Clean Technology and Renewable Resources for Remote Communities

Renewable Energy Atlas and microgrid field testing in the Arctic

Y. Poissant, A. Côté, N. Goswamy, R. Cooke, and M. Wallace

Reducing the use of diesel to generate energy in remote northern communities is a major concern for the Canadian Government. It can reduce costs, help the environment, and improve life in the north. Much focus is often placed on integrating renewable energy technologies like wind, solar and biomass to replace diesel generation. However, there is still a need to better understand how clean energy can fit the way remote communities use energy. A better understanding of energy use also provides other benefits. It can help identify ways to save energy through conservation. It can also help identify other changes to energy use, like load management and peak load shifting.

POLAR is aiding CanmetENERGY’s efforts to understand how renewable energies can be a larger part of the local electricity generation mix in remote communities. POLAR’s Alterative & Renewable team supports these efforts in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. POLAR provides in-community support to field testing renewable energy microgrid and load management strategies. It is currently integrating and monitoring smart meters. POLAR will then help to compare the costs and benefits of different technologies for these strategies in Cambridge Bay.

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