Other Financial Resources

Don't Forget!

One point that should not be overlooked is the fact that you may already have the help you need under your own plant roof, or if you are a multi-plant company, under the roof of one of your company's other plants. A number of companies find that they already have the necessary technical expertise to conduct their own industrial assessment in-house, or can borrow the experience from within their company. One option that works well in many cases is the peer review where sister plants in the same company conduct assessments of each other's facilities.

The options available for financing your projects come in a variety of forms. Some are as follows:

Utility Programs
State Programs
Federal Programs and Resources
DOE National Laboratory Partnerships

Utility Programs

A number of progressive utility companies have offered industrial assessment services to their manufacturing customers for years. The deregulation of the utility industry will give many plant managers the option, for the first time, of choosing their suppliers of energy. As a result, utilities are more interested than ever in working with industrial clients to help ensure their competitiveness and to keep them as satisfied customers. In some cases, utilities offer services that go way beyond the assessment itself, including technical help with technology implementation and financing options. Contact the industrial service representative in the utilities that serve your plant to see what services they are making available to their industrial clients. Also, many utilities have Web sites that will give you general information about their industrial services, and point you towards the appropriate contact person to get you started. For a list of specific links to utility energy-efficiency programs, go to the Energy Crossroads site that is sponsored by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

State Programs

State energy, environment, or economic development agencies are also worth checking. Many states offer programs tailored specifically for the industrial sector, and some include technical assistance for assessments, or will subsidize the cost of an assessment. Check on what your particular state is doing related to industrial assessments by referring to the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Web site. This site identifies energy contacts in state offices and provides links to numerous state home pages that can give you additional details about the industrial services and programs available to you. Like utility programs, state programs vary tremendously in what they offer.

Federal Programs and Resources

Inventions and Innovation

The Inventions and Innovation (I&I) program provides financial assistance at two levels—up to $50,000 or up to $250,000, depending on the stage of development—for conducting early development and establishing technical performance of innovative ideas and inventions. Technologies within the areas of industry, power, transportation, or buildings that have a significant energy savings impact and future commercial market potential are eligible for financial support through a competitive solicitation process that is done once or twice a year. In addition to financial assistance, this program offers technical guidance and commercialization support to successful applicants.
EERE Financial Opportunities
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) works with business, industry, universities, and others to increase the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. One way EERE encourages the growth of these technologies is by offering financial assistance opportunities for their development and demonstration. Visit the EERE Financial Opportunities Web site to learn about the funding and awards process, types of funding available, and how to apply.
Advancing Manufacturing Competitiveness: A Practitioners' Guide to Federal Assistance
This publication of the Northeast-Midwest Institute seeks to equip companies, service providers, and program officials with practical, thorough, and easy-to-use information on the diverse federal programs that could be tapped to meet manufacturers' various financial and technical assistance needs. It focuses on five types of federal programs that can help manufacturers modernize their firms with specific chapters focusing on, among other things, Finance; Technology Development and Transfer; and Technology, Business, and Management Assistance.
U.S. Department of Energy - E-Center
The E-Center is DOE's information Web site for conducting business, including viewing current business opportunities, registering to submit proposals, and obtaining information and guidance on the acquisition and financial assistance award process.

DOE National Laboratory Partnerships

DOE national laboratories were created to support the various missions of the Department, including energy, national security, science and related environmental activities. The laboratories conduct innovative research and development in literally hundreds of technology areas, some available nowhere else. Industrial partners seeking to gain entry to these national assets can do so through a variety of mechanisms, including cooperative research and development, and work for others agreements. Below are some resources to get you started:

For a complete list of national laboratories and user facilities visit DOE's Office of Science.