Solar power projects completed in 4 northernmost communities in Nunavut
Clyde River system operational, others awaiting grid connection with QEC
A newly installed 100-kilowatt solar power system in Grise Fiord is shown here after completion in July. The project is one of four completed this summer by Green Sun Rising Inc. Other installations include Clyde River, Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet, with systems ranging from 100 to 150 kilowatts. (Photo courtesy of Green Sun Rising Inc.)
Four large-scale solar panel systems were installed across Nunavut this summer in a push to reduce reliance on diesel power, says the head of Green Sun Rising Inc., the developer behind the installations.
The Windsor, Ont.-based company completed projects on community halls in Clyde River, Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord and Pond Inlet between May and August. The systems range in output from 100 to 150 kilowatts.
The 115-kilowatt AC solar system in Clyde River is shown here in May. The system is now operational and is one of four completed this summer by Green Sun Rising Inc. (Photo courtesy of Green Sun Rising Inc.)
Company president Klaus Dohring said the project took longer than expected because Qulliq Energy Corp., Nunavut’s electricity utility, had to finish its connection impact assessments.
“Four projects that were originally intended to be distributed over two years ended up being delayed to the point where we had to do all the installations in one summer,” he said.
The work began in Clyde River with an 80-kilowatt system for the hamlet’s community hall, followed by a 115-kilowatt project in Arctic Bay located on the community arena.
The team then travelled to Grise Fiord for a 100-kilowatt installation on the hamlet’s community hall, before completing the summer with a 150-kilowatt system in Pond Inlet, also on its community hall. Each installation took about three weeks to complete, Dohring said.
Clyde River’s system is operational, he said, but the other three communities are waiting for grid connections and meters from Qulliq Energy Corp.
Dohring said system ownership lies with the hamlets, allowing them to seek federal funding.
“We help with all the paperwork,” he said. “Since hamlets operate several buildings and usually have a maintenance team, we try to train that group in what to do.”
Grise Fiord was one of the most notable projects, being the northernmost civilian community in North America and with a permanent population of about 140 residents, most of whom are Inuit.
“The community reception was exceptional,” Dohring said. “The people of Grise Fiord are very friendly to begin with, and when we arrived they knew that the work we were doing was for the benefit of the community. That made us even more welcome.”
He said residents were already familiar with solar power because some hamlet buildings have had solar installations for about four years.
Dohring would not disclose installation costs.
All of Nunavut’s communities rely on diesel for power generation and many of those plants are operating well past their lifespans.
Qulliq Energy Corp. has been working to replace power plants and was granted a rate increase this spring to help recoup $228 million of debt it had incurred — some of that debt going back decades, according to John Main, the minister responsible for Qulliq Energy Corp.
Jarloo Kiguktak, recreation director in Grise Fiord, is pictured with a bicycle donated by Green Sun Rising Inc. The company ships bicycles along with its materials during solar installations. (Photo courtesy of Green Sun Rising Inc.)
“The Canadian government has an obligation to provide basic services, and that includes electricity,” Dohring said.
“Cellphones, electric light, controllers for heaters rely on energy, more and more of it electric. Electricity is vital, and solar provides it sustainably. And with satellite communication and navigation, people are safer out on the land. Solar makes that possible.”
Green Sun Rising often ships bicycles with its materials, donating them once projects wrap up.
In Grise Fiord this summer, one bike went to recreation director Jarloo Kiguktak to use on the job. Dohring said a bike his company donated three years ago, during a previous installation in that community, is still in use.
Looking ahead, the company has a 200-kilowatt installation planned for Resolute Bay in June 2026.
“The funding agency has finally listened to what I’ve been saying for years: the northernmost solar kilowatt-hour saves the most diesel and the most cost,” Dohring said.
“With Resolute Bay, we’ll have large solar systems in all five of the northernmost communities.”
A spokesperson for Qulliq Energy Corp. did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
They should include the Liam F1 mini wind turbine, which is perfect for smaller units without taking up acres of space. The video is available on YouTube.
I think there are options to upsize or downsize the spiral as it is already at 80% efficiency, so size would be parallel to the power needs.
It is also much easier on birds as it is made of plastic or other materials as needed. There are also mini-dome style solar panels being built for efficiency too. Time to outthink the ideas of the 20th century…he he he.
Still waiting on the solar powered station in Kugluktuk, Qulliq is an issue, dissolve them for years of neglect. I cant believe solar has taken this long to come to Nunavut. Its ridiculous and news worthy!
I still have yet to see a single remark by QEC stating that this will ultimately reduce fuel retention within the community.
Consumption cannot be confused with retention. You’re not saving diesel if you still have to hold it. If QEC cannot bank on solar or wind it cannot reduce the amount of diesel its bringing in. If something critical goes down in the solar or wind setup, the repairs could be such that it has to wait for sealift for critical parts, or technical staff. We saw news this year out of Nunavik that they had to wait months, and now an entire additional year for critical water line repairs.
If QEC cannot reduce diesel purchases, ultimately fossil fuels will still have to be produced and brought up, those have a shelf life, which means if not burnt they then have to get backhauled / pumped out of the tanks to make room for new non-expired product.
Everything rids on the power-plant in town, we need to keep the necessary diesel on hand because its a disaster without it, pipes explode, or fuel has to be hercd in , its a bad situation.
I would like to see something from QEC directly stating exactly how this aspect is supposed to work. Right now, its just a flood of renewable energy consultants pushing green projects across Canada because the Feds put up money for it. Its the “in” thing for consulting right now and where else is easier in Canada to make a high profit consulting than Nunavut.
Hauling diesel north costs a fortune, and betting everything on one fuel source is like heading out hunting with one bullet. Solar doesn’t replace diesel, it compliments it. Use the sun when it shines, save the diesel for when it doesn’t. No system should lean on a single source, and ours does. That’s the real risk.
Danny that answers none of the above questions. You’re still hauling the same amount of fuel and then back hauling fuel that didn’t get used since the the comment and issue is in regards to fuel retention.
Diesel does degrade over time, but its shelf life in northern climates is quite long. It can last well over two years without significant deterioration, especially when treated with stabilizers.
The idea that unused diesel must be discarded or pumped out yearly is not accurate. Proper tank management (e.g., water separation, anti-microbial treatment, and periodic turnover) allows for extended retention.
Backhaul or Disposal Isn’t Standard Practice
Rotate stock and manage annual purchases to align with projected consumption. Because fuel is delivered via sealift once per year, the quantities ordered are based on calculated demand. Reducing diesel demand through renewables means ordering less the next year, not wasting product.
You are not reducing demand if you cannot put reliance in it. Again, the issue is the remoteness, if something goes down and suddenly you need the additional diesel you have to have it on hand. Diesel is 6 months without additives, and a year without which means, yes because QEC requires a certain grade you will have to pump it out and replace it.
Thank about it, many are talking wind-farms. What happens if a blade flys off? You are waiting on an entire sealift season, potentially far longer because you might also have to find an annual crane rental since you might not be able to get the blade on before the backhaul turns around.
You have to carry sufficient diesel as if the renewal energy infrastructure was no int place. You have to have the contingency in such a harsh place where hercing fuel costs an unfathomable amount of money.
You’re missing the key point: Nunavut’s systems are already fragile precisely because they depend on diesel alone.
Yes, communities must carry contingency fuel. But diesel itself has proven vulnerable — look at Pangnirtung, where after the fire they had to fly in four generators with a skycrane at enormous cost. That wasn’t because of solar or wind, but because a single system has no redundancy.
The same logic that says “what if a wind turbine blade fails?” also applies to diesel: “what if a generator or plant fails, or a tank leaks, or a fire breaks out?” Right now there are zero alternatives when that happens. Every crisis still forces us back to expensive emergency measures.
That’s why we need to build out alternatives, not to replace diesel, but to diversify supply and reduce total dependence. Solar, wind, batteries, even emerging tech like modular hydro or nuclear — the type doesn’t matter. What matters is breaking the cycle of fragility that comes from relying on one imported, costly, and risky fuel.
Nunavut doesn’t need to bet everything on one technology — it needs to be agnostic about solutions, and smart about building redundancy. That’s the real resilience.
The NU and much of NWT have all used them for decades now with minimal issues. Backup generators exist obviously.
Renewables such as solar and wind are just flavour the month. As soon as the federal gov’t released money at it, every consultant out of Ottawa and their dog started going after NU where the bulk of money can be made.
The problem is that if you actually live here, you can see the skeletons and remnants of failed projects across many NU communities, abandoned wind or solar, laying on the ground, discarded trash.
You see, consultants, have no equity take, no skin in the game, nothing that ties them to the project actually working as intended. They make their buck on whatever is in fashion and move on quickly, outcome, does not matter. Its the community who gets the discarded trash and falls down after 5 years.
its going to be sold to NU as critical, fun words like “fragile”, our oh so fragile system that’s been place for many decades. And those are fun sales words for consultants.
Lets of QEC actually validate that they will in fact order less fuel. I would assume that information could be provided since they did these impact studies.
Re. parts of equipment breaking, as we become more familiar with renewable resources in Nunavut, this is the kind of thing one can plan for by having a stock of spare parts for parts that commonly need to be replaced. We need to diversify our sources of energy in Nunavut. These are good examples of attempts at getting the public and QEC and politicians used to the concept.
Unfortunately, for several months of the year in the arctic, the most critical from a reliability standpoint, the electrical system will still be entirely dependent on diesel generation. Wind or solar can’t replace diesel entirely as the microgrid requires reliable base power to function.
Using additional systems such as wind and solar may offset some diesel use, but I have not yet seen a business case that these are cost effective. QEC goes along likely because green energy is the flavour of the day and doesn’t want to rock the boat.
Solar installatione work.
Our home in Iqaluit was equipped with solar panels in 2021.
Maintenance costs after four years is $0.00.
Our July bill for electricity is .38 cents.
Drill baby drill, for more oil. No questions asked !
Quote: “Electricity is vital, and solar provides it sustainably.” … except that in winter solar doesn’t even exist above the arctic circle, just when there’s maximally vital need for electricity.
Meantime, instead, the technology for small nuclear reactors is coming on fast.
Do they need cranes to lift and set it up.
Where Nunavut lacks proper equipment, manpower does the job.
Good news for Nunavut, but also a reminder how slow progress can be. Getting four systems up in one summer is impressive, yet only Clyde River is actually delivering power right now. The rest are waiting on QEC paperwork and grid connections—that part always feels like the weak link.
Ownership going to the hamlets is smart, though. It keeps benefits local, gives them more access to federal funding, and with training, it means the systems won’t just sit there until an outside crew flies in.
Costs being kept quiet doesn’t help. Other communities planning their own projects need ballpark numbers to push things forward.
Diesel plants in the north are running way past their life expectancy, debt is piling up, and still the pace is slow. Solar isn’t the full answer, but in places like Grise Fiord or Pond Inlet, every kilowatt cuts down fuel shipments and risk.
The big question: how long before those three idle systems actually get connected?
The comments on this topic while interesting observations are lacking on one serious item.
Have any of the commenters actually done anything to try Solar Wind or Geothermal alternate energy systems?
No electricity as yet has been produced by wagging tongues.
Without government funding no one can afford to install them in the north. While it does reduce diesel consumption (minimal amount and has no effect on diesel storage despite the comments here) the fact is for the money these government funds could build four times the amount of solar down south for what it costs to build them up north. Investing in lower Canada solar makes more sense as peak load for these areas is summer due to air conditioning load. There is also a better solar resource in the south so better utilization of the generation and more kwh produced annually. As climate change is not limited by borders investing in the south for 4 times more installed capacity per dollar and at least 2 times more energy produced per installed kw (a total of 8 times better investment per dollar) is better to reduce carbon pollution and climate change. All southern utilities are interconnected and any additional energy needed by the grids above the nuclear and hydro generation is produced by carbon emitting generation (thermal, natural gas, coal). Projects like the ones in the article are feel good stories . They don’t make a good business case for efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars.
I disagree.
It is a matter of choice
When I go for a drive I see dozens and dozens of power boats every year with bigger and bigger motors.
The choice is yours – alternate energy systems or very expensive transportation vehicles?
Bert, people are discussing a public policy. You just keep talking about yourself.
Now go to Arviat. Just do it. No questions no dislikes or any disapproval just ignore them and just go here. Right now ASAP. Stop the power of abuse from energy plants. Tired of their games.