An Inuit community in one of Canada's northernmost regions is preparing to silence the generators that have powered their community for decades and switch to solar power.
The community of Naujaat in the northern Kivalliq Region of Nunavut has been powered by diesel generators fueled by imported fossil fuels for decades, but it is now about to use 2,500 solar panels, enough to power 130 homes, or about 60% of the community, the CBC reported. By next year, residents will be able to power parts of the community on solar alone for at least the summer months.
Blaine Chislett, manager of energy and sustainability at the Inuit-owned Sakku Investments Corporation, is thrilled for the chance to turn off the generators and embrace the quiet of the snowy northern landscape his ancestors experienced.
"To have that silence, to touch back into our ancestry, to feel what they felt, back a millennia ago. … It just gives me tingles," he told the outlet.
The plan is known as the Ikayuut Solar and Energy Storage Project, with Ikayuut meaning "help" in the Inuktitut language. The planners told the CBC that Ikayuut will reduce diesel consumption by 30%, or 400,000 liters, annually and cut carbon dioxide pollution by about 33,000 tons over the next 30 years.
Solar power will also save residents of Naujaat money in the long run after initial setup costs. Forbes reported that on average, homeowners can save $1,600 a year, adding up to $25,500 to $33,000 over the solar panels' typical lifetime of 25 and 30 years.
If you're interested in making the switch yourself, EnergySage has a free service that makes it easy to compare quotes from vetted local installers that can save you up to $10,000 on solar installations.
Chislett is already looking to add solar panels in a nearby community — and hopefully more once Ikayuut takes off. "It's about time to do something phenomenal and have my ancestors look down on me, like theirs did on them, and give a congratulations," he said.
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