Solar in the Arctic!

My first solar install in the Arctic is a smashing success. We spent 3 days designing on the fly, building and installing a rack system that tilts for the extreme angles of the sun up north. I recommend you pay the premium and buy a pre-made rack system unless you live north of the Arctic Circle, or just like to re-invent the wheel.

Is solar in the Arctic a good idea? It has to be a supplemental system, because of the lack of winter sun. However, early spring does very well here because though the sun is out for few hours, it is cold which makes PV even better (kinda like me) and the snow reflects a lot of sunlight, enhancing its PV impact. If you track it and/or change tilt angles, you really gain alot.

And yes Anaktuvuk Pass was amazing. A place where the Inupiak Eskimo have hunted forever. It's now a village, a flat glacial moraine cut into sharp peaked mountains. Gorgeous views and 24 hours sun. The people I got to meet and work with were amazing.

This project was owned by the Tagiugmiullu Nunamiullu Housing Authority (TNHA for those of you who don't speak Inupiak), and was designed by the Cold Climate Housing Research Center. It is a prototype house for Arctic communities that is much better in many ways than the housing options for the north in the past. It is super insulated, they put a sod roof on top for extra thermal mass. There are few cars here, 4 wheelers and snow machines and some dog sleds mostly, so they have a drive through garage sized for snow mobiles, a meat locker for hunters to put game, 3 small bedrooms, and this one is built with solar pv and we'll put in wind power next month. The cost of the solar and wind power is wrapped into the original costs and the local folks can't wait to see how it does. They would love to someday fire the electric company!

My connection is too slow and intermittent for photos right now - next time!