Solar arrays are appearing across the landscape of rural Tennessee helping farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses make energy-efficient improvements to their operation with the help of USDA Rural Development. The Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Loans and Grants (REAP) provide guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase or install renewable energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements.
“This program helps increase American energy independence by increasing the private sector supply of renewable energy and decreasing the demand for energy through energy efficiency improvements,” said Rural Development State Director Bobby Goode. “Applications are accepted year round at all of our local USDA Rural Development offices across Tennessee.”
In Carroll County, White Farms installed a 49,725 kW solar array that will create enough energy to power seven households each year reducing their electricity costs. In Overton County, Fred Roach installed a 9.9 kW system on the roof of an existing facility to provide electricity.
In addition to small and large photovoltaic systems, eligible projects include geothermal generation, biomass etc.; energy efficiency improvements such as lightning, insulation, HVAC, high efficiency heating improvements to commercial buildings and poultry houses; cooling and refrigeration improvements to grocery stores; irrigation systems improvements; grain dryers improvements etc.
Wade’s Food Center in Decatur is using REAP to help them replace current lighting with more efficient LED lighting in six of their stores. The energy savings created by the project would be enough energy to power 101 average households for a year. Efficient lights and equipment with customizable controls will generate less heat and reduce cooling cost as well as improve lighting.
USDA Rural Development is moving investments to rural America with housing, business and infrastructure loans and grants to create jobs and strengthen rural economies with an emphasis to assist areas of persistent poverty. Since 2009, the agency has assisted more than 1.5 million Tennessee families and businesses in 230 communities in all 95 counties of Tennessee, investing more than $5.4 Billion through affordable loans, loan guarantees and grants.
For more information on USDA Rural Development programs available in Tennessee visit us online at www.rd.usda.gov/TN or call 615.783.1300.