Two Eastern Kentucky businesses recently received money for their renewable energy projects from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
Print My Threads was awarded a REAP grant of $20,000 for a solar installation on their facility near Ashland, KY. Trillium Ventures was awarded $18,000, which will support solar on the roof of a redeveloped building in downtown Corbin, KY.
The USDA administers REAP to provide financial assistance to rural small businesses and agricultural producers to purchase, install, and construct renewable energy systems, make energy efficiency improvements to non-residential buildings and facilities, use renewable technologies that reduce energy consumption, and participate in energy audits and renewable energy development assistance.
The amounts range from $2,500-$500,000 for renewable energy systems and from $1,500-$250,000 for energy efficiency grants. Note: REAP funds no more than 25% of your total project cost.
Some examples of eligible renewable systems include:
· Solar Photovoltaics
· Solar Water Heat & Solar Space Heat
· Misc: Geothermal Electric & Solar Thermal Electric, Wind (All), Biomass, Hydroelectric, Hydrogen, Geothermal Heat Pumps, Combined Heat & Power, Tidal, Wave, Ocean Thermal, Geothermal Direct-Use, Anaerobic Digestion, Fuel Cells using Renewable Fuels, Microturbine.
In Kentucky, nearly all projects meeting REAP eligibility criteria have been successful in being awarded their funding. Though it can be a complex and lengthy application process, it is a worthwhile one for the right project. The next deadline is in October 2019. It may be important for your enterprise to start with an energy efficiency audit to determine if application for funding would be best spent on energy efficiency upgrades or if you are ready for a renewable energy system.
This story was provided by MACED, a Blueprint partner of SOAR, and can be found on their website here.
Please contact MACED’s E3 team if you would like to discuss your building’s energy efficiency or renewable project and/or the REAP process: Carrie at carrie@maced.org or (859) 671-0240.
For more about REAP, please visit the USDA REAP website here.