Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 18 : Fall 2013 | Page 75
reached out and shared the opportunity with Aroostook
Partners for Progress, so the two organizations could work
collaboratively for the economic benefit of the region. In
May, 2013, a team of three individuals from NMCC and
three from the Northern Maine Development Commission
and APP traveled to Switzerland.
The intent of the trip was twofold — to show the
Schmid leadership the state-of-the-art control system
designed by NMCC staff to monitor all aspects of the
College’s Schmid boiler operation and to explore whether
Schmid has interest in coming to Aroostook to manufacture their boilers for the American and Canadian markets.
The group also had the opportunity to visit the University of Lucerne Applied Science Department to discuss
the multi-national research and development efforts they
have been working on for some time in the biomass industry.
“Schmid was impressed with the precision and
scope of the control system in use at NMCC. We hope
the company is interested in our technology to enhance
their systems,” explained Crowley. “The connections with
Schmid and the University of Lucerne are very important
to the College, since we have a deep interest in biomass
energy and can benefit from sharing knowledge.”
In addition to the excitement surrounding the installation of the Schmid biomass boiler at the College, NMCC
worked this summer to expand its energy lab to incorporate new biomass training opportunities. The size of the
facility nearly doubled, with the College now using the
entire building that it leases in the Presque Isle Industrial
Park. Four new solid fuel boilers have been purchased and
installed in the new portion of the energy center to provide
training experiences for students.
The new equipment includes two different styles of
pellet boilers, a lower-range model and a high-end one, as
well as a pellet conversion burner installed on a traditional
oil-fired unit and a gasification wood pellet burner, which
NMCC President Tim Crowley and
others from NMCC, NMDC and APP
tour the Schmid facility in Switzerland.
burns wood very quickly and efficiently. A 550- gallon
tank to store heated water and two units for storing pellets
have also been installed. The equipment was purchased
through a grant from the United States Forest Service.
“This variety in types and styles of solid fuel boilers
offers expanded training opportunities for our students.
They get experience working on a wider range of units that
they might encounter when working in the field,” said Al
St. Peter, lead plumbing and heating instructor at the College.
St. Peter has created a new 2-credit Solid Fuel Equipment course that will be required of all new students entering NMCC’s plumbing and heating program. Students
will gain experience in piping arrangement, serving and
troubleshooting, as well as learn Maine codes pertaining to
solid fuels.
“Pellets are getting bigger every year. It’s exciting that
we can heat our homes with fuel that comes from Aroostook County,” said St. Peter. “Not only do we benefit from
fuel savings in our homes, but the region benefits economically.”
Beyond having the resources for wood pellets which
are so popular now, area farmers have the land and equipment needed to harvest what may be the wave of the
future: grass pellets, according to St. Peter. In fact, that
possibility was one reason NMCC selected the particular
model of biomass boiler from Schmid. It has the capability
of burning either wood or grass pellets.
“NMCC not only