Dandzen has completed the installation of a one Megawatt (1.25 MWdc) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on the site of the former RiverWest sawmill owned by the Tsilhqot’in Nation in BC, Canada.
The “Tsilhqot’in Solar Farm” will be the first large-scale solar power plant 100% owned, built and operated by a First Nation in Canada. It will be also the largest solar farm in British Columbia (BC).
The expected outcomes of the Tŝilhqot’in Solar Farm are multiple:
- generation of clean energy,
- redevelopment of a closed sawmill and adjacent brownfield into a solar farm,
- support to the local communities,
- creation of jobs and business opportunities,
- fostering innovation and access to new technologies,
- training and advanced education, and more-
The Chilcotin region is amongst the top five solar hot spots in BC. The Tŝilhqot’in Nation wants to make Tsilhqot’in Solar Farm a center of excellence for indigenous solar development and foster many more solar initiatives both regionally and in other indigenous communities.