Energy Trust of Oregon is looking forward to the Central Oregon Ag Show to spread the word about its collaboration with the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to fund onsite energy assessments for rural small businesses and agricultural producers.

ODOE’s Oregon Rural & Agricultural Energy Audit Program is using its $100,000 USDA Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grant to pay 75% of the cost, which can be from $5,000 to $20,000.

Further, those within one of Energy Trust’s utility territories can have the remaining 25% of the study’s cost refunded by Energy Trust of Oregon.

“Having such a report in hand is preferred and, in some cases, necessary when applying for grants such as the USDA Rural Energy Assistance Program, which offers both grants and loan guarantees to rural small businesses and agricultural producers for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects,” Jessica Arnold said.

Arnold and Claire Cushing co-founded Vim Pacific, a woman-owned consulting company that, along with RHT Energy of Medford, Ore., delivers ODOE’s on-site energy audits across Oregon.

“This is a competitive way for farmers and rural business owners to get grants or loans for energy saving improvements,” Arnold said.

Vim Pacific and RHT Energy have worked with a variety of Energy Trust programs.

“We point participants in the direction of their next step for incentives,” Arnold said. “These can include irrigation efficiency upgrades, installing insulation, energy efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems, renewable energy systems and several other improvements.”

“We can help people navigate the application process, which can be an overwhelming barrier for some,” Arnold said. “It’s really not complicated if you know where to start.”

The report generated through the ODOE assessment is unique to each operation and provides a business with a higher level of understanding of total energy reduction they might expect with new equipment or operational efficiency improvements and suggests next steps for getting financing for these projects.

The program is a relatively new collaborative effort of the ODOE and Energy Trust of Oregon and is designed to be streamlined and to minimize the complications and guesswork that seeking financial assistance can entail.

“It’s a small program with a few people running it and I’m hoping that funding through the United States Department of Energy coming through to the state will be available to enhance programs like this,” Arnold said. “We expect it to grow over the next few years; few people even know it’s available and so our primary objective at the Central Oregon Ag Show is to get the word out.”

Arnold said the term “audit” can have negative connotations for some people.

“Who wants to get audited?” she said with a laugh. “An ODOE energy audit is essentially a report that is the story of energy use at a site and an energy budget that can be used to make informed decisions. An audit is a tool, and we can show you how to use it.”

An ORAEA site summary looks at existing stationary equipment, how it is used and what improvements could be gained with efficiency upgrades. The assessment may also include planned operation of new equipment that is not yet in place.

Utility records are explored, including the consumption of electricity, natural gas, propane and diesel, to create a cohesive evaluation that provides a farm or business with an accurate, thorough understanding of their operation and how to prioritize where to invest.