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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
A new green power source recently installed in Fort Simpson will help Liidlii Kue First Nation save money on utility costs.

On a sunny day the new solar panel system on the roof of Liidlii Kue First Nation's band office in Fort Simpson will provide up to five kilowatts of power. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The First Nation's band office added a five kilowatt solar panel system to its roof earlier this month. The system is the result of a partnership between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) and the Dene Nation.

Through the partnership, solar panels were provided for both the Liidlii Kue First Nation (LKFN) band office and the band office in Fort Good Hope. In the case of Fort Simpson, $29,000 for the project came from ENR's Alternative Energies Technology Program while $44,000 came from the federal government's ecoENERGY program. The First Nation has provided in-kind contributions.

"It's an interesting system," said Wade Carpenter, an alternative energy specialist with ENR.

LKFN's system is connected to the village's electricity grid and also has a battery bank. The battery bank will be kept charged by both the solar panels and the grid. In the case of a power outage, the batteries will power the hot water tank and boilers in the office.

Power the office

The majority of the energy created by the solar panels will be used to power the office, helping to reduce the band's electrical bills, said Carpenter. In a good year, a five-kilowatt system can create close to 5,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. If the band is currently paying 42 cents per kWh it will see a savings of approximately $2,000 a year, he said.

The territorial government is also developing a program to place a value on excess power that is sold back into the grid. That means when the system is producing more power than the office needs, the band will be able to sell it at an assigned rate, said Carpenter.

Jermaine Gargan, LKFN's resource management officer, said the First Nation is definitely pleased about having the opportunity to get the panels. All LKFN had to do was say yes to the Dene Nation and provide five years worth of power bills, he said.

"We try to help the bands because we know they are busy with other stuff," said Carpenter.

Should LKFN build a new band office in the future, assistance will be provided to move the solar panel system to the new building, he said.

The system is part of a growing trend towards using solar energy in the territory, said Carpenter.

There are approximately 26 grid-connected solar systems in the territory.

Solar panels are growing in popularity for a number of reasons, he said, including government incentives to use clean energy sources and the fact the cost of the panels has come down drastically in the last five years, allowing the technology to become more cost effective.

"Solar is coming along, we're expecting big things in the next five years," he said.

Solar panels are a good technology for communities for a number of reasons, said Carpenter. The panels have no moving parts so the operation and maintenance costs are low. All that's needed is to clean the panels a few times a year, he said.

Another solar system will soon be installed in the Deh Cho. A 10-kw system is expected to be built on the Fort Providence arena in March along with a five kw system on the community's pool. ENR, ecoENERGY and the Hamlet of Fort Providence are the partners.

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