Approximately 42 delegates from around the province with the North Central Local Government Association toured the building as part of their conference itinerary.
“It’s an impressive building to see, particularly if you’re interested in clean energy technologies,” said NLC president and CEO Dr. Bryn Kulmatycki. “We’re only too pleased to showcase our state-of-the-art infrastructure supporting clean energy technology and the programming related to it.”
NLC’s director of Facilities, Todd Bondaroff, and Mark Heartt, dean of Trades and Apprenticeships, lead the tour, providing details regarding the clean energy technologies used in Energy House. The building uses such progressive approaches as solar energy for lighting, solar-thermal heating for hot water tanks, rainwater collection for running water in the restrooms, geothermal power for heating the CECET building (forced-air and in-floor heating), and a bio-mass pellet boiler system that supplies heating for the larger main campus building.
All delegates had access to the mechanical areas of the building, as well as the regular, public areas, and were treated with a delicious champagne breakfast that the College’s Cook Training students had prepared and served.
The facility was first in use just under five years ago for regular programming for students in September 2011 with an official opening held in October of 2011. In 2013, Energy House achieved LEED® Platinum certification by the Canada Green Building Council, a status relatively rare to the post-secondary sector.
The group of delegates spent the morning on the tour, which was followed by a tour of the Bear Mountain wind farm.
