Renewable Energy
Solar Farm
One of CNLP’s most exciting projects is the development of the largest solar project in the Yukon. The seven rows of photovoltaic panels, covering seven hectares or 10 soccer fields, will be capable of generating 1.9 megawatts of power, enough electricity to replace 350,000 litres of diesel per year — or 60 per cent of the fuel required to meet the community’s power needs. The project also provides a battery that can store four megawatts of electricity — enough to power one home in Yukon for four months.
The project will reduce emissions 31,000 tonnes over the project’s 25-year life; including diesel refinement and transportation emissions.
The roughly 100 residents of Beaver Creek could eventually benefit financially through the Yukon government’s independent power producer program. The program enables communities and residents to sell the utility wind, solar and biomass energy they’ve produced for use in its grid. In this case, power bills for individuals wouldn’t change as the solar panels feed into the local grid, but the First Nation would receive the revenue rather than the utility.
Included in the project design is the ability to sell electricity to ATCO electric, the community’s power distributor.
Retrofits
Copper Niisuu LP is pleased to announce that in conjunction with our funding partners with the Government of Canada, energy retrofits are to be completed on the entirety of the White River First Nation owned capital housing stock. These retrofits are projected to reduce overall home heating fuel usage within the community by over 10,000L per year and further reduce overall energy usage between 5-12%. This project is the first of its kind within the Yukon and the Board of Directors and staff of Copper Niisuu LP are proud to bring this new opportunity to the North and are excited to see how further investments and advancements can be made to continue to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Our Contractors are still Hiring!
We are continuing building the Beaver Creek solar plant this spring and summer! Join our contractors’ crew and participate in this unique and game-changing project for Beaver Creek, the White River First Nation, and the Yukon.
If interested, please contact our Project Manager, Alexandre Vigneault at alexandre@3eyond.com or (778) 232-6202.
Our Contractors are still Hiring!
We are continuing building the Beaver Creek solar plant this spring and summer! Join our contractors’ crew and participate in this unique and game-changing project for Beaver Creek, the White River First Nation, and the Yukon.
If interested, please contact our Project Manager, Alexandre Vigneault at alexandre@3eyond.com or (778) 232-6202.
Saa/Se Energy visits Nelnah Bessie John School!
On Tuesday, September 6, 2023 the Team from Saa/Se Energy visited the students in Beaver Creek and gave a presentation on solar and how it works.
A big thank you to Heidi, Hillary, Joey, and Remy for their support and hospitality. And a special thank you to the students who were eager participants!
Saa/Se adds a Dodge Ram Rebel GT to the fleet!
Artwork Request for Proposals - NEW DEADLINE JULY 13, 2023 at 4pm PDT
Our Contractors are Hiring!
Spring 2023 Update
Current Status
We are pleased to announce significant progress has been made on our upcoming solar project.
All the engineering and design work required for the project is nearly completed, and the construction drawings are currently being finalized.
Contractors for electrical, civil and solar panel work have been selected through a competitive tender process. As planned, civil construction will begin in June 2023, and solar panel installation will follow in late summer and fall 2023.
In addition to these milestones, the battery energy storage system and electrical enclosure building are being fabricated. Their installation in Beaver Creek is planned for May or June 2024. A crane will be needed on site to lift some of the heavy buildings into place.
We are also making a documentary about the project and the White River First Nation people. We have received funding and hired a documentary film crew. They will be in Beaver Creek this summer and next. The documentary completion date is likely 2025, we will keep you posted!
A district heating plant will be installed as part of the project, this will have the capacity to feed nearby buildings with waste heat from diesel generators.
What’s Next
Work will start on site this summer. Gravel will be trucked from the quarry near the landfill to the site. Work on excavating for laying buried cables will start and foundation preparations will start.
Later in the summer we will be installing the bases for the solar panels and possibly solar panels too before winter. This work may continue next spring/summer as well.
There are job opportunities for White River First Nation members to work on civil and solar installations in the summer of 2023. Training will be provided. Please contact our Project Manager if interested (Alex @ 778-232-6202, alexandre@3eyond.com).
As part of the project, artwork will be created and a tender will be posted in late May 2023.
January 2023: Project Sheet
Spring 2022 Update
History & Facts
This is a project all residents of Beaver Creek can be proud of; the project is thought to be the largest one time diesel displacement project in North America! Renewable energy generation will reduce carbon emissions, provide long term economic stability, short term jobs, and improves energy security in this small community.
After 50+ years of diesel power generation, starting in 2024, Beaver Creek will produce over half of its own energy, shutting down noisy & polluting diesel generators 55% of the time. Solar will be the primary energy source and diesel will be relegated as a backup source of power.
Current Status
The design of the earthwork required on site is complete, this work will start on site in July and continue through this fall.
Invitational tenders will be released this summer for the equipment that will be shipped and installed in 2023, including a large battery (almost the size of a house!), solar panels, transformers and other equipment.
What’s Next
The work on site will shut down this fall while work in the background continues. Over the winter equipment will be ordered and shipped, design reviews will progress, the project team will make preparations to finish the project in the summer and fall of 2024. In late 2023 the solar farm will start producing power for the community whenever the sun shines.
In the summer of 2023, we will be looking for residents of Beaver Creek to assist with installing the solar panels and their bases. There will be a long-term work for a maintainer for this site. This job opportunity will be available through CNLP once the project is nearing completion.
District Heat Study
CNLP is presently involved in the design of a district heating system, with biomass, that would supply buildings via a network of pipes for the community of Beaver Creek to further reduce its fossil fuel emissions by as much as 90 per cent.
Research is currently being conducted to see if the deadfall and wildfire affected areas would provide enough wood fuel to create a feasible biomass facility. The plan is to start with heating one or two buildings using biomass, and then expand over the next decade, Cowx said.
These plans are subject to negotiations with the Yukon Government’s property management division, he said. Once the solar farm is established, the biomass and heating system would potentially be phased in.
Work with us!
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Copper Niisüü Energy in the News