The Baalmanns found help through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and were awarded $119,587 in grant money to help buy and install energy efficient refrigerators and LED lighting.
It wasn’t make-or-break funding. But it’s part of the vital layering of incentives and funding that help push rural development projects across the finish line.
“The equipment has been great,” Baalmann said. “With the grant, that just helps free up money for us to help keep moving forward.”
REAP funding and financing has helped more than 300 small businesses and agriculture operations in Kansas implement renewable energy technologies and energy efficient changes.
The majority of projects funded in Kansas are solar projects. But they range in size from rooftop solar on a small business to rural manufacturing facilities and agricultural implementation.
“Especially for very small businesses, it’s tough for them to pay to have someone come and do that, or invest the time in filling out all these forms not knowing if they’re going to receive that funding or not,” said Ryan Hamel with the Kansas Energy Program.
To build the assessment, Hamel collects historic energy usage data at the business, with the exact specifications of the improvements the business plans to make. For example, a grocery store moving from open refrigeration units to units with doors on it would have very high projected energy savings.
Click here to read more flatlandkc.org
Photo Credit: istock-simplycreativephotography
Categories: Kansas, Business, Energy