To help foster the execution of vigor efficiency exercise , politics agencies and utilities offer incentives to make them more low-cost for greenhouse and nursery operations . A brief explanation of each inducement program is as follow :

USDA Rural Development Rural Energy for America Program ( REAP )

REAPprovides grant funding and guarantee loan financing to agricultural producer and rural small businesses to purchase or install renewable energy systems or make vigour efficiency improvements . agriculturalist with at least 50 percentage of their perfect income coming from farming operations and small businesses ineligible rural areascan apply for REAP financing . Examples of projects that can be funded with REAP dollars include :

Since 2010 , the Michigan agricultural manufacture has experienced tremendous winner in securing REAP dollars due in magnanimous part to the quality of energy audits conducted by individuals certified by the Michigan Farm Energy Program . A list of these auditors can be found athttp://maec.msu.edu/farmenergy/. Growers interested in applying for a REAP Ulysses Grant and/or low interest loanword should spill to a Business Specialist at their nearestUSDA Rural Development Center . REAP applications are due Oct. 31 , 2018 .

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program ( EQIP ) On - farm Energy InitiativeThe EQIP On - Farm Energy Initiative helps agriculturist make voluntary improvements that can further vigour efficiency around the greenhouse and nursery operation . Financial aid is available to inventory and canvas farm systems that use Department of Energy and identify opportunities to improve efficiency through the ontogeny of an Agricultural Energy Management Plan ( AgEMP ) . AgEMP , or vim audit , is completed by NRCS - certify Technical Service Providers . Once an AgEMP or other qualify DOE audit has been complete , eligible growers can apply for EQIP aid for the leverage , initiation , or retrofit of sure building or equipment to improve vim efficiency . Examples of detail eligible for energy efficiency improvements admit :

Contact your local NRCS preservation contriver or goherefor selective information about the EQIP On - Farm Energy Initiative .

Utility and Electric Co - op rebate

Utility and electrical co - ops offer growers rebates to replace vigor ineffective equipment . Many of the same exercise approved for REAP and EQIP On - farm Energy Initiative are approved by the utility and Centennial State - op discount programs . Obtaining rabbet is a simple and crushed rough-and-tumble process . Goherefor info on rebates offered by Consumers Energy , herefor entropy on DTE rebates , andherefor data on discount offered by electric cobalt - ops . service program are extremely motivated to thin energy consumption because vigor saving intend they do n’t have to spend money on Modern power genesis facilities .

Read more at Michigan State University ( M. Charles Gould )