Contact AEI for pre-built renewable energy packages. Solar, Wind, Geo, lighting retrofits and Energy Efficiency 612-532-0384 or email. Grant applications must be submitted by June 15.

REAP also funds many different energy efficiency upgrades, helping farmers and businesses cut energy costs, improve efficiencies and increase their revenue.

Improvements in 2008 Farm Bill
In 2008, Congress improved REAP in several major ways:
•    Energy Technical Assistance funding – for organizations to carry out energy audits and renewable energy development assistance.
•    Feasibility Study funding – to help new projects assess the viability of new projects and improve program effectiveness.
•    Larger Loan Guarantees – increases limit from $10 million to $25 million per project.
To help pay for these enhancements and meet the high demand for REAP resources, Congress increased mandatory funding to $255 million over four years (more than double the 2002 Farm Bill level). Congress also can add additional money through annual appropriations – for example, for fiscal year 2010, Congress pumped more than $39 million in additional discretionary funding into REAP.

Quick Links

MN USDA Rural Development
Renewable Energy Brochure
Energy Efficiency Brochure
Solar Application Packet
Grant Recipients 2010
Rural Reap Program Summary

AEI has pre-designed Solar Thermal (hot water) packages for use in the following applications:

Dairy Farms
Hog Farms
Meat Processing
Poultry

For any and all hot water applications requiring at or near 180º. Significantly reduce your propane and energy cost year round.

APPLIED ENERGY INNOVATIONS

Renewable and Energy Efficiency Contractor-Solar, Hvac, Geothermal, Wind
State licensed, Mechanical, General Contractor

Agri Business

Farm Energy for America

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) is a cornerstone of the Farm Bill’s Energy Title. REAP is successfully helping farmers and other innovators in rural communities across the country to pioneer the next generation of American energy.

Many Projects, Strong Demand
Since its inception in 2003, REAP (first known as the “Section 9006” program) has helped thousands of farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses tap into the clean energy resources on their lands and cut energy waste in their operations.

REAP is extremely successful with over 3,000 project awards in all states. Even with more funding added in the 2008 Farm Bill, demand for REAP support continues to outpace resources.
REAP’s renewable energy technologies span the clean energy spectrum: wind and solar power, geothermal, manure digesters, small hydroelectric power, biomass for heat and power, and even geothermal heating.

Solar Energy

Farmers are experts are tapping solar power for food and can also use solar energy many ways for energy independence. REAP funds a range of both solar thermal and solar electric projects.

Solar Thermal
Solar thermal technologies harness the sun’s energy to create hot water and hot air for on-farm and business use. They can use air or water to transfer the heat to its destination. REAP also funds high-temperature collectors that concentrate sunlight using mirrors or lenses and are used to generate electric power by transforming water into steam, which runs a turbine and electric generator.
USDA’s program rules separate solar thermal into large and small systems. Large systems are those for which the rated storage volume is greater than 240 gallons or have a collector area of more than 1,000 square feet. Small systems are all other systems.

Solar Electric
Solar electric systems use the sun’s energy to directly generate electricity through photovoltaic panels. As with solar thermal systems, USDA’s program rules distinguish between large solar electric systems — which are larger than 10 kilowatts (kw) rated power — and small solar electric systems, which are 10 kw and smaller. Either system can be stand-alone (such as one that powers an irrigation pump) or connected to the electric grid (often occurs when the panels provide power for buildings and other centralized operations).