Agribusiness and Small Business Energy Audits

Be on your way to saving energy every day! Before you can effectively save energy, you have to learn how you’re using it now.Our new energy-audit programis formembers with electric usage of less than 60,000 kWh permonth and who:

a. are directly engaged in the production of agricultural product, obtaining 50% or more of their gross income fromthe agriculture business

b. are considered a small business in accordance with the Small Business Administration’s size standard.

To determine if you are eligible for an audit, talk to your local cooperative to discuss the application. If your operation is eligible, simply complete the application and send it to your electric cooperative, which will put you into contact with a qualified energy auditor. The auditor will talk to you about your business’s energy usage and conduct a walk-through survey, to inventory equipment and processes and identify cost-effective changes known as EnergyManagementOpportunities (EMOs). The auditor will then discuss with you any EMOs noted in the walk-through audit and prepare a report describing each change to reduce your energy usage.

What does the energy audit cost?
The program is designed tomake it easier for agribusinesses and small-business cooperativemembers to receive an energy audit.TheRural Energy forAmerica Program (REAP) is partially funded through the 2008 FarmBill, providing 75 percent of the cost of the audit. Program guidelines require themember receiving the audit to be responsible for 25 percent of the auditor’s fee,which is due before the audit is conducted.Checkwith your electric cooperative for their current auditor fee schedule. If youwould like to participate, don’t delay—the program is available for a limited time.