Non-profit trades bulbs for LEDs
Energy-efficient initiative offered across region
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, September 15, 2016
DEH CHO
If the Arctic Energy Alliance gets its way, households across the Deh Cho will be lit up in a more energy-efficient way, thanks to the alliance's new LED-swap initiative.
Jean Marie River residents enjoy ice cream beside the new solar installation. From left are Gail Sanguez, Martin Antoine, Chief Gladys Norwegian, two students, Medina Norwegian, Erma Norwegian, Donna Sake and Connie Villeneuve. - photo courtesy of Teresa Chilkowich
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The alliance is offering community members a swap - residents' old lights for new, more efficient LED bulbs.
"Bulbs are available on a first-come, first-serve basis," said Teresa Chilkowich, the alliance's Deh Cho community energy co-ordinator. She added the alliance is offering 100-watt and 60-watt bulbs.
"We want as many incandescent bulbs coming in as possible."
The project includes a social media campaign, which Chilkowich has dubbed "Me and my LED." In order to boost awareness about the program, she is encouraging people to take a photo with their LED bulbs and post on Facebook, tagging the Arctic Energy Alliance - LED Swap page in the process. Participants can also e-mail their photo to the Arctic Energy Alliance.
"That will help to increase exposure," Chilkowich said, adding there will be a draw every week for the campaign. The draw runs from Sept. 10 to Feb. 24.
Leanne Robinson, energy management specialist with the alliance, said the program is only available for this fiscal year.
"The swap-outs will mostly happen during community events," she stated in an e-mail.
The swap is taking place across the territory. In the Deh Cho, that includes Fort Liard, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Kakisa, Nahanni Butte, Sambaa K'e and Wrigley.
It also falls in line with community retrofits the alliance has been conducting. So far, two buildings in Fort Liard and seven in Jean Marie River have been retrofitted with LED lights.
Chilkowich said the Fort Liard retrofit included the Liard Valley General Store and the motel. An office building is also expected to be retrofitted.
"For the retrofitting, we're taking out fluorescent tubes and putting in LED tubes," she said.
The project includes the removal of a ballast, thereby reducing heat waste as well.
The LED tubes installed in Fort Liard are 15 watts.
Robinson said around 200 bulbs went into Fort Liard's retrofit.
The power-saving capability, she said, was estimated to be about 13,200 kilowatt hours per year and $7,400 per year.
In Jean Marie River, the alliance recently held a parade and ice cream party in celebration of retrofitting seven buildings with LED lights, as well as constructing a solar panel installation at the water treatment plant.
The solar panel installation is a six-kilowatt system that will offset about 15 per cent of the plant's power consumption, Chilkowich said.
As of Sept. 6, three weeks after installation, the system had saved the community an estimated $1,400, producing 518 kilowatts of power.
