We have successfully implemented a project for the Daʼnaxdaʼxw Nation village of Tsatsisnukwomi on a remote island off the Northwest Coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. This particular system operates by storing the energy from the sun in conjunction with a diesel backup. Communities that are in remote places—on islands, in Canada and Globally have been stuck with relying on diesel until quite recently. It wasn’t clear to people that you could mix solar and diesel interchangeably, so the sun can replace the diesel when it shines and the diesel can engage so that when the weight of the energy demand is too high on the solar, it falls proportionally in the hands of the diesel. This is a huge transformation for Canadian First Nations Off-The-Grid Communities. We provide the power system that people on this island community depend on night and day, winter and summer. The results have exceeded our expectations. The island is powered by the energy storage building. While the sun is shining, the solar panels renew the energy storage. During hours of reduced sunlight and reduced solar generation, the diesel generators provide a reliable energy source to ensure that the batteries remain at optimum performance levels, as well are there to ensure system reliability. During the summer months, the diesel generator sets only operate minimally. This creative solution will offset diesel consumption by more than 37% or 52,000 litres annually, as well as reducing noise significantly.
