Community Power partners with Indigenous communities to co-develop and implement custom community solutions that address energy, housing, and climate. Their goal is to support First Nation communities to improve efficiency, reduce costs and strengthen energy stewardship.
In 2020, Community Power was commissioned to prepare a community Energy Action Plan (EAP) for Takla First Nation in partnership with Sasuchan Development Corporation, to document the community’s goals and visions for its energy future, the current energy use and expenditure, and the outline of a pathway towards achieving these goals. These goals include reducing energy expenditure, making homes safer, meaningful reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, identifying renewable opportunities and establishing the priorities for future energy and housing initiatives.
In September 2020, 39 home assessments were performed covering a sample size of homes spread across every category of homes in the community and 4 of the largest civic buildings to build a strong sample size to predict energy trends and improvement opportunities across the community.
The key takeaways from the analysis are summarized below:
Energy Saving Measures:
A recommended bundle of measures including hot water measures, heating controls, lighting and air sealing were identified as the most cost-effective energy saving measures.
Heating Savings Measures
- Due to the negligible cost of wood, it is recommended that a wood-first approach (with supplementary electric heating) be taken for home heating to reduce energy expenditure through the development of a community-wide wood program.
- Comparing all options, for existing homes it is recommended existing electric baseboards be repaired or significant funding be secured to implement air source heat pumps. For new homes, it is recommended to implement electric/wood furnace combos.
Renewable Energy:
Solar PV systems for homes managed by the Nation have been found to be the most technically and financially viable option if significant external funding (at least 80% of implementation cost) can be secured.
Civic Buildings:
It is recommended that detailed lighting assessments and retrofits be completed in all civic buildings, along with waste recovery systems (for the waste treatment plant and Takla Trading Post) and heating control systems (for the school and clinic) to reduce propane usage.
Community Power will be in Takla community to finish the assessments on the remaining 43 houses in September 2021. More information on this next assessment will be available as we get closer to the date.
To learn more about Community Power, visit: www.communitypower.ca
