September 23, 2004

Yukon makes good use of energy efficiency program

A hotel and a First Nations-operated commercial building in Whitehorse are the first businesses in Canada’s three northern territories to make their operations more energy-efficient with help from a federal government program that assists institutions with building retrofits to achieve energy efficiency.

The High Country Inn and 33225 Yukon Inc., owner of the Lynn Building, received funding from National Resources Canada’s energy innovators initiative.

“Climate change is having a particularly profound effect on Canada’s North,” said Yukon MP Larry Bagnell.

“Commercial enterprises that reduce their energy consumption, especially these in an energy-intensive region such as Yukon, are to be commended for their foresight.”

The High Country Inn is implementing a $210,000 project to replace its oil-fired and propane equipment with electric equipment. The project is expected to save almost $100,000 and more than 3,000 gigajoules, or 800,000 equivalent kilowatt-hours, of energy consumption each year.

This represents a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 910 tonnes, or more than 16 per cent, Natural Resources Canada said in a statement. The department is providing $45,000 in funding for the project.

The Lynn Building project, worth more than $105,000, involves upgrading the heating, ventilating and airconditioning system, including new heatrecovery ventilation equipment, controls, variable frequency drives and induced variable air volume ventilation.

The owners should save 1,067 gigajoules of energy a year, or more than 36 per cent, said the department which is providing more than $16,000 in funding. The building is owned by four First Nation-controlled companies.

The federal program helps increase energy efficiency in existing commercial and institutional buildings and offers funding for implementation of energy retrofits. Since 1998, more than 200 retrofits projects have received funding, resulting in an average reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of 20 per cent.

—Patricia Williams

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