Penelakut Tribe consists of 635.7 hectares of land near Chemainus and in the Southern Gulf Islands, including the communities of Tussie, Northern Galiano Island, Tent Island, and Penelakut Island. The name Penelakut, from the Hul’qumi’num, “Puneluxutth’ means two logs half-covered with sand.
The Penelakut Community Energy Plan was initiated and completed in 2019 and included renewable energy assessments of hydro, wind and solar energy options, as well as energy assessments of homes and community buildings. Several follow-up opportunities were identified and have been advanced since the CEP was completed. These include the installation of air-source heat pumps and other upgrades to residential and community buildings to reduce energy bills and the development of a solar PV and battery backup system on the roof of the school and community building. The solar system has been advanced with community resilience in mind: in addition to reducing ongoing electricity costs, it will act as a backup source of power for the school, which is a critical gathering place in the event of an emergency.
This project has received support from the Province of BC, the New Relationship Trust, and BC Hydro.