the generators.