SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Residents generating their own power with renewable technologies could pump it back into the grid for some extra cash under the GNWT's new net billing pilot program.

Matthew Grogono displays his 30-year-old solar panels on his houseboat on April 27. John Alexander, the original owner of the houseboat, installed the first known solar panels in Yellowknife in 1983. In the summertime, Grogono uses no other power source, letting his gas generator collect dust. - Heather Lange/NNSL photo

The program allows home owners and businesses to "plug in" their own renewable-generated power to the electrical grid in Yellowknife, and potentially receive a check in the mail from Northland Utilities or the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. As of April 1, 2011, Northland Utilities and NTPC have implemented The Net Billing Pilot Program.

"Yes, we will send them a check . It's called subtractive metering," said Duane Morgan, manager of Northland Utilities in Yellowknife.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources have a program called the Alternative Energy Technologies Program that provides grants of up to one third of eligible costs to a maximum of $15,000 for buying approved renewable technologies. Approved renewable technologies includes solar systems, wind turbines, ground source heat pumps and solar hot water heating systems. The most common of renewable technologies, the solar panel,once purchased and installed, will generate power from the sun.

The net nilling program will provide the participating customer with a meter to track how much renewable energy is supplied to the distribution system and will cover any costs for changes to their own infrastructure, according to the Northland Utilities website. If you generate more power than you are using, Northland Utilities or NTPC will pay you the difference.

Patricia Bullis and spouse Matthew Brost are the owner and manager of the Tlicho business Ventek Enterprises Inc. They are very enthusiastic about the potential spin-offs from the program. They install and design alternative energy systems and established their business in Yellowknife in 2006, and recently moved into their current location at 101 Kam Lake Road. They are also the Northern distributor for a German and Swiss manufacturer of alternative energy products. They are proud their business is contributing to lowering green house gas emissions.

"I saw the pollution at the mines when I worked up there, and watching the endangerment of polar bears spurred us to make a change," said Brost. "To change our outlook on renewable resources makes the world a better place."

Arctic Energy Alliance are supportive of the program and can assist individuals and businesses with the applications to qualify for the net billing project and the Alternatives Energy Technologies Program.

"We have helped people provide background information to have systems installed,"said Margaret Mahon, energy management specialist.

When asked why the pilot program was implemented, Morgan said the Public Utilities Board played a big role.

"The Public Utilities Board was the driving force behind this. Will it actually work in the NWT? We will find out."

So far there has been no Yellowknifer to plug into the grid.

"No one hooked up to the system yet, but we have had some interest,"said Morgan.

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