“Energy efficiency is not just low-hanging fruit; it is fruit that is lying on the ground”  – Stephen Chu, US Secretary of Energy

According to EPA’s EnergyStar Small Business Program, small firms can save between 20% and 30% on their energy bills through off-the-shelf cost-effective efficiency upgrades.  A local business achieved an immediate 30% reduction in electricity use after a lighting upgrade. Energy use is a controllable operating expense that you can effectively manage.

“Studies show that support of incubators produces far more jobs than other forms of government investment,” Mayor Bieter said. “By partnering with Idaho SDBC, we will be able to provide small green businesses the hands-on support they need at the critical early stages of their development.”

“The Idaho SBDC at Boise State University is truly looking forward to partnering with the City of Boise to help entrepreneurs at the Greenhouse,” Idaho SBDC State Director Jim Hogge said. “This is an outstanding opportunity to assist sustainable businesses that will develop innovative products and services to meet their customer’s needs. Boise has a history of great entrepreneurs and we hope many more are helped to reach their full potential at the Greenhouse.”

The Greenhouse will house approximately twelve companies, with six offices and six cubicle areas available. Staff support will be provided by Idaho SBDC four hours a day, four days per week, with additional support from Idaho SBDC on an as-needed basis. Companies will pay from $150 to $300 per month for rent, with telephone and Internet access included.  While all early-stage companies are eligible for the greenhouse, preference will be given to companies that are focused on alternative or renewable energy, including solar, wind, geothermal, conservation or another energy source. Businesses interested in applying for space within the Greenhouse should visit the Idaho SBDC website at www.idahosbdc.org to access the online application. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come basis.  Successful incubator businesses are generally emerging companies with four or fewer employees that have progressed beyond the idea stage, with the potential to be scaled quickly for high growth.

Since 1986, the Idaho SBDC has been helping small businesses with consulting, training, and environmental regulatory assistance. It has six locations around the state, each affiliated with one of Idaho’s colleges or universities. The Idaho SBDC at Boise State University has helped thousands of businesses reach a higher level of success. The latest survey shows the center’s clients added jobs at 9.6 times the average rate for Idaho small businesses, with total of 1,175 jobs created or saved. In addition, the Idaho SBDC at Boise State oversees a program in which students conduct energy audits for Idaho businesses, helping those businesses be more sustainable and providing the students with real-world job experience.

According to a study conducted by Grant Thornton LLP in 2008 for the U.S. Economic Development Administration, incubators are a much better investment of government funding than any other infrastructure project. That study concluded that business incubators create 46 to 69 jobs for each $10,000 invested by government, at a cost per job of $144 to $216. As a comparison, investment in commercial infrastructure creates nine to 13 jobs for each $10,000 invested, at a cost per job of $744 to $1,008, and
investments in roads create four to seven jobs per $10,000 invested at a cost per job of $1,291 to $2,293.  The Greenhouse is located at 520 W. Idaho in downtown Boise and is the former home of the Public Works Water Quality division. After the division was slated to relocate to City Hall in 2009, Mayor Bieter proposed the space be used as a green jobs incubator to support local alternative-energy startups. The City is currently performing energy efficient upgrades to the facility and will lease the building to the Idaho SBDC
for $1 for a primary term of three years, and two one-year renewal terms.

It is anticipated that the first tenants will move into the building in mid-summer 2010.