FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2020
INUVIK, NT – Aurora College is one of six colleges to share in the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s College-Industry Innovation Fund awards announced recently by William Amos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
Aurora College’s research division, Aurora Research Institute (ARI), has been awarded $170,375 through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s College-Industry Innovation Fund to conduct wind assessment research with a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) wind monitoring unit.
LiDAR technology is ideal for use in remote and northern locations, as it is mobile and can be deployed more quickly and at less cost than the wind towers traditionally used for site assessment studies. Reduced time and costs for site assessments may encourage more private sector partnerships in developing wind energy projects in the Northwest Territories and other remote communities across Canada.
Wind energy holds a great deal of promise as a more economical and environmentally-friendly electricity-generating option than the current diesel-powered generation plants in remote communities across the NWT and much of northern Canada. This investment will help to further understand the benefits of using LiDAR technology for wind studies in remote and northern conditions.
Quotes:
“Wind energy technology can help communities
decrease their reliance on diesel fuel for electricity generation while also
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Wind power can offer more stable pricing for
electricity, which would benefit individuals, communities, and businesses.”
– Joel McAlister, Acting
Vice President, Research, Aurora College
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Aurora Research Institute (ARI) is the research division of Aurora College. The mandate of ARI is to improve the quality of life for residents of the Northwest Territories by applying scientific, technological and Indigenous knowledge to solve northern problems and advance social and economic goals. To achieve this mandate ARI conducts, supports, and licenses research throughout the NWT. ARI is headquartered in Inuvik, and has regional research centres in Inuvik, Yellowknife and Fort Smith. Website: www.nwtresearch.com
For more information, please contact:
Jayne Murray
Manager, Communications & College Relations
Aurora College
Phone: 867-872-7021
Email: jmurray@auroracollege.nt.ca