AEA Program Coordinator Steve Outlet shows Deh Gah students how thermal imaging reveals where heat is escaping from homes.

Winterization Workshop in Fort Providence

The Arctic Energy Alliance and the Deh Gah School in Fort Providence organized a Winterization Workshop in October 2010.

Organizers were Deh Gah teacher Jeremy Kielstra and Fort Providence Senior Administrative Officer Susan Christie.

Deh Gah School is the first school to incorporate winterization into the curriculum as a term course and dedicate a teacher to supervising students as they winterize local homes after the workshop. Jeremy hopes to offer the course again in 2011.

Students participating in the workshop were Nolan Bonnetrouge; Jodie Bonnetrouge; Tyrone Gargan; Juden Landry; Thomas Landry; Daylan Matto; Griffen Matto; Jeannine Minoza; Roland Nadli; Sechiah Norwegian; Brock Sabourin and Westlin Sabourin.

                                                               Students use a hair dryer to tighten the plastic on a window.

Tsiigehtchic youth winterize local homes

Six students from the Chief Paul Niditchie School in Tsiigehtchic took part in the Arctic Energy Alliance’s Winterization Workshop on October 4-5, 2010.

The students learned basic concepts of how homes use energy and how prepare them for winter – and how sealing air leaks saves energy and money and makes a home more comfortable.

They learned the most common air leaks and how to easily fix them, how to apply plastic to windows and weather-stripping to doors, and how to plug leaks around pipes and wires with foam rope and caulking. They also learned how to reduce energy use by installing low flow shower heads, programmable thermostats, turning down the heat on hot water tanks, and changing furnace filters.

This was the Tsiigehtchic students were the youngest group that AEA has worked with in the Winterization program. However, they winterized 10 local homes in shorter thanks to strong support by the local government and mentoring provided by community maintenance personnel.

The entire community of Tsiigehtchic should be proud of what these young people accomplished – especially Jacob Gardlund, Vanessa Lennie and Sylvia Norman who completed the workshop and worked on all 10 homes. Also completing the workshop and helping out on some homes were Davey Lennie, Danieka Lennie and Jake Andre Stewart.

The Mentors for the project were Davey Lennie and Albert Ross. Local organizers were Economic Development Officer Ethel Blake and Principal Cynthia Wagner.

Victor Stewart, Executive Director, GTC Regional Wellness Department

Rachel Reindeer Healing Camp Alternative Energy Project

The Gwich’in Tribal Council (GTC) installed nine solar panels at the Rachel Reindeer Healing Camp in September 2010 to promote alternative energy sources within the Gwich’in Settlement Area.

The GTC initiated the project based on recommendations from youth during the Youth Leader’s Summit On Northern Climate Change held in the Town of Inuvik on August 2009.  After visiting the Rachel Reindeer Healing Camp was one facility, the youth suggested that installing alternative energy technology at the facility would help decrease the use of fossil fuels by Northern communities.

The Rachel Reindeer Camp is located approximately 10 kilometers south of Inuvik on the East Branch of the Mackenzie River Delta. The facility is off the electrical off grid produces its own electricity. The solar panels are tied directly into the camp’s power plant and are helping to reduce the camp’s fossil fuel consumption.

The GTC is currently considering wind power technology and installing a battery bank to increase the efficiency of the system.

Town of Inuvik taking action above the Arctic Circle

The Town of Inuvik is one of the Northwest Territories (NWT) communities taking action on energy efficiency, renewable energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

For those of you who might be reading this article from somewhere outside of the NWT, the Town of Inuvik is located two degrees above the Arctic Circle on the Mackenzie River and Delta.

Inuvik has developed a Community Energy Plan to assist the community in reducing its energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan as “a roadmap for integrating social, cultural, economic, environmental and planning dimensions.”

Some of the actions the Town of Inuvik has already taken include installing:

• 7.2 k/w solar panels at the Town Office and the Midnight Sun Recreation Centre,

• An Arena Chiller which uses cold air from outside to cool the arena sub-floor,

• Air Destratification Units in the recreation complex foyer, pool, community hall, fire hall and water treatment plant, and

• LED street lighting throughout the town as a feasibility test.

 To learn more about Inuvik’s energy situation, visit the Arctic Energy Alliance’s interactive community energy map. You’ll find Inuvik’s Community Energy Profile, a Renewable Energy Yardstick Summary, a summary of renewable energy options for homes, and renewable energy options for other buildings.

Dettah wins 2009 Energy Action Award for wood pellet heating

Dettah and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation were awarded the 2009 Energy Action Award in the Community Category for installing pellet heating in the new community complex. They installed three 23 KW Bosch/Mesys 6000 boilers, along with a fibre glass silo outside that has 20 tonnes of storage. The expected consumption is 60 tonnes per year. The boilers cover about 90 per cent of heating demand. The switch mitigates about 85 tonnes of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide) annually. The switch replaces about 31,000 litres of oil and will save the community about $14,000 per year!

Yellowknife installing wood pellet heating at pool, arena and curling rink

Yellowknife’s Community Arena, Curling Club and Ruth Inch Memorial Pool will soon be heated by wood pellets!

The City of Yellowknife began installing a district heating system this week and, as a result, is expecting to eliminate about 770 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions each year, says City
Energy Coordinator Mark Henry.

The three recreation facilities have traditionally consumed just under 300,000 litres of fuel oil each year. At today’s oil price of $1.15 per litre, the City is expecting to save about $130,000 annually.

The district heating system will pay for itself in 4.2 years at current fuel oil prices, says Mark.

He points out that the existing fuel oil heating systems will remain in place but that the wood pellet district heating system will handle about 90 per cent of the load. The fuel oil heaters are only expected to operate in the coldest weather – but this additional heat may or may not be necessary.

The district heating system virtually guarantees that the City of Yellowknife will reach its target of reducing its GHG emissions by 20 per cent by 2014. Mark says the City estimates that the system will reduce municipal operations emissions by 19 per cent!

The wood pellet district heating system was scheduled to be operational by the end of November, says Mark.