Peguis First Nation will be participating in a pilot project that could see up to 50 homes being heated by geothermal energy. The project is being made possible by the Government of Manitoba’s New Energy Savings Act which allows Manitoba Hydro to finance energy efficiency and ground source heat pump projects have acceptable paybacks.
“This project brings several benefits to our housing plans which the Housing Board has been working on,” said former Chief Glenn Hudson. “The project dovetails with our housing policy which is based on sustainability in terms of the environment and fiscal responsibility. Not only is geothermal energy environmentally friendly, but it will result in heat cost savings that will amount to millions of dollars over the longer term.”
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs housing department has been working with industry partners including Manitoba Hydro to test alternative energy sources for First Nations housing. AMC invited First Nation applicants to submit proposals and selected Peguis as the qualifying community for the feasibility study.
“Geothemal equipment and installations are an expensive up-front cost that normally aren’t within the scope of housing projects for that reason,” said Lloyd Sinclair, chair of the Peguis Housing Board. “But if you can get this absorbed by a pilot like we have here, it’s a tremendous boost to our efforts to solve our housing crisis.”
Peguis First Nation annually spends approximately $2 million in hydro subsidies and payments for social and subsidized housing.
Geothermal heat pump systems are energy efficient and environmentally friendly. They use the earth’s renewable energy to heat or cool your home.
Geothermal technology provides the following benefits:
– lower annual heating costs (up to 70 per cent);
– reduced environmental impact from lower energy consumption;
– increased comfort and proven reliability.
