A solar and battery system at the Experimental Lakes Area east of Kenora could save about 80,000 litres of diesel a year, leaving more money available for freshwater research and maintenance at the remote field station.
The roughly $2-million project recently earned IISD Experimental Lakes Area the Canadian Renewable Energy Association’s Canadian On-Site (BTM) Project of the Year award. The association presented the honour Oct. 19 at its annual gala in Toronto.
For operations manager Roger Mollot, the project addresses a challenge the off-grid facility has faced since it opened in 1968: generating electricity for its laboratories, residences, commercial kitchen and dining hall.
“So, we’ve been relying on diesel generators for almost six decades,” he said.
Planning began about 10 years ago, driven by a desire to reduce the station’s diesel consumption and carbon emissions. That work included an engineering study to design a system combining solar power, battery storage and diesel generators.
Upgrades began in 2025, with all components in place by the end of that year. Testing and commissioning have continued through 2026.
The installation includes 297 kilowatts of solar generating capacity, a 250-kilowatt inverter and battery storage. It is expected to replace up to 80% of the station’s diesel-generated electricity, although that target has yet to be confirmed over a full year.
Summer observations have been encouraging. Mollot said solar power and stored battery energy supplied the facility’s electricity for about 20 hours a day, with diesel generators running for the remaining four hours.
When sunlight is sufficient, the panels power the station and charge the batteries. After sunset, the batteries take over. If their charge falls to a set threshold, the generators start automatically to supply electricity and recharge them.
With shorter days approaching, Mollot expects the generators to run longer during winter.
Staff are continuing to monitor performance and troubleshoot the system alongside electrical contractors and engineers, who can also monitor the powerhouse remotely.
Mollot said achieving the projected reduction would save about 80,000 litres of diesel annually. Rising diesel prices have made fuel an increasingly significant part of the station’s operating budget.
Reducing that expense would allow the organization to direct more money toward science programming and maintenance, he said.
The facility studies human impacts on freshwater ecosystems through whole-lake experiments. Researchers introduce and study environmental stresses at the whole-lake scale, helping them understand changes affecting lakes and rivers elsewhere.
Environment and Climate Change Canada helped finance the energy project, alongside donations from individuals and private foundations.
Dryden-based KPE Electrical Contractors and Charge Solar helped design and install the system. Mollot said the national recognition is shared with those partners.
While installing renewable energy at a remote station required planning, Mollot said the main hurdle was financial.
“I really feel that the barrier here is putting the financing in place,” he said.
Over the past decade, he said, technology has become more affordable. Remote monitoring also means facilities can draw on engineering expertise without having those specialists permanently on site.
“That engineering capacity can be sitting anywhere in the world,” Mollot said.
He believes the combination of government funding and private contributions that supported the project could help other remote facilities reduce their reliance on diesel.
The award’s behind-the-meter category recognizes on-site energy projects. At Experimental Lakes Area, all the renewable electricity generated is used by the facility itself.
A member of the organization’s communications staff attended the gala in Toronto.
Mollot said the honour stands apart from the recognition Experimental Lakes Area usually receives for its science. This time, it is the work of powering that research and reducing the station’s own emissions that has drawn national attention.
— Pam Fedack is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Kenora Miner and News. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
Good things are happening at Coney Island one after another.
While travelling through Croatia, Jan Lindstrom saw cheerful poppies growing near houses marked by bullet holes.
After much fanfare and a fair share of controversy, Kenora’s bail bed program is finally preparing to re-open its doors.
Some of the artwork Rotarian Lloyd Mack doubted would sell was out the door within half an hour.
Currently in Kenora
We’re always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what’s going on!
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Account processing issue – the email address may already exist
Must be at least 8 characters, not contain repeating characters (e.g., 111), and not contain sequential numbers (e.g., 123).
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Must be at least 8 characters, not contain repeating characters (e.g., 111), and not contain sequential numbers (e.g., 123).
Secure transaction. Secure transaction. Cancel anytime.
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.
