Solar power proven reliable in North: Yukon report

Over the past five years, solar panels in Yukon have been delivering trouble-free electricity in all but the coldest, darkest months, says a Yukon Government report.

The Yukon Energy Solutions Centre report kept tabs for five years on solar panels installed on government buildings.

Centre director Shane Andre says solar power is getting cheaper all the time, and although solar isn't likely to take the place of diesel or LNG power generation anytime soon, Andre says it has certainly proved itself to be reliable in the North.

"There's no moving parts, nothing to break," he says.

Andre says the study shows solar power can be installed now for around $4 per watt. He says that's just slightly higher than diesel power, but solar panel costs have been going down steadily.

Still the Yukon government's Energy Solutions Centre says Yukon homeowners are probably better off investing in energy conservation projects instead of new solar power panels.

"There's a lot of energy savings to be had through making your home more energy efficient," says Andre.

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