RMI Energy Efficiency Program Helps Maryland Manufacturers Get Awarded $226,755 in New Grant Funding
Regional Manufacturing Institute (RMI) of Maryland Administers Program Funded by The State of Maryland
BALTIMORE, MD – The Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland (RMI) is pleased to announce that The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has approved grant funding totaling $226,755 for six RMI Energy Program manufacturing companies through the state agency’s Commercial & Industrial Grant Program (C&I) to support improving energy efficiency and reducing energy costs.
RMI helped the grant recipients, who are all current participants in its ongoing Energy Program, submit their winning applications. The grant recipient manufacturing companies include five Eastern Shore manufacturers and one in Prince George’s County:
- Capital Meat Company based in Prince Georges County
- Crystal Steel Fabricators based in Caroline County
- K&L Microwave, Inc. based in Wicomico County
- Maryland Plastics, Inc. based in Caroline County
- Toroid Corporation based in Wicomico County
- Trinity Sterile, Inc based in Wicomico County
The FY2019 MEA $1.2 million competitive C&I grant program opened last fall and applications were submitted by December 17, 2018 (see MEA press release for further detail and a listing of all of the grant recipients).
The competitive grant process looks for companies to commit to energy savings projects which achieve a minimum of a 15% baseline decrease in electricity use. The six awarded companies from the RMI Energy Program are estimated to collectively reduce energy consumption by 28% with a 1,984,382 kilowatt hour reduction and will collectively save $197,482 annually as a result of implementing their various projects (see the list of projects). In addition, RMI is working with the companies to access utility rebates for each of their energy improvement projects which are estimated to be over $300,000.
RMI will continue to work with the firms to ensure energy savings are achieved. All six manufacturers had received previous energy audits from RMI and benefited from the program’s help in deciding the best energy projects to pursue in the near-term.
“MEA’s C&I grant program is a tremendous help to Maryland’s manufacturing industry, as it really helps us move these projects forward to help manufacturers save energy,” said Peter Gourlay, the manager of RMI’s Energy Program. “Manufacturers look for a quick payback on their energy investments and the C&I grant program is a great pump-primer to getting companies to commit.”
About RMI’s Energy Program
Under RMI’s State-funded Energy Program, manufacturers in two major Maryland utility areas (PEPCO and Delmarva Power) are eligible to receive thousands of dollars of engineering services to help them reduce energy consumption and save on energy costs. The program tasks RMI with reaching out to eligible manufacturers through a proven-approach to identify energy savings projects and help convince management to implement energy savings projects to save them money, while reducing their energy consumption.
Over the past six years, the RMI energy program has helped 83 manufacturing companies receive over $7.5 million in cost savings, including: 60,000 MWh energy reduction, $6 million saved from energy upgrades plus $1.5 saved million in rebates and grants received ($1 million received from previous MEA C&I grants and another $500,000 from energy rebates).
Learn More about RMI’s Energy Program
Impressions
“RMI is helping manufacturing companies identify opportunities in their facilities and in their operations to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency, obtain incentives through utility rebate programs and other leveraged funding sources, find contractors for their energy efficiency projects, and implement action plans to achieve their energy goals,” said RMI President Michael Galiazzo.
Scott Wiley, president of Jessup, Maryland defense contractor Products Support, Inc. (PSI) admitted that was a bit skeptical about RMI’s energy service offering at first.
“I’ll admit, when I heard about the RMI Energy Program I thought it was too good to be true,” Wiley recalled.
Despite Wiley’s skepticism, PSI joined the program in 2015 and received an energy audit, created a green team to help create a culture of energy efficiency and participated in monthly leadership meetings to share best practices.
“We saved 30% off our energy bill just through from the Green Team that RMI helped us establish,” said Wiley. “Additionally, RMI helped us realize $222,000 in energy savings over a two-year period with a $73,000 C&I grant from the MEA, coupled together with $51,000 in electric utility rebates and $98,000 in reduced energy costs from an electric supply rate decrease along with reduced electricity usage resulting from the upgrades we made to our HVAC system, air compressors, and lighting.
“The program actually worked out very well,” Wiley added. “I couldn’t be happier.”
About Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland
Founded in 1990, the Regional Manufacturing Institute (RMI), a non-profit association, was created for manufacturers in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. Today, RMI of Maryland represents the interests of manufacturers statewide – providing programs, services, and advocacy. RMI represents the interests of manufacturers in every Maryland county – providing programs, services, and advocacy.
RMI is dedicated to serving people, families, and communities by growing manufacturing. Jobs in manufacturing provide livable wages that contribute immeasurably to stronger families, communities and economic growth.