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Rebates: A Helping Hand, and Perhaps a Foot in the Door, for the Energy Crisis
Part Nine
by Amanda Bales, Research Specialist, GrantStation
Last week, we discussed loans as an alternative or additional source to grant funding. This week, we’ll take a look at rebates that can help cut energy costs and fund alternative energy projects.
Buses and trains are becoming increasingly overcrowded. Many cities are considering implementing or have already begun implementing four-day work-weeks to combat rising energy costs. These trends are indicative of a larger movement toward mandated efficient and renewable energy, a mandate imposed by recent government regulation and by fiscal pressures. While businesses and individuals alike are searching for ways to lower operating costs, small businesses and nonprofits in particular are feeling the crunch.
Already operating on tight monthly budgets, many small businesses face the possibility of going under unless they can discover ways to reduce their rising energy bills or find innovative methods for powering their operations. Grants and loans are the most common means of financing renewable energy or energy efficient transitions, but there are also many power suppliers, government bodies, and private organizations that offer rebates as a way to help businesses, especially small businesses and nonprofits, meet their energy needs and maintain their budgets. As I gathered information for the Washington Infrastructure Database, I came across many more rebate programs than I thought existed and had to wonder how many people and operations take advantage of these low-profile, non-competitive ways to conserve energy and money.
In the state of Washington alone, over fifty rebate programs are offered to businesses for adjustments as simple as changing a facility’s light bulbs, and as complex as the installment of side-stream filtration systems or shifting to passive solar generation. Avista, one of Washington’s top energy suppliers, maintains well over ten rebate programs, supporting everything from the replacement of commercial fryers to the replacement of traffic lights with LED bulbs. Not all states offer as many programs as can be found in Washington, but many offer more, and these, combined with federal initiatives for energy efficiency, such as the U.S. Building Council’s LEED Building standards, and initiatives for renewable energy, such as the U.S. Department of Energy’s State Assessment for Biomass Resources, are beginning to weave a firm security blanket for small businesses.
Small businesses are not the only operations to benefit from these programs, however, developers, especially those adhering to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards, can receive rebates for renewable energy and energy efficient building practices. Rebates for persuading developers to find energy alternatives or to use energy efficient standards seem most common in large metropolitan areas. For instance, Seattle’s Green Building Density Bonus program offers downtown commercial, residential, and mixed-use developments greater height and/or floor area if a green building standard of LEED Silver or higher is met.
Along with the fiscal and environmental advantages rebate programs offer, one possible side benefit to consider is that many energy providers also maintain grant and loan programs through their various foundations. Businesses and developers that have already established a green profile and specific contact with the provider are often in a better position to apply for the grants and loans available.
The U.S. Department of Energy maintains a clearinghouse for state energy grants, tax incentives, rebates, and loans -- the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) is an excellent resource to find the incentives programs available in each state through private as well as local or state-run energy providers. Energy rebate programs do not provide initial funding, but they do reward good practices, and, combined with the added savings from the reduced power bill, could provide small business and developers the nudge toward a lower overhead and financial stability.
Next week, Cindy will wrap up this series with a discussion of additional useful sources of funding, including giving circles and individual giving trends.
Amanda Bales recently joined the GrantStation staff after completing her Masters of Fine Arts degree. Amanda acted as the lead research specialist in the research and development of the soon-to-be-launched online Infrastructure Database for the state of Washington. In the course of her research, she familiarized herself with the variety of support available to nonprofit organizations through technical assistance, loans, and rebates.
Tracks to Success is edited by Katy Mulcrone.
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