How can this help your business?
Any time you can significantly reduce your operating costs, it can help your business for the better! This does not mean reducing your cost for only a year, the changes you make can have a long term effect. Energy Improvement Matters has several ways to help reduce operating costs. If you have no idea where to begin, you may want to spend some time on the phone with our consulting team to discuss your goals and get an overview of the opportunities.
On-Farm Energy Audit
You may be eligible for a free on-farm energy audit that will help reduce operating costs. It can save you a great deal on utility bills for an exchange of a few hours of your time. It may also help you take advantage of USDA offers for reduced cost, new energy-saving equipment, such as light bulbs or grain dryers.
Grants
Grants that help you reduce energy or produce new energy, and can save you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the equipment. See REAP.
Technology
Energy Efficient Technology
Modern equipment is energy efficient compared to equipment decades old. For example, a modern grain dryer with heat reclaimers and computerized weather and grain monitoring could save you 2 – 5 cents/bushel of drying over the next 20 years. Depending on the size of your operation, this could be the equivalent to a new house!
Renewable Energy Technology
Grants are available for farmers and rural small businesses to generate energy and thereby reduce operating costs. REAP grants pay up to 40% of eligible equipment costs, but the new equipment may qualify for tax credits, depreciation, and additional utility rebates. This type of project usually pays for itself in 4 years and continues to reap the benefits of reduced utility bills for 20 to 25 years. Give Energy Improvement Matters a call if you are thinking of installing non-residential solar panels, wind turbines, anaerobic digesters or biomass burners.