New Rebates Available for Farm Energy Efficiency

Are you considering improving the energy efficiency of your Pennsylvania farm? If so, this might be a good time to do so. Not only are energy prices on the rise, but the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched the second year of its farm energy rebate program, making money available to farmers to help pay for the cost of their energy efficiency improvements.

"We have made a few changes to the program" said program manager Michelle Ferguson. "And we're anxious to start promoting the program to PA ag producers."

The program is able to refund up to 50% of the cost of the equipment for an energy efficiency upgrade, up to a maximum of $5,000. Some examples of things that might qualify are:

• High efficiency fans, either for ventilation or air circulation
• Milk pre-coolers
• LED lighting in barns and other areas of the farm
• Vacuum pump variable speed drives
• Advanced controls for the above equipment

The program is designed to be straightforward and easy to use, but there are still some procedures you'll need to follow. The most important thing is to sign up before you install the new equipment. That is critical. Once you're approved, you'll have 120 days to do the installation and submit your receipts for reimbursement. 

You may be wondering "what's the catch?" or "why bother?" Those are fair questions. While energy costs may not be a huge portion of your overall budget, energy efficiency measures are often among the most cost-effective ways to improve your farm's bottom line. While your monthly utility bills might not seem like a huge amount, it adds up over time. Also, it's no secret that reduced energy translates into less pollution in our state's water and air (which is why DEP is helping farmers out with this program to save energy). Probably the biggest reason farmers don't upgrade their energy efficiency is that they are too busy with other things to be able to think about it. However, with crops coming in and winter approaching, maybe the time is right to make efficiency a priority project over the coming months. 

$5,000 is the maximum incentive available per farm, and that may not seem like a lot of money for some projects (especially on larger farms), but this rebate can be combined with other incentives (i.e. USDA EQIP, local utility company incentives) to add up to a tidy little sum towards your energy efficiency project. Keep in mind that these programs don't usually cover the full cost of the energy efficiency project, so you'll probably have to come up with at least a portion of the cost on your own.

If this sounds like it might be a good option for you and your farm, you can check out all of the details online at the PA DEP's Agriculture Energy Efficiency website or contact program manager Michelle Ferguson at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection at 570-327-3783