ROXBOX's HELIOS Solar Containers Accepted into USDA REAP Program
ROXBOX’s HELIOS line of off-grid, solar infrastructure containers have been accepted into the USDA’s REAP program, giving farmers and rural small businesses the opportunity to apply for USDA grants on all HELIOS units.
What is HELIOS?
HELIOS is ROXBOX’s line of solar cold storage and deployable energy containers. Our HELIOS solutions help our customers reduce their carbon emissions and reliance on diesel generators, which in turn allows individuals, businesses, and communities to go green while saving significantly on operations and fuel costs. Specs of our HELIOS refrigerators, freezers, ice makers and generators include:
20' Refrigerator
• 35°F to 39°F
20' Ice Maker
• -11°F to 0°F
20' Freezer
• 2,224 lbs daily
20' Generator
• 30KW Deploying Solar Array
• 20KW+ Useable Battery Bank
• 20KVA Biodiesel Generator (Optional)
The HELIOS line utilizes innovative technology and is pioneering sustainable cold storage and power generation. Each unit is calibrated to a specific use case and is a fully IOT system with remote monitoring and controls. Our HELIOS containers are rapidly deployable, can be transported anywhere in the world, and have state of the art battery banks that allow each unit to run up to 5 days, 24/7 off of a day’s charge . The ability to have 100% solar-powered cold storage and off-grid power generation in a shipping container can drastically improve operations in a variety of industries, including (but not limited to): Defense, Farming, Agriculture, Fisheries, Disaster Relief, Morgues, Food Distribution, Supply Chain, Last-Mile Delivery, Site Power, Off-Grid Ecosystems, Sustainable Infrastructure, Festival & Event Cold Storage, Vaccine Distribution, Construction, and NGOs.
What is the USDA REAP Grant Program?
ROXBOX HELIOS units were recently accepted into the USDA’s REAP program. The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides financial assistance to agricultural producers and rural (towns with less than 50,000 people) small businesses in America to purchase, install, and construct renewable energy systems, make energy efficiency improvements to non-residential buildings and facilities, use renewable technologies that reduce energy consumption, and participate in energy audits and renewable energy development assistance.
REAP provides grant funding for up to 25% for your HELIOS units and the loan guarantees can cover up to 75% of the cost of HELIOS unit/s. These grants and loans are awarded on a competitive basis. Terms include:
• Grants and loans to fund installation of Solar Renewable Energy systems: $2,500 minimum to $500,000 maximum
• Grants and loans to fund Energy Efficiency improvements: Rebate amount $1,500 minimum to $250,000 maximum
Who is eligible for REAP grants?
There are two groups eligible for USDA REAP grants: farmers and rural, small businesses:
Farmers (Schedule F)
Agricultural producers with at least 50% of their gross income coming from agricultural operations are eligible for REAP. If applying as a farm, there are no size or geographical restrictions. You can be a huge farm or an urban farm and you do not need to meet any of the “rural small business” requirements. However, in this case, very small farms should be advised that more than 50% of household income must come from the sale of agricultural products (determined by the average percentage over the last three years). If this is not the case, your farm business will need to at least be separately incorporated and be considered eligible as a “rural small business.”
Small, Rural Businesses (Form 1065 or 1120)
If you file a 1065 or 1120, you will be applying as a rural small business. The rules for qualifying are similar to those of farms: the majority of electricity consumed on the property must be for business purposes only, and the applicant can’t owe any back taxes. In most cases, businesses that operate out of your residence do not qualify.
Are you rural?
To be eligible, the business must be located in a rural, qualifying area. To determine if your business is in a qualifying area, you can use the USDA’s Eligibility Map. If your property is close to a qualifying area but it’s not quite within the shaded portion, check with a USDA Grant professional to determine whether or not it qualifies.
Are you a small business?
To be eligible, your business must qualify as a “small business”. If you aren’t certain whether or not your business is legally defined as a “small” business, you can check your NAICS code at the NAICS website here. You can also check your SBA-defined business size at the SBA website here.
How to Get Started & Where to Apply
Applications for REAP are accepted year-round at your local office and you can contact your state rural energy coordinator with any questions. It may seem complicated applying for a grant to the government, but don’t worry. ROXBOX has helped many businesses take advantage of these commercial solar grants and will walk you through the application process.
For more information regarding applicant and project eligibility for loans and grants, visit the USDA REAP webpage, read the eligibility requirements in the most recent Solicitation of Applications for REAP funding in the Federal Registry, and/or contact your state rural energy coordinator.
For more information regarding our HELIOS units and/or ROXBOX information, visit www.roxboxcontainers.com, reach out to our team at 303-997-8875 and/or email us at [email protected].
