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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The sounds of diesel generators turning off across the North makes entrepreneur Matthew Brost sleep better at night.

Blachford Lake Lodge uses 1,200-watt solar panels on site. - photo courtesy Renewable Resources Plus

The former oil and gas plant employee has switched sides over the years and after years of alternative power sales, has opened a unique store in Yellowknife, selling more than 2,500 square feet of only renewable energy products.

"This feels much better," said Brost, considering how his business, Renewable Resources Plus, is helping to reduce the environmental footprint in the North one sale at a time.

"It's actually the only store like this in Canada," he added.

"Usually when you buy renewables you're buying it online or from a wholesaler, but as a side product. Here, people could come in, touch, look, feel, learn and purchase."

Located on Old Airport Road at the old Pioneer Supply House location, products offered at the store include vertical wind turbines, hydrogen cells - which convert lake or tap water into DC power - LED lighting, and solar power systems. And since opening last January, business has been good.

"A lot of our clients just want renewables," Brost said. "They see it as a healthier lifestyle and they're more concerned about the environment and their monthly utility bills.

"Basically, people are being more self-sustaining where they're producing their own power."

Renewable Resources Plus currently supplies about 85 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic through on and off-grid systems installed across the territory, and more people are catching on, Brost said.

"Homeowners are wanting to get into it because it's so affordable and easy to do," he added - contrary to a number of feasibility studies that have refuted the savings of solar power in the North.

"We've been pushing solar because there's been a lot of biased feasibility studies done where the return on investment wasn't quick enough," he said.

The company has been able to bring in lower prices on systems through Northern distribution rights and because Brost, an industrial electrician, is based here, the company is able to provide "proper installations" he said, that are "maintenance free.

"So the return on investment is so much quicker now," he said, estimating residential, business and industrial clients can see the payback within two to four years.

While solar power systems can only function in the North roughly from February through October, Brost argues we get about 400 hours extra a year of sun than the rest of Canada.

In addition to federal and territorial grants for alternative energy projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, homeowners and builders are looking to renewables as a way to increase their EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) ratings, to meet city bylaws on new builds and renovations.

"It costs a little bit extra but it does reduce your heating bills," said Mayor Gord Van Tighem, referring to manufacturing units that are built to Energuide 80 standards.

As alternatives such as wood stoves and solar gain popularity, the most important thing is for homeowners to do their research, Van Tighem added.

"A lot of the alternatives that people are looking at, especially in this part of the world, actually make sense if you get the one that works and if you know how to work it and if you keep it maintained because we're in an area where anything you could do to reduce your cost of living but still maintain a healthy lifestyle is a good thing," he said.

"(Renewable resource technology) is being proved up in the North but it's like anything else, if you decide to switch to LED bulbs the first thing you need to do is research which LED bulbs meet what they say they will. So there's some due diligence required before."

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