Da’naxda’xw solar-diesel hybrid project

Historically, the community has depended entirely on diesel generators for electricity and a significant portion of the community’s annual operating budget has been spent on diesel fuel.

As a result, the community was eager to displace part of their diesel costs, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, by installing a solar power system that would supply part of their energy demand from a renewable source.

The scope included replacement and commissioning of three diesel generators on site (one 100 kilowatt (kW) and two 60 kW), construction of a 90 kW solar array; installation of a battery house and a 200 kWh lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and development and installation of a Human Machine Interface (HMI) software that allows for the operator to remotely operate the system.

In 2016, a contractor was engaged to design and install a hybrid solar/diesel microgrid system for the community. As owner’s representative for the construction, installation, commissioning and operator training for project, GHD acted as a liaison between the Da’naxda’xw First Nation, the funding agency and the contractor engaged to design and install the system.

The system was successfully installed and commissioned and had been operating for four months, when a fire destroyed the BESS and all of the system controls, rendering the solar array inoperable and making the community once again dependent on diesel generation.

Following the fire, a new plan to return the solar/diesel hybrid micro-grid system to operation was created. GHD developed a 30 percent design for the new battery system and controls and developed a request for proposal for a design-build team to complete design and construction of the rebuilt solar/diesel hybrid system.    

GHD provided technical support to the Da’naxda’xw First Nation through the process and selection of the design-build team and is now acting as owner’s engineer through detailed design and construction.