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.