Northwestel Deploys Four Solar Panel Arrays to Power Remote Sites

Press Release –

August 4, 2014

Following the success of a 2013 pilot project, Northwestel has installed four additional photovoltaic arrays that use solar energy to power remote northern sites.

Two arrays were completed in the Northwest Territories and will power the microwave sites of Courageous and MacKay Lakes. These sites are the first of their kind in the territory and are located near the diamond mines north of Yellowknife. Two additional arrays were completed to power sites north of Ross River, Yukon.

“As a corporate citizen, Northwestel aims to leave the smallest carbon footprint possible,” said President and CEO Paul Flaherty. “We are very proud of our arrays and are eager to continue building sites.”

Photovoltaic arrays, casually referred to as solar paneling, convert sunlight to usable electricity. The electricity generated from the solar panels significantly reduces the amount of fuel Northwestel requires to operate its microwave sites. Northwestel’s fuel consumption for operating remote sites costs the company upwards of $2.5 million dollars annually.

With the newly installed panels, Northwestel projects fuel related savings of $46,000 – or up to 20,000 litres – by the end of 2014 as the sites will run entirely diesel-free for several months of the year.

Northwestel currently maintains 156 microwave stations in its operation area. Of these sites, 87 rely on independent sources of power and 37 are only accessible by helicopter. These sites currently rely on air-cooled diesel engines depending on their energy needs.

In 2013, Northwestel, Cold Climate Innovation and Government of Yukon’s Department of Energy, Mines and Resources installed the first solar panel site at Engineer Creek as part of an initial pilot project. The project proved an overwhelming success and produced 64 percent of the required energy at the site in the first three months.

Northwestel is currently reviewing the possibility of installing four more sites in 2015 and another four in 2016. If these sites are completed, Northwestel expects additional fuel cost reductions of $192,000 in 2016.

About Northwestel:

Northwestel Inc. services the largest operating area of any telecommunications company in the western hemisphere over the most remote and rugged terrain in Canada. It provides a complete range of voice, video and data solutions to residential and business customers in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, northern British Columbia and High Level, Alberta.

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