Qulliq Energy to test solar panels in Nunavut

Nunavut's power utilityplans to test pilotsolar energy in the territoryby March 2016as part of aresearch project intoalternative energy.

There's aplanto install 11 solar panels at the Qulliq Energy Corporation's Iqaluit plant, which will beable to produce 2.86kilowatts of power onto the city'spower grid.

The concept of harnessingthe sun's energy into a power grid will be a first for the public utility. Nunavutis almost entirely dependent on fossil fuel.

"This is a very good test project for us," said Jamie Flaherty, QEC's vice president. "We need to start looking at alternative energy other than diesel, and solar panels is one of the ones we're looking at favourably."

QEC has put out a tender for the installation ofthe panels, all of which were donated by Natural Resources Canada.

"It'sreally great. They have to familiarize themselves, not only with the technology proper, but how intermittent power interacts with our grid system," said Andrew Pye, an energy resource analyst with Nunavut'sEnergy Secretariat.

"That's a huge factor in how much renewable energy, like solar, can be integrated into our grid."

20 years behind Arctic College

This won't be the first solar panel array in Nunavut, though.

AlthoughQEC'spanelsare much newer technology,NunavutArctic Collegefirst installed solar panels on its main building inIqaluitin 1995. Andsome private homesin the territory are said to usesolar panels.

The 20-year-old installation at the college is a 3.2 kilowattpower system, producing 200kilowatt hours of electricity annually or, enough to power one classroom for a year.

Despite being two decadesold, most of the 60 panels are still active and working at about 70to 75per cent capacity.

"It's pretty extraordinary actually," said ric Corneau, the dean at Iqaluit's Nunatta campus.

"Some of the researchers who come up here to look at them say that's a pretty exceptional circumstance. The technology is really old, so the same size of [sun] ray with modern panels,would produce considerably more power."

Corneauhas been trying to find money to upgradethe panels, but he said there aren't any concrete plansyet.