Eight miles north of the Arctic Circle, a fixed 72-panel, 18-kilowatt array of solar panels went online last month atop the Fort Yukon tribal hall.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that the $250,000 project was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Tribal Energy Program and Fort Yukon’s Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich’in Tribal Government.
The solar panels are only one part of the Alaska city’s energy upgrade, which also includes LED lighting upgrades and increased insulation.
The project also includes outreach and education.
In June, the array should produce and estimated 2,351 kilowatt-hours, saving $1,504. But in December, the city only expects 184 kilowatt-hours, or a savings of $118.
