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BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO
Behchoko's biomass district energy system was officially launched during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 17.

The boiler for Behchoko's new district energy system is housed in a sea container next to the Rae Motel. The silo beside it holds the wood pellets that fuel the system. - photo courtesy of Aleta Fowler

Gary Jaeb, alternative energy projects manager for the Tlicho Investment Corporation, said it is the first aboriginal-owned system of its kind in the North.

The system consists of a central boiler housed in a sea container beside the Rae Motel. Pipes connect to seven buildings in the community including the motel, the Nishi Khon building, the Northern Store, the nursing station and nurse's residence, as well as the Tlicho Government office.

The seventh building will be the community's new Extended Care Facility, which is currently under construction.

Jaeb said the system is working well.

"It's designed to meet about 80 per cent of peak demand," he said. "Because the extended care facility isn't hooked up yet, it is more than meeting the demands of the other six buildings."

Right now, the system burns wood pellets brought in from the south, but Jaeb said it is also designed to burn wood chips and briquettes.

Jaeb said another goal is to eventually use locally-sourced materials, such as wood left by forest fires south of Behchoko.

"Harvesting fire-killed wood will create jobs and that's important," he said. "It will also be economically viable, too."

The system will offset the cost of 200,000 litres of diesel fuel per year, Jaeb said. It costs half as much to create heat using pellets compared to diesel, but Jaeb said it will be a few years before those savings are felt by consumers.

"It's really about a 50 per cent saving, but then we have to pay for the system itself and the operating and maintenance of the system," he said. "We are estimating about a five-year payback then after

that."

Jaeb said the corporation hasn't yet decided how savings will be used.

"There will be either some profits for the investment corporation or we can pass on the savings to the tenants or a bit of both," he said.

The project cost about $1.3 million, including the feasibility and design phases, Jaeb said. The cost was split between the Government of the Northwest Territories, the federal government and the Tlicho Investment Corporation.

Jaeb said the system's monitoring system is "state of the art" and remotely monitors the flow of glycol and hot water into each building.

Tenants will be billed based on their usage.

The Tlicho Construction Company will eventually take over the responsibility of billing customers, as well as the operation and maintenance of the system.

Jaeb said initially, bills will be based on the cost of diesel fuel until savings can be passed on.

"The reality is the cost of pellet heat is going to be less than the cost of diesel fuel.

"Not only is it environmentally friendly, it's going to be economically cheaper," he said. "We will get our investment back in about five years with the savings and beyond that, they could pass some of the savings on to the tenants or the owners of the buildings."

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