implementation Partnerships

WHERE VISION MEETS OPPORTUNITY WE BUILD PARTNERSHIPS

Renewable Fuels: Muscoda Protein Products


Muscoda Protein Products (MPP), located in an area of Wisconsin with abundant sawmills, had been talking with Focus on Energy advisors for years about replacing its natural-fired boiler with a wood-fired one. The project would enable MPP to reduce its natural gas purchases by approximately 600,000 therms each year (enough to heat 650 homes) and significantly reduce MPP's expenses, but it remained stalled, largely over financing.

The Focus Renewables team asked CleanTech Partners for assistance after it was learned that the local bank did not have enough energy project finance experience to take on the project. Our offer to provide $350,000 in subordinated debt eased their concerns and they provided the balance of the funding.

In addition, CTP identified a USDA renewable energy grant and wrote MPP's application for $420,000, which was awarded. The Focus on Energy Program also provided a $35,000 grant to help with the project.


Spray Booth Ventilation: Showcase Kitchens, Inc.


When Showcase Kitchens, a Green Bay manufacturer of residential cabinets and countertops, wanted to upgrade the spray booths in its new factory with energy-efficient models, CleanTech Partners financed a five-year loan for $41,000. Working with one of its vendors and a consultant from Wisconsin's Focus on Energy program, Showcase identified a technology for its finishing processes that enables greater control of ventilation and results in improved finish quality and significant energy savings (about 37,000 kWh and 14,000 therms per year).


Implementation of this "best practice" technology required financing, which was not readily available from the company's commercial bank, so CTP worked with Focus on Energy to provide the loan. The energy savings Showcase Kitchens realized as a result of this innovative technology made the project cash flow positive almost immediately.

Showcase Kitchens was founded in 1977. The owners built a new factory and offices in 2000.


Hospitality power: WISCO Hotel Group


CleanTech Partners provided the WISCO Hotel Group with a five-year $130,000 lease to install "Guest Room Energy Management" (GREM) technology in guest rooms. The GREM system, provided by DBS Lodging Technologies Inc., senses when a room is occupied, turns down the lighting and heating/AC when it is empty, and operates at full power when it is occupied. Systems were installed at Comfort Suites hotels in Appleton and Oak Creek as well as Holiday Inn Express hotels in Milwaukee and Oshkosh.

Installation of this "best practices" technology required financing that was not readily available from WISCO's financial institutions, so CTP worked with Focus on Energy to finance the equipment lease, enabling four WISCO hotels to significantly reduce their energy costs. The project was immediately cash-flow positive. Estimated savings are more than 4,600 therms and 700,000 kWh per year.

The WISCO Hotel Group is a privately owned operator of nine hotels in the state of Wisconsin.


Foundry Efficiency: Madison-Kipp Corporation


Melting costs can make or break a metal foundry. The process not only consumes enormous amounts of energy, its level of efficiency is critical to the control of quality, composition, and the physical and chemical properties of the final product. Stack melter furnaces, which use flue gases to preheat the charge materials, can significantly improve energy efficiency in melting and producing castings. By installing stack melter furnaces, a foundry can reduce its operating costs, through both energy savings and reduction of metal losses.


CleanTech Partners worked with Focus on Energy to facilitate the installation of an aluminum stack melter furnace that is saving the Madison-Kipp Corporation (MKC) approximately $165,000 per year. The project had been stalled due to lack of financing, but CTP's participation revived it. We worked with the technology supplier (Modern Equipment) to determine the viability and applicability of the technology, and CTP funds financed all the purchase and installation costs not covered by a separate Focus on Energy grant.


Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the Madison-Kipp Corporation produces precision-machined cast components and subassemblies for transportation and industrial end markets.


Paper Mill Restoration: Flambeau River Papers LLC


When Smart Papers filed for bankruptcy and put its mill in Park Falls, WI, up for sale, CleanTech Partners worked with a wide range of local, state, and federal officials to rescue the mill, whose closing would have devastated the local economy. CTP offered potential purchasers up to $350,000 in financing for energy-saving projects. The new owner, Flambeau River Papers LLC , used this line of credit to finance five projects, including:

  • Raw water tank heat recovery
  • Machine #3: flash steam recovery
  • Identification and repair of compressed air leaks
  • Identification and repair of failed steam traps
  • Wastewater treatment blower control

Flambeau River Papers purchases 140,000 cords of wood harvested under sustainable forestry practices annually and is capable of producing more than 140,000 tons per year of uncoated fine papers for the printing market. Reopening the mill meant the restoration of 300 jobs lost in the Smart Papers bankruptcy. It also meant that some 300 small logging businesses would remain viable in the region and that prices in Wisconsin's logging industry would stabilize.


The mill was originally built in 1896. Flambeau River Papers LLC purchased the pulp and paper mill in August 2006. In addition to the energy efficiency projects identified above, CTP recently assisted Flambeau River Papers with the installation of a bio-mass gasifier that provides renewable energy to the mill.


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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Why is Cleantech Partners so popular?

    Cleantech Partners is popular because we cater specifically to energy technology investors, providing them with unparalleled opportunities to invest in proven, market-ready technologies. Our focus on supporting energy technology investors in energy efficiency initiatives within Wisconsin's key industries makes us a go-to choice for investors seeking impactful ventures. Additionally, our expertise in identifying promising technologies and our flexible financing options set us apart in the eyes of energy technology investors.


    Furthermore, Cleantech Partners' credibility as a trusted resource for energy-saving technologies attracts a wide range of energy technology investors looking to align their investments with sustainable initiatives. Our proven track record of successful partnerships and our strategic approach to investing in emerging technologies make us a preferred destination for energy technology investors seeking maximum returns while contributing to a cleaner, greener future for Wisconsin and beyond.

  • What type of funding does CTP provide?

    CTP provides capital in the form of loans and equity for the commercialization or adoption of emerging energy efficiency technologies that can benefit Wisconsin.

  • How much funding can you provide?

    Up to $550,000 per transaction. This money is often leveraged with other sources, such as banks or private investment.

  • What's an "emerging energy efficiency technology"?

    Broadly speaking, it is a technology that (1) has been developed, tested, and patented, (2) whose use will reduce the consumption of energy in a commercial or industrial setting, and (3) has not yet been demonstrated and/or implemented in Wisconsin.

  • For an equity investment, how do you make valuations?

    CTP uses a variety of standard best practices to form our opinion about a venture's current valuation, including discounted cash flows and comparison to peers.

  • For an equity investment, what type of returns do you expect?

    We seek returns that are commensurate with the risks and liquidity of the investment, and we think through such topics with a commercial mindset.

  • Will I need a business plan to get an equity investment?

    Yes. We can start our dialogue without one, however.

  • What type of interest rate and terms might I expect?

    Because CTP does not wish to take business away from banks and to conserve our modest investment fund, our loans are made at an interest rate that is equal to or slightly higher than the rates on your other commercial financing. If you can get funding from your local bank, that is what you should do. As a non-profit organization, CTP is only here to fill gaps not fully managed by the private sector.



  • Do you provide grants?

    No. We do, however, sometimes assist our investment clients with the preparation and submission of grant applications that complement our investment.

  • I need to finance energy efficiency improvements at my industrial facility. What can you do to help?

    If you are adopting an emerging technology in your industry, we may be able to provide financing. If the technology you seek to implement has already entered the best practice realm, such as lighting, compressed air, or motor drives, it can no longer be considered emerging, which places it outside the scope of our mission. For assistance in adopting best practice technologies, contact our friends at Focus on Energy.

  • Do you work with start-ups or established companies?

    Either. While we understand the increased risks of start-ups, we are more concerned about the team, the technology, and the market potential than the stage of the business involved.

  • I am a technology developer from outside of Wisconsin. Can you help me?

    Yes, so long as the technology can help save energy in Wisconsin.

  • I'm just developing my technology and need money to do more development and testing. Can you give me a loan?

    We do not generally fund R&D and recommend private financing or applications for grant funding through a program like the US Department of Energy's Small Business Innovation Research Fund.

  • My business is headquartered in Wisconsin, but I have an energy-saving project that I want to implement in our Minnesota plant. Can you help me?

    No, the technology must be put to use to save energy in Wisconsin.

  • Will my technology get "extra credit" if it is also good for the environment and creates jobs?

    By their nature, energy efficiency technologies and projects are usually good for the environment, so that is anticipated. Job creation is also important, but not normally a determining factor.

  • My technology is a new way to generate electricity and sell it on the grid. Is this project eligible for your financing?

    Probably not. We typically do not work on the supply side, except for certain renewable energy technologies that directly supplant purchased electricity, natural gas, or liquid propane at industrial sites.

  • How does CTP get its funding?

    CleanTech Partners receives the bulk of its funding from the State of Wisconsin's Focus on Energy program. Additional funding sources include corporations and other government contracts for projects that are consistent with CTP's mission. CTP is currently seeking additional sources of funding to promote its energy efficiency agenda.

  • How do you differ from Wisconsin Focus on Energy?

    We work hand in hand with Focus on Energy on a variety of industrial projects, but while our emphasis is on financing emerging technologies, theirs is on grants and other incentives to help implement best practices.

Energy Technology Investors