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V O L . X X I I N O. X I V J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 6 24 M A I N E ' S E N E R G Y I N D U S T R Y F O C U S e facility has plenty of roof space for a PV expansion. e current system is providing a portion of their electricity; a long-term goal is to have an expanded array cover all their electricity consump- tion in stages, plus benefi t either an employee or community group. "We're growing, and we're using more energy as we grow. e fi rst year in that facility, we grew 25%, and we're up 35% to 40% year-to-date this year, so our energy needs are increasing," Garver says. He continues to think about his company's carbon footprint. "Oftentimes, when we're doing things, it's hard to quantify what the return might be on any particular invest- ment," he says. "But if people don't invest in these technologies, they'll never become cost-eff ective. So we want to invest in things because we understand that if no one is willing to go on the dance fl oor fi rst, then the party is over." A learning curve at Jackson Lab Another major energy-saving initia- tive that's worked out well is the bio- mass boiler installed at e Jackson Laboratory, a nonprofi t biomedical research institution in Bar Harbor. e boiler burns Maine-sourced wood pellets to generate steam for heat and conversion to electricity. Five years after installation, facili- ties engineer Norm Burdzel says the operation has come with a learning curve, but performance has been great. Burning just over 10,000 tons of pellets per year, the system displaces 75%, or 1.12 million gallons, of the No. 2 fuel oil the lab previously used. From 2012-15, the lab saved $1.5 million a year by burn- ing pellets rather than No. 2 fuel oil. " e current energy market is trend- ing with fossil fuels on par with pellets, but we will continue burning pellets for the near future due to the Maine eco- nomic advantages — Maine-sourced wood, pellets, trucking, etc. — and favorable pellet pricing," says Burdzel. e high-performance, low-emis- sion burner system, manufactured by the Swedish company Petro Bio, is the fi rst and only one of its kind operat- ing in the United States, Burdzel says. Electrical output from an accompa- nying steam turbine covers some of the lab's use as well, although perfor- mance has not been maximized yet. "It took a year or so to get the plant fully tuned, and to get our plant opera- tions staff to understand the technology fully," he says. " e boiler relies on how well we grind up the pellets into dust. A bigger particle won't burn as effi ciently as a fi ne particle, but too fi ne a particle will burn too quickly. So we spent a year developing quality specifi cations with our wood suppliers and perfecting the screens in our mills to get the optimum consistency. Plus, we have European technology, so everything is metric. It took time to dial in with our vendors." Jackson Lab is planning its con- version of a former Lowe's Home Improvement store in Ellsworth into a mouse-production facility. Energy effi ciency will be a key consideration at the 136,000-square-foot site, slated to open by the end of 2017. "We're evaluating all options," says Burdzel. Like the Bar Harbor campus, features will include high-effi ciency chillers, variable-speed drives on all motors and waste heat-recovery systems. Burdzel adds: "We're not going to rule out solar. We have a huge build- ing with a big, fl at roof." L S , a w r i t e r b a s e d i n B a s s H a r b o r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ . » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E For more information, visit efficiencymaine.com or call 866-376-2463 Increase efficiency, boost productivity, and reduce operating costs with incentives available from Efficiency Maine. EFFICIENCY MAINE WORKS WITH BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Wicked Joe owners Bob and Carmen Garver in front of the company's Topsham site, which features a photovoltaic installation.

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