Photo: Nunavik organization raises the roof on alternative energy

This aerial view shows the new 20-kilowatt solar panels installed last September on the roof of Makivik Corp.’s head office in Kuujjuaq and 50-Kw panels installed on its Nunavik Research Centre next door. Makivik received a $557,000 grant through the federal government’s Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity program (REACHE) to put up the panels, which now represent the largest net-metering project in Nunavik. That means that if the panels generate more power than is needed in the two buildings, excess power can be banked in the form of Hydro-Québec credits. In October alone, the panel on the research centre generated 1,136 kilowatt hours, saving 325 litres of diesel. (PHOTO COURTESY OF MAKIVIK)