An energy audit was conducted at Nest and Mullen Slaughterhouse in Kennebunk. Courtesy photo/Celeste Kilgore

With rising electricity, cooling and heating costs, Maine’s small business owners and farmers are faced with an even greater energy burden affecting their bottom line. But these energy costs can be reduced with energy efficiency upgrades such as LED lighting, heat pumps, insulation and streamlined operations. The Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission in Saco has an Energy Audit Program that can help small businesses and farmers identify and evaluate energy efficiency upgrades for their facilities.

SMPDC Economic and Environmental Specialist Kelsey Pelton said, “SMPDC provides heavily subsidized energy audits to small businesses and agricultural producers in Maine to help them improve energy efficiency, save money and reduce fossil fuel emissions.” Pelton says the program helps raise energy efficiency awareness in the entire region, which will support the goal of energy independence and resilience in Southern Maine.

SMPDC received a Rural Energy for America Program Energy Audits and Renewable Energy Development Grant in the amount of $100,000. This investment is used to subsidize the cost of energy audits for small businesses and farms. SMPDC works with the client and the local commercial energy audit firm to prepare an Energy Audit Report, which recommends measures to maximize long term savings and minimize energy consumption. Clients will also receive recommendations on resources for financing, such as cash incentives, project and grant funding opportunities and estimates on the return on investment.

One recent success story is Nest and Mullen, a family-owned custom butcher shop in Kennebunk. An energy audit was the first step in ensuring a more efficient design in their new meat processing facility. After a fire broke out in their slaughterhouse in fall 2020, Nest and Mullen operated out of a temporary facility while they made plans to rebuild. Through an SMPDC energy audit, the company was able to analyze the energy use at their temporary facility to inform the design of a new facility. Nest and Mullen wanted to expand capacity, increase efficiency, and create a better environment for the animals processed at the facility. The energy audit recommended a number of measures to increase efficiency, including new LED lighting, efficient refrigeration systems and heat pumps in the offices and restrooms.

Leia Farnham of Nest and Mullen said, “As we were working on rebuilding our 1969 building, I read about the program in the newspaper. We knew we wanted to rebuild correctly so we contacted SMPDC to learn more. The staff was excellent to work with – very nice and super respectful as we met during the pandemic. After we received the report, we still had questions so they got back to us quickly and scheduled a meeting on zoom to answer all our questions. The process was very educational, especially about new technology, new products, etc. We would most definitely recommend SMPDC’s Energy Audit Program.”

The SMPDC Energy Audit Program is made possible by a grant through the US Department of Agriculture. The grant is part of a nationwide investment of $487 million in critical infrastructure that will help communities in 45 states prioritize climate-smart solutions and environmental stewardship.

What is an Energy Audit?

An energy audit provides a clear breakdown of how, where and when electricity is used in a building, as well as the current electric costs and how they apply to the facility and its uses. It can also be tailored to specific energy concerns in a facility. It considers all aspects of a building’s energy use, including: space heating and cooling, lighting systems, other power systems (such as exhaust fans or hot water heating) and more.

For those interested in receiving a subsidized energy audit for a commercial or agricultural facility, contact Kelsey Pelton, economic and environmental specialist, at kpelton@smpdc.org or 207-571-7065.

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