New industrial efficiency programs provide government funding up to 50% or more for purchase of fiber lasers

Because fiber lasers are energy efficient, they are well suited for new financial assistance programs promoting use of power-conserving technologies, says IPG Photonics Corp. (Oxford, MA). One such program, the Clean Energy and Industrial Efficiency Program of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), is now accepting applications for proven commercially available technologies with a minimum efficiency improvement of 25% into the industrial sector. The deadline is June 30, 2009; similar programs are offered by other states and Canadian provinces.

DOER is based on the United States Department of Energy's Funding Opportunity Announcement for $156 million in awards to deploy energy efficient technologies under the terms of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. There is no cap on the amount of funding per applicant.

Fiber lasers, a proven commercially available technology, convert electrical energy to optical energy 2 to 3 times more efficiently than diode-pumped YAG lasers, 3 times more efficiently than CO2 lasers and 15 to 30 times more efficiently than lamp-pumped YAG lasers, says IPG, a global provider of high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers. Because fiber lasers are much more energy-efficient and place lower levels of thermal stress on their internal components, they have substantially less electrical requirements than compared to conventional lasers.

In addition to government programs subsidizing the switch to energy-efficient fiber lasers, electric utilities provide incentives to purchase fiber lasers. IPG recommends that interested parties check with their local utility companies. "We have found most states offer rebate programs," the company says.

"Due to the high energy efficiency of our fiber lasers, one customer has already received 50% funding in Florida by switching to fiber lasers for its materials processing application" stated Bill Shiner, Vice President -- Industrial Markets. "Sometimes the capital cost of new equipment is a roadblock for utilizing more efficient equipment like fiber lasers. With new incentives available from the government and utilities, customers can deploy IPG's proven industrial lasers that provide great improvement in energy efficiency in addition to lower maintenance."

Find out more information on the DOER program at the Clean Energy and Industrial Efficiency Program site. Contact IPG's Bill Shiner for further details, or for information on IPG fiber lasers visit the company's website.