Northern communities face unique energy challenges and our team at Northern Energy Innovation (NEI) is here to help. Communities in northern Canada operate on power systems that are isolated from the North American grid, with equipment that must endure severe weather conditions and networks that span vast geographic distances -all to meet the diverse energy needs of their community. Our team has the expertise to overcome these challenges in partnership with communities and their utility companies.
Our work is grounded in the principles of electrical engineering and we are committed to answering the following questions with solutions unique to each community.
- How can we integrate a high level of renewables into isolated communities to reduce our reliance on diesel?
- What technologies are viable to make diesel energy more efficient?
- What technologies could support the public to be off-grid?
Our research team has worked closely with community members and utility partners and alike in communities across Canada’s north. The following are some of the communities in which we have ongoing or completed projects:
Aklavik, Northwest Territories
Łutsel Kʼe, Northwest Territories
Arviat, Nunavut
Kinngait, Nunavut
Beaver Creek, Yukon
Burwash Landing/Destruction Bay, Yukon
Old Crow, Yukon
Watson Lake, Yukon
Whitehorse, Yukon
We pride ourselves on being a research program built by and for the North. Our program is directed by Dr. Michael Ross, NSERC Industrial Research Chair of Northern Energy Innovation, and by the four electric power utilities across the territories: Yukon Energy Corporation, ATCO Electric Yukon, Northwest Territories Power Corporation, and Qulliq Energy Corporation. As a research program at Yukon University – and with partnerships with Arctic College and Aurora College – our work is mandated to be transparent and unbiased and to provide results that are not only available but also accessible to utilities and northern community residents alike.
Discover our team!
Our research projects are designed with students in mind. Northern Energy Innovation employs a team of early career professionals, university and college students. There are student opportunities on each project; combining a learning experience with the opportunity to gain skills for the workplace.