NMCC students to pitch final presentations for ‘Go! Green!’ energy challenge

  PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – A semester’s free tuition is on the line as a contest amongst students on the Northern Maine Community College campus to come up with innovative ideas to maximize energy efficiency and create a more environmentally-friendly campus comes to an end Thursday, Feb. 26.     The “Go! Green!” energy challenge was launched last fall by members of NMCC’s newly established energy task force. It set out to generate additional “green” – in the form of savings for both the college, which would see a cut in its energy costs, and for the winning student team, which will receive the equivalent of two full-time (a total of 30 credit hours) student tuition waivers.
Four student groups took up the challenge and since November have prepared formal written proposals detailing their ideas that were turned in to contest organizers earlier this month. A panel of five judges, representing both campus and community members, is reviewing the proposals and will gather to hear the group presentations and question the teams Feb. 26 beginning at 9 a.m. in NMCC’s Edmunds Conference Center.
Two of the student-developed presentations center around reducing electrical consumption on campus. Senior electrical construction and maintenance students William Skelton of Windham and Dan Dionne of Grand Isle have studied and will propose measures to improve lighting efficiency. First-year electrical construction and maintenance students Parker Brown of Mapleton and Tade Brooks of Augusta have teamed up to examine electrical usage on campus and will present their findings and suggestions.
A team comprised of two freshmen plumbing and heating students, Vincent Pelletier of Presque Isle and Owen Harris of Fort Fairfield, will speak on their written proposal that NMCC consider incorporating a domestic solar hot water heater to meet some of its energy needs. The fourth presentation will be made by the only student to go it alone in the competition. Amber Libby, a senior electrical construction and maintenance student from Hollis, will present her proposal for more energy efficient windows.
“We were looking for proposals for an energy conservation measure that will result in a financial savings and awareness building without sacrificing productivity, comfort or the well-being of students and staff,” said Charles Kelley, NMCC electrical construction and maintenance instructor and one of the contest coordinators. “All teams have put forth a great effort on their written portion of the competition and should be commended for their work. A sincere quest to save energy and money for the college was demonstrated by each team’s proposal.”
Kelley worked closely on laying the framework for the campus-wide competition with his energy task force colleague Heidi Broad-Smith, NMCC early childhood education instructor. Broad-Smith worked to develop guidelines for evaluating the projects. Proposals will be judged on cost effectiveness, creativity and originality, sustainability, written presentation and visual presentation.
“We are so excited to hear the presentations! While putting together the packets for the judges, I was able to look over the submissions and I am so impressed with the work these teams have put into their projects,” said Broad-Smith. “This competition is above and beyond the required work for their courses. There is some really self-motivated and remarkable talent amongst the students at our college.”
Serving on the panel of reviewers to determine the top project are Nancy Chandler, supervisor of conservation and education services for Maine Public Service; David St. Peter, director of physical plant at the University of Maine at Presque Isle; Jan Grieco, faculty member in the arts and sciences department at NMCC; Betty Kent-Conant, chair of the nursing and allied health department at NMCC; and Brian McDougal, chair of the trade and technical occupations department at NMCC.
“The challenges we face as a campus community concerning energy and related costs are great. We are committed to taking the necessary and important measures to not only help control costs, but to work collaboratively with students to ensure we are doing whatever we can to help keep the cost of attending NMCC affordable,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “We are looking at this comprehensively and look forward to receiving the student proposals.”
“We encourage the campus community and interested members of the public to join us Feb. 26 to view the final presentations and see what happens when NMCC students Go! Green!” added Kelley.