By Kathy Gallant

New solar panels turn Green Lake green

May 25, 2017 | 5:10 PM

The Northern Village of Green Lake has taken one more step forward to staying true to its namesake and traditional values.

The official ceremony and unveiling of 96 new solar panels on the village’s community hall took place on Wednesday, May 24. It was an afternoon of celebration, with greetings brought from various levels of government, music, food and entertainment.

The project’s funding came from a number of sources. With a total bill of roughly $136,000, the village will pick up $40,000. A grant proposal was submitted to the Canada 150 project for $56,000. Participation in SaskPower’s net metering program allows for a grant of up to $20,000 which the village hopes to receive in full. Bullfrog Power, from Ontario donated $20,000 to the project as well.

The solar panels were installed by miEnergy, a Saskatoon-based company. According to Jenna Gall, operations coordinator, over 50 systems were installed across the province last year, with interest growing all the time. She was on hand to answer questions at the community event.

“This system [in Green Lake] is 31 kilowatts,” she said. “That will cover about 90 per cent of the power that is used for not just the community centre, but the rink as well, which is huge. In the province, power bills have gone up six per cent every year – sometimes less, sometimes more. The time to go solar is now, since solar insulates you from those increased prices.”

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She said working with mayor and council, as well as village administrator Tina Rasmussen, has been inspiring.

“When we were here last month to do the install, we were impressed with how the local students knew so much when we did a presentation with them,” she said. “This community has not just taken it on as a money-saving thing, but as an educational endeavour as well.”

Mayor Ric Richardson said the idea got kick-started after he, Rasmussen and a former council member attended a First Nations energy forum. He said working with nature is a goal for the village.

“Working with nature goes back thousands of years, and while solar is relatively new it’s been around for decades,” he said. “It’s always been a consideration – how do we work nature to provide our needs. The forum got us in contact with businesses like Urban Systems who helped us with our feasibility study and business plan, and Bullfrog Power who helped [with] providing some of the capital.”

Richardson added he hopes the enthusiasm and investment into renewable energy continues for the village, the northern portion of the province, and beyond.

“This is hopefully going only the beginning,” he said. “It would be great for many of our citizens to consider putting solar power onto their private residence, as well as other communities in the North. We have very good solar potential. This [type of energy] would help any community that’s concerned about the environment, about saving dollars. We’re harnessing the technology we have today, and using our traditional values knowledge of the past.”

Trina Anderson is a lifelong resident of Green Lake, and a teacher at the local school. She said she is proud of her hometown for leading the charge in their efforts to be environmentally conscious and sustainable.

“I think it’s absolutely amazing,” she said. “It’s so great for our kids to be aware of as well for the future – we need to go green, I don’t think there’s a way around it. At the school we’re doing a garden, and recycling, and concentrating being self-sustainable. It’s going back to our roots, especially with Indigenous and Métis people. The music and the cultural celebration today, too – the new technology and the traditions were a great combination.”

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca  

On Twitter @ReporterKath