Viability Graces GR Business Journal for REAP Success

on Nov 12 in Viability in the News

Holland firm secures USDA energy grants
By Pete Daly
Grand Rapids Business Journal, Nov. 9, 2009

In a thorough Grand Rapids Business Journal article, Viability’s Chris Byrnes and Greg Lam explain the company’s $1.3 million success through the USDA Rural Energy for America Program.

When asked regarding Viability’s most successful energy technologies, Byrnes clarifies the company’s typical client.

“Most of our clients are ag-related businesses,” said Byrnes. “They are a food processor, a greenhouse grower, wood processing …”

In essence, he said, the clients are either in agriculture or natural resources-related businesses “and they tend to be a lot of thermal energy projects.” Food processors, for example, use a great deal of heat in cooking food products during the canning process. Greenhouses also require a great deal of BTUs through the winter months to maintain growing temperatures.

Byrnes said Viability is sometimes involved in wind and solar energy projects but its work is mainly thermal energy. “The incentives for thermal energy are less prescriptive than the electric incentives,” he said.

Click here to Read Full Article (PDF download)