Maine businesses, nonprofits, institutions and governments are eligible for funding for distributed generation projects through Efficiency Maine’s Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Custom Program. Distributed generation projects are behind-the-meter generation projects that reduce the consumption of grid-supplied electricity and meet Efficiency Maine’s cost-benefit analysis.
Combined heat & power (CHP) projects are the most common type of distributed generation project completed through the C&I Custom Program. For a list of previously awarded custom projects, click here.
Eligible Projects
- A distributed generation project that reduces on-site electricity consumption from the grid.
- A distributed generation project must have an operating efficiency of 60% or greater.
- The project must result in kWh reductions of at least 36,000 kWh annually
- The project also must include a meter dedicated to providing 15-minute interval energy data to Efficiency Maine.
Ineligible Projects
- Projects that have a benefit-to-cost ratio less than 1, as per Efficiency Maine’s Total Resource Cost test. For more information on how this requirement affects CHP projects, please review the CHP Cost Effectiveness Guidelines.
- Projects that have a simple payback under one year (after factoring in the Efficiency Maine incentive).
- Projects that export electricity to the grid or to other customers
- Projects for which the customer (or its affiliate) has made binding commitments to proceed prior to the official award of funding under this Custom Program.
- Projects for customers that do not have an account with a Maine electric utility.
- Feasibility studies.
- Power quality, power factor, and power conditioning projects.
- Fundraising seed money for projects to be completed and funded subsequently.
Funding Overview:
- Funding levels will range from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $1,000,000 per facility up to 50% of the total project costs.
- Projects of all sizes will require a formal contract with the Efficiency Maine Trust. Click here for further detail on these larger projects.
- Applicants must provide a minimum 50% cost share for the project.
- Incentive awards are capped based on the magnitude of the validated annual reduction in grid-supplied energy (kWh/year). Incentives will not exceed $0.28 per kWh of validated annual reduction in grid-supplied energy.
- Efficiency Maine will consider new applications until the available program funding is exhausted.
Get Started
- Review the Distributed Generation Project Application Cover Sheet.
- Review the Program Opportunity Notice (project application).
- Review the Distributed Generation Technical Analysis Checklist for those projects involving a Technical Assistance (TA) study
- Review the Distributed Generation Project Application Checklist.
- Look through the sample calculations in the Excel workbook below.
- Watch the FY2018 C&I Custom Program Webinar.
- Call or email the C&I Custom Program staff for more information
- Mike Watson – 622-6888 ext. 409 – mwatson@ers-inc.com
- Chuck Porter – 622-6888 ext. 507 – cporter@ers-inc.com
- Are you a distributed generation technology provider or vendor? Contact the program staff above to receive alerts about potential project opportunities in Maine.
Efficiency Maine offers free scoping audits to eligible businesses that have the potential to develop a qualifying project under the Custom Program. These scoping audits provide businesses with the opportunity to get a professional consultation on their facility’s specific energy use and identify cost-effective energy efficiency projects that will reduce operating expenses. Click here to find out if you’re eligible for a scoping audit.
Efficiency Maine offers incentives for Technical Assistance Studies to those customers that have already identified a project but need additional outside assistance to move it forward. To apply for a Technical Assistance incentive, click here.