Diesel Reduction with Solar PV in Canadian Remote Communities

Inuvik, Northwest Territories (Inuuvik / ᐃᓅᕕᒃ) – Stanton Cold Storage Container – 5 kW AC/5.83 kW DC
Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories (Ikaahuk / ᐃᑳᓱᒃ) – Hamlet Office Building – 15 kW AC/15.6 kW DC
In Kuujjuuaq, Nunavik, Northern Québec (ᑰᑦᔪᐊᖅ).
Iqaluit, Nunavut (ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ) – Arctic Winter Games (AWG) Arena – 10 kW AC/10.4 kW DC
Michael during a snowstorm in Iqaluit (ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ) in 2016.
Gjoa Haven, Nunavut (Uqsuqtuuq / ᐅᖅᓱᖅᑑᖅ) – Arena – 10 kW AC/9.9 kW DC
Michael teaching students about solar energy in Makkovik (ᒪᖅᑰᕕᒃ) in 2019.
Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories (Ulukhaqtuuq / ᐅᓪᓗᖅᓴᑑᖅ) – Inuvialuit Off-Grid PV System on Container – 3.5 kW AC/1.59 kW DC
GSR team during Phase 2 of 82kW system in Colville Lake, Northwest Territories (K’áhbamį́túé).
Alternate View of Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories (Ikaahuk / ᐃᑳᓱᒃ) – Hamlet Office Building – 15 kW AC/15.6 kW DC
GSR team in Behchokǫ̀, Northwest Territories.
Panels in Iqaluit, Nunavut (ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ).

In Canada’s Territories up north, solar PV arrays can capture up to 24 hours of sunlight during the longest days of summer. Many communities in northern Canada have begun to integrate solar energy to reduce the environmental and financial impacts of their reliance on Diesel to generate electricity. These projects have many environmental and financial benefits in Canada’s remote communities.

Diesel-Reduction Remote Community Project Map

Note: Click on the top-left icon on the map for a sidebar with all Diesel reduction projects, then click on each project for pictures and more details. Click here to see our complete Project Map.

How have we helped?

For the past seven years, we have been traveling to remote communities across Canada to reduce the need for Diesel generators using solar PV systems to generate clean energy on community-owned buildings. To date, we have designed and installed 55 Diesel-reduction systems in some of the most remote areas of Canada, including above the tree line in the Arctic. Our projections estimate that our Diesel-reduction systems generate more than 1,300,000 kWh per year, which saves about 375,000 liters of Diesel annually. This results in an annual reduction of over 1,000,000 kg of carbon-dioxide emissions. Every system we create is unique for the building and community that will host it. We design, develop, and implement our solar systems from the early CAD drawing phase to the installation phase and commissioning of each system. We have completed PV systems for Diesel reduction in Nunavik (Northern Québec), Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Labrador, and British Columbia. To see more you can view our slideshow of remote community projects and browse through our technical project reference PDFs.