A ski hill in northwestern British Columbia is harnessing the power of the sun to reduce its reliance on diesel generators. Shames Mountain, a community-owned ski resort serving the communities of Terrace, Prince Rupert and Kitimat, is collaborating with a group of local post-secondary students to install new, high-efficiency solar panels atop a year-round caretaker鈥檚 home.
The team of students participating in the Student Energy Guided Projects (SEGP) program, hailing from the area, will lead the project. The SEGP program supports post-secondary students with training, mentorship and funding to execute clean energy initiatives in their communities.
The three current and former students 鈥� Mackenzie Walker, an environmental science student; Tristan Walker, a master鈥檚 in sustainable energy graduate; and Gavin Anderson, a bachelor鈥檚 of geological engineering graduate 鈥� all have a deep-rooted passion for their region and its natural beauty. They have channelled this passion into the pursuit of sustainable solutions, even starting a small apparel company, Step3 Project, to raise funds for local green energy infrastructure projects.
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They all grew up together in northwestern B.C. and share a desire to preserve their natural environment for future generations, a Student Energy project wrote. The project enables them to replace the hill鈥檚 outdated solar equipment with new, efficient technology and significantly reduce the ski hill鈥檚 reliance on diesel power.
Currently, an old solar panel system powers the year-round caretaker鈥檚 home. The new technology will not only meet the caretaker鈥檚 needs but also allow the hill to operate without diesel during periods of low usage, such as overnight or on non-operational days. It鈥檚 estimated the switch will save 1,300 litres of diesel per year, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 3.5 tonnes and saving approximately $2,000 in operational costs, Walker said.
鈥淭hese cost savings will be passed directly to community benefit as they will allow the hill to invest in other areas to stay open,鈥� Walker explained.
The project is a collaborative effort, with support from local organizations and businesses such as Student Energy, the Terrace Community Foundation, Sirgo, the District of Kitimat, and McElhanney. Hartman Electric donated labour for the installation process, LRS contributed equipment and Steelhead Trucking provided transportation.
Student Energy, a Vancouver-based global youth-led organization, has been instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. The group works with 50,000 young people from over 120 countries to build the knowledge and skills students need to take action on sustainable energy. As a registered Canadian charity, Student Energy collaborates with governments, businesses and more to mobilize resources for youth-led energy solutions.
Editor鈥檚 Note: An earlier version of this story indicated the incorrect title of the project. It is Step3 Project, not Smart3. Tristan Walker and Gavin Anderson are no longer students and have since graduated. The original story has been updated. The Terrace Standard regrets this error.
Viktor Elias joined the Terrace Standard in April 2023.
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