Pictured above are solar panels which were installed on the roof of the Inuvik Northern store.

The sun is shining on a new “green” partnership between the North West Company and Gwich’in Tribal Council that will help reduce the carbon footprint in Inuvik, NW.

North West teamed up with Nihtat Corporation, a Gwich’in development corporation focused on Inuvik and the Beaufort Delta, to install 640 solar electricity panels on the roof of the Inuvik Northern store. The project will reduce the store’s energy costs, support renewable energy and provide the local community with development opportunities.

“Green initiatives are important to the North West Company, so when the opportunity to partner with Gwich’in Tribal Council to bring solar panels to Inuvik came up, we knew it was a win-win scenario,” said Gary Merasty, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, The North West Company.

Along with the 390-watt solar panels, the project includes micro inverters, smart bi-directional metering and remote performance monitoring. These additions to the North Mart Inuvik store are projected to save $60,000 in electricity expenses every year – a 47 per cent drop in costs.

                                                      Community of Inuvik

“We see this Northmart Inuvik Solar Project as an example of how the Nihtat Gwich’in and The North West Company can work together to develop a clean energy alternative for our community that supports Indigenous business development in the renewables sector, while also reducing fossil fuel consumption,” said Grant Sullivan, President, Nihtat Energy Ltd.

The project has already saved thousands in electricity costs.