By Courtney Howard
OXFORD, Mass.—IPG Photonics Corp. in Oxford, Mass., maker of high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers, announced the availability of government programs that provide financial incentives for customers to purchase fiber lasers. Fiber lasers, which are considered to be more energy-efficient than conventional YAG and CO2 gas lasers, are well suited for the new financial assistance programs which promote the deployment of energy-efficient technologies.
One such program is the Clean Energy and Industrial Efficiency Program of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). The DOER is now accepting applications for proven commercially available technologies with a minimum efficiency improvement of 25 percent into the industrial sector.
The DOER program 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, according to a company representative. Because fiber lasers are 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, he continues.
In addition to government programs subsidizing the switch to energy-efficient fiber lasers, electric utilities provide incentives to purchase fiber lasers. Many states offer rebate programs.
“Sometimes the capital cost of new equipment is a roadblock for utilizing more efficient equipment like fiber lasers,” says Bill Shiner, vice president of industrial markets. “With new incentives available from the government and utilities, customers can deploy IPG’s proven industrial lasers that provide improvement in energy efficiency, in addition to lower maintenance.”
For more information on the DOER program, visit http://sites.google.com/site/cleanenergyqanda/. The program has an application deadline of June 30, 2009. Similar programs are offered by other states and Canadian provinces.
