This week the last of the PV grant applications for local farms we’ve prepared for the annual competitive programs sponsored by the USDA and Massachusetts Dept. of Agriculture will go out in the mail to meet the May 30th deadline. What a relief for us and the farmers to be done with all the paperwork!
Typically these grant applications run 125 pages; the PV design, equipment specs., wiring and structural diagrams , production estimates , emission deferrals and a host of other details are part of the package. Applications are judged by regional USDA experts to score the farms for their environmental stewardship and efficient resource use and then sent on to Washington DC for further evaluation. The technical sections on the PV system are sent to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado for rigorous review. Its a national competition and Massachusetts farms have always done very well.
This is the 8th year these programs have helped family farms reduce their energy costs and contribute clean energy to the regional mix. BPVS has participated from the first days; our feature system to the left , Howden Farm was one of the first in the nation to win an award from the USDA REAP PV program. This years group includes farms from Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Berkshire Counties. The awards announcement in late September is always an exciting time. If your farm is interested in next years program be sure to contact us this Fall!
Posted By: cdk . (2013-05-20)