Renewable Energy students install four new systems in Carcross

CARCROSS—Students in the Renewable Energy Installer program at Yukon College’s Carcross community campus have succeeded in installing four new energy systems in the community.

The systems consist of a two-panel solar-thermal and a 60-foot, 1.7 kilowatt grid-tied wind turbine providing electricity and hot water to the daycare, a 1.5 kilowatt grid-tied photovoltaic solar power system providing electricity to the Learning Centre, plus a 1.5 kilowatt off-grid photovoltaic system powering Skookie’s Cultural Camp, three kilometers outside Carcross.

“We chose the locations with the assistance of the Carcross/Tagish First Nations—considering where they would be the most useful and where they are the most visible for the community and visitors to learn how they operate,” said Laird Herbert, program coordinator.

“Having the wind turbine and P.V. solar sytem tied to the grid means they will be feeding electricity back into the Yukon energy grid, offsetting the power needs for the buildings” added Herbert.

Five men and two women will graduate the program this week having studied a variety of renewable energy systems with instructor

Keith Seaboyer. Graduates possess certification in basic home wiring and fall arrest, and could challenge the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) entry-level exam if they choose, a first step towards a career in renewable energy system installation.

Darrin Lucas plans to seek out further training in renewable energy systems with the goal of working in this growing industry.

”I enjoyed installing the PV array on the Learning Centre and off-grid PV system at Skookie’s Camp,” said Lucas. “I would love to install an off-grid PV system and wind turbine on my own home someday.”

The Carcross/Tagish First Nations (CTFN) and Yukon College’s Cold Climate Innovation each contributed 50 per cent of the $37,000 cost of purchasing equipment for the four renewable energy installations. The Energy Branch of the Government of Yukon’s Energy, Mines and Resources department contributed $30,000 to support the cost of running the seven-week pilot program.

A graduation ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Friday June 17 at the waterfront gazebo by the CTFN government building on the South Klondike Highway, followed by a tour of three installations based in the community.