Rural small businesses whose annual energy costs exceed $10,000 can request an energy efficiency assessment by Waste Reduction Partners at a reduced cost. Energy assessment can identify cost effective energy-saving measures that a business can implement.

An experienced energy engineer from Waste Reduction Partners (WRP) will conduct the energy audit. Waste Reduction Partners is a team of 60 staff and volunteer retired engineers who have provided over 1,700 energy and waste reduction assessments across North Carolina. WRP received funding support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to perform energy efficiency assessments at qualifying rural small businesses in North Carolina

The cost share for the audit is $325. The USDA Energy Audit Program requires that the businesses pay for 25 percent of the total audit cost, valued at $1,300. WRP engineers typically identify no- and low-cost energy efficiency measures that can save 10 to 20 percent of a business’s total energy bill.

Who is eligible?

Rural small businesses, as defined by the Small Business Administration, are eligible for a subsidized energy assessment. The Small Business Association website tells how to determine what defines a small business. Rural is defined as communities less than 50,000 in population. A business’s total energy costs must be greater the $10,000 per year to qualify for this audit program.

For application information, contact Russ Jordan at Russjordan.wrp@windstream.net or call (828) 251-7477 (Monday and Wednesday) or (828) 863-2917 (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday).