Maryland Energy Administration

Windswept Grant Program

Program Update October 19, 2009

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is pleased to announce that it has reopened the Windswept Grant Program as result of funds made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-5 (ARRA or Recovery Act).  MEA has a limited number of grants available to support the installation of wind energy systems of at least 1kW.

Please Note: If you wish to receive a Windswept grant for installation of a wind turbine with a rated capacity over 20 kW, please contact Andrew Gohn at 410-260-7190 or agohn@energy.state.md.us to discuss NEPA compliance.

Program Structure:

The MEA has implemented new program guidelines effective July 1, 2009 to further encourage the deployment of small-scale wind turbines throughout Maryland.   Any Windswept application received by MEA after July 1, 2009 will be subject to the following parameters:

MEA will no longer be basing grant calculations on the manufacturer’s rated capacity; instead grants will now be calculated based on a turbine’s expected performance at 11 meters per second (approximately 25 miles per hour). 

• $2,800 per kilowatt of normalized capacity for the first 5 kilowatts (normalized system capacity rated at wind speeds of 11 m/s) up to $14,000.
• An additional $2,100 per kilowatt of normalized capacity after 5 kilowatts.  Total grant allocation not to exceed $20,000.

Grant calculations for some common small wind turbines that have been installed in Maryland are listed below:

Note 1: Windswept grants will not cover more than 50 percent of the net cost of installation.  Net cost shall be calculated as the installation cost less any federal, county or local grants or tax credits.

Note 2: Grants will be allocated on a per-property basis.  Multiple grants will not be issued for multiple turbines on the same property.

Note 3: To be eligible for a Windswept grant, systems must be 100kW or less, and also must be listed in either the California Energy Commission’s List of Eligible Small Wind Turbine or New York State Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Qualified Small Wind Generators listing.     

For additional information, email meainfo@energy.state.md.us or call 1-800-72ENERGY.   

How to Apply:

Follow Checklist before submitting application

• Complete, sign, and date the Pre-Qualification Form
• Complete, sign, and date the 2-page Application Form
• Review, sign, and date Windswept Grant Program Terms and Conditions as well as read the ARRA Addendum – Special Terms and Conditions for ARRA-Funded Grants. 
• Signed cost estimate, purchase order, or letter of intent from your installer (If you are performing a self-install you will still need to fill this requirement)
• Itemized list of components
• System schematic or line drawing, and a site plan demonstrating where proposed turbine will be located on property, demonstrating area topography, elevation, and any nearby structures
•  Preliminary wind analysis - please demonstrate one of the following:
  • -Site average wind speed in either miles per hour or meters per second recorded at a height of 30m or (100ft)
  • -Site latitude and longitude (property address can be used)

Allocation of Grants:

If you have already submitted an application, but have yet to receive grant approval please contact MEA at meainfo@energy.state.md.us or call 1-800-72ENERGY.  Please note, that grant approvals will only be dispersed after MEA receives a signed and dated Grant Program Terms and Conditions signifying that you fully understand the ARRA Addendum – Special Terms and Conditions for ARRA-Funded Grants, and can verify that your wind turbine installation will be constructed in compliance.

Information for Installers

In order for applicants to be eligible for funding for the remainder of the current fiscal year, applicants must demonstrate that their installation were or will be performed in compliance with Davis-Bacon Act requirements. 

Contractors or subcontractors must generate certified prevailing-wage rate/payroll documents to be submitted along with an applicant’s Completion Certificate (Attachment B). For an example of an acceptable form please see: http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/forms/wh347.pdf.

In addition, MEA has expanded its Completion Certificate (Attachment B) to include mandatory reporting requirements, which MEA will need to submit to the federal government on a monthly basis.  Some of these additional requirements are:

1. Applicant’s legal name, address and any “doing-business-as” (DBA) name;
2. Applicant’s congressional district (can be found at http://www.house.gov/zip/ZIP2Rep.html);
3. All contractor and subcontractor names, addresses and DUNS numbers (to request a DUNS number please see http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform);
4. Project number assigned by contractor to the grant applicant (if applicable);
5. Project start date and installation date;
6. Number of “jobs created” – new employee working on their first project;
7. Number of “jobs retained” – employee working on all but first project;
8. A description of the contractors and subcontractors services.

More Information:

• ARRA Compliance Frequently Asked Questions
• Working With ARRA

Technical Information

• Maryland Online Wind Calculator
• Small Wind Manufacturers, Distributors, Installers, & Resources
• Maryland Small Wind Electric Systems Consumer Guide
• American Wind Energy Association – Small Wind

• Pre-Qualification Form ***UPDATED***
• Application Form ***UPDATED***

Terms and Conditions

• Revised Terms & Conditions (3 pages) ***UPDATED***

ARRA Information

• ARRA Addendum – Special Terms and Conditions for ARRA-Funded Grants

• Completion Certificate (3 pages) ***UPDATED***

• Federal Tax Credits
• Maryland Net Energy Metering Statute
• Clean Energy Production Tax Credit

• Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program
• American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) - Small Wind Toolbox
• Windustry
• DOE Energy Savers Tip