Farm or Rural Business Opportunity
Farm or Rural Business OpportunityWhitewater Valley REMC and Hoosier Energy have teamed up to offer your farm or rural business the opportunity to take part in a shared cost American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Level II Energy Audit.
Certified energy auditors will review your operation’s energy consumption, facilities equipment and run-times in an on-site visit to determine opportunities for bottom line energy savings. Audit findings could qualify your operation for additional USDA grant opportunities. 75% of the energy audit cost will be paid for by Hoosier Energy and the remaining 25% will be the responsibility of yourself, the owner/operator of the farm or small business.
To learn more about the Rural Energy Audit program, please contact Blake Kleaving.
Detailed look at the equipment using energy at a property and how much energy is being consumed by each on an annual basis.
Energy audits help prioritize where improvements should be made for the best return on investment at your operation. Energy audits can typically help you find potential incentives (rebates, USDA grants, etc.) available for the various improvements. At the end of the day, audits assist in finding ways to save energy and money, improving your bottom line.
Many people find great value in an energy audit. If you are not sure, please call your local electric cooperative to discuss the specifics to your operation. Cooperative staff will help determine if an energy audit is right for you and will help you meet your energy consumption goals.
A USDA grant will be paying for 75% of the cost of the energy audit. Audit cost vary depending on the type of facility, size, etc. Average cost range between $2,000-$6,000. Your operation will be responsible for the additional 25% of the audit cost. This cost share model provides opportunity for greater scope and potential savings in the energy audit process.
Your electric cooperative will assist in the collection of historical electric energy use information for the last 2-3 years. You will also need to collect your additional energy consumption information such as LP or natural gas. You will also need to be available to walk the energy advisor around your site and discuss your operations, equipment run time, etc. A site visit will take approximately between 1.5 to 3 hours depending on site.
Reports are completed within 30 days of the site visit, unless we are missing information needed to complete the report. We will continue to stay in contact with you and your operation on any necessary information.