Are electronic signatures legally binding?

Yes. Under the federal ESIGN Act and state UETA statutes, electronic signatures are generally legally equivalent to handwritten signatures when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are present.

When is notarization required?

Notarization is required when a funder, lender, or state rule specifies it; requirements vary by document purpose and state. Confirm whether a remote online notarization is accepted by the recipient.

Can I submit statements signed electronically?

Most lenders and grantors accept properly executed eSigned documents if they include an audit trail and meet any specified authentication or notarization requirements.

What if signer names differ from authorization records?

Mismatched signer names or incorrect titles can invalidate acceptance. Use full legal names that match corporate authorization documents to avoid delays.

How long must signed statements be retained?

Retention depends on applicable standards: IRS rules, funder terms, or industry regulations. Maintain records for the greater of contractual retention or regulatory minimums.

What formats should I archive?

Store signed packets and audit trails in non-editable formats (PDF/A recommended) and retain a copy of the complete audit history for future verification.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Finance
Financial Energy Statement

Financial Energy Statement

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

FINANCIAL ENERGY STATEMENT

Reporting Entity & Statement Details

Client Name: Reporting Entity Address:

Contact Phone:

Contact Email:

Statement Date: Reporting Period From: to

Project / Account Identifier:

Executive Summary

Summary of financial energy performance:

Itemized Energy Financials

Provide all energy costs, adjustments, credits, and allocations. Enter units where applicable (e.g., kWh, therms).

Description	Unit	Quantity	Unit Rate	Amount (USD)



Subtotal
Incentives / Credits (subtract)
Taxes & Fees
Net Cost

Project Investments & Capital Expenditures

List energy projects, capital costs, funding, and forecasted savings. Provide payback calculations where applicable.

Project 1 — Name:

Capital Expenditure (USD):

Financing Source:

Expected Annual Savings (USD):

Payback Period (years):

Project 1 — Notes / Scope:

Operational & Recurring Costs

Date	Description	Category	Amount (USD)

Forecast, Budget & KPIs

Projected consumption next period (units): Projected energy cost next period (USD): Target savings or efficiency improvement (%):

Financing, Loans & Incentives

Report on financing instruments that support the energy program. Include outstanding balances and repayment terms.

Loan Principal (USD):

Interest Rate (% APR):

Outstanding Balance (USD):

Loan Term Remaining (years):

Repayment schedule summary:

Risk, Assumptions & Compliance

Primary assumptions used in this statement: Material risks and mitigation measures:

Certification & Acknowledgment

By signing below, the undersigned certifies that the information contained in this Financial Energy Statement is true, complete, and submitted in good faith. The undersigned acknowledges responsibility for maintaining supporting documentation and consents to reasonable audit or verification of records by authorized representatives. False statements or intentional omissions may subject the signatory and the reporting entity to civil or criminal penalties under applicable law.

I further certify that all incentives, credits, and financing disclosed herein have been accounted for in accordance with the reporting entity's accounting policies and that any allocated savings have been calculated using consistent baseline assumptions.

Certification checkbox:

I certify that the statements above are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Prepared by:

By:

Date:

What the Financial Energy Statement Is and when it is used

A Financial Energy Statement is a structured financial report that summarizes energy-related expenditures, revenue impacts, and project-level cost allocations for a facility, portfolio, or program. It combines budgetary line items, utility data, financing sources, and projected savings to support investment decisions, grant applications, internal audits, or lender underwriting. Organizations use it to document cash flows, incentives, and payback periods tied to energy improvements and to provide a standardized record for stakeholders, compliance reviewers, and external funders.

Why a clear Financial Energy Statement matters

A consistent Financial Energy Statement provides transparent, auditable financial detail for energy projects, enabling comparability across proposals and simplifying review by finance, compliance, or lending teams. It reduces ambiguity in cost allocation and supports accurate forecasting of energy savings, incentive capture, and repayment schedules.

Who typically prepares and reviews this statement

The Financial Energy Statement is prepared by finance, energy managers, or consultants and reviewed by internal approvers, lenders, and grant administrators.

Energy manager or consultant — Prepares line-item energy costs, savings estimates, and project financing assumptions for review.
Finance team or controller — Verifies cost allocations, tax treatment, and impacts on financial statements and cash flow.
Lenders and grant reviewers — Assess debt service coverage, eligible costs, and compliance with funding terms.

Clear labeling of assumptions and source documents speeds approval and reduces follow-up questions during due diligence.

Primary signers and responsible parties

Energy Manager

Usually an employee or consultant who compiles utility data, savings calculations, and project budgets. They attest that technical assumptions and measurement approaches reflect project scope and monitoring plans.

Chief Financial Officer

A finance officer or authorized signer certifies the financial entries, funding sources, and any lender or grant-related representations. Their signature indicates organizational acceptance of the financial commitments described.

Core sections to include in a professional Financial Energy Statement

A complete statement groups financials, technical assumptions, funding sources, and verification methods so reviewers can assess cost accuracy and expected returns.

Executive Summary

One-page synopsis of project scope, total cost, expected annual energy savings, simple payback, and funding sources to orient reviewers quickly.

Detailed Budget

Line-item costs for materials, labor, incentives, contingency, and soft costs with vendor estimates and invoice references where available.

Savings Calculation

Methodology, baseline energy usage, modeled or measured savings, assumptions for weather normalization, and expected annual monetary savings.

Financing Plan

Breakdown of debt, equity, grants, or rebate proceeds, repayment schedule, interest rates, and any debt service coverage calculations.

Verification and Monitoring

Planned measurement and verification approach, reporting frequency, responsible party, and acceptance criteria for achieved savings.

Supporting Schedules

Cash flow projection, sensitivity analysis, incentive documentation, and attachments such as vendor quotes and rebate approvals.

Essential data fields to capture

Project Name: Clear identifier

Effective Date: MM/DD/YYYY format

Total Project Cost: USD amount

Estimated Annual Savings: USD amount

Funding Sources: Breakdown by source

Authorizing Signer: Name and title

Step-by-step: completing a Financial Energy Statement

Follow these sequential steps to assemble a complete, review-ready statement and minimize rework during approvals.

01

Collect invoices: Gather vendor quotes and recent utility bills for baseline data.
02

Calculate baseline: Establish historical usage and cost baseline for savings comparisons.
03

Estimate savings: Apply agreed methodology to model annual energy and cost reductions.
04

Finalize approvals: Obtain required signatures and attach supporting documentation.

Recommended digital workflow settings for e-submission

Configure your electronic workflow to capture signatures, attachments, and an auditable trail before submission.

Field	Configuration
Authentication	Email plus SMS code for higher-risk submissions
Conditional Fields	Show funding fields only if grant selected
Attachment Requirement	Make vendor quote upload mandatory for cost lines
Notifications	Automatic email on signer completion

Typical submission flow for an electronically signed statement

A standard eSubmission workflow keeps the document moving and maintains a complete audit trail.

Upload Document: Sender uploads the completed statement and supporting files.
Place Fields: Sender adds signature, date, and attachment fields where required.
Route for Signature: System sends signing requests to listed approvers in order.
Archive: Signed packet and audit trail are stored for retention.

Technical capabilities to support eSubmission and long-term storage

Choose a platform that supports secure storage, audit trails, and common integrations used by finance and project teams.

Encryption: TLS in transit
Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace
File Formats: PDF, DOCX supported

Ensure the chosen system offers role-based access, audit logs, and export options so signed statements can be retained according to regulatory or lender requirements.

Timing considerations and typical review deadlines

Plan submission timelines to align with procurement cycles, grant application windows, or lender review schedules.

Internal approval window:

Allow 7–14 business days for finance and technical review.

Grant application deadlines:

Match statement delivery to the grant submission timeline.

Lender underwriting review:

Expect 10–30 business days depending on complexity.

Vendor payments:

Payment timing follows contract terms after signed approval.

Measurement reporting:

Quarterly or annual reporting as agreed in M&V plan.

Key milestones from draft to archived signed record

Track these sequential stages to monitor progress and handoffs during the preparation and approval lifecycle.

01

Draft Completion

Technical and cost sections compiled and internally reviewed.

02

Internal Approval

Finance and project leadership sign off on budgets and assumptions.

03

External Review

Lender, grant, or third-party verifier performs due diligence.

04

Final Archive

Signed statement and audit trail stored in long-term records.

Common preparation pitfalls to avoid

Missing supporting invoices or quotes which delays verification and triggers follow-up requests from reviewers.
Unclear assumptions about baseline energy usage that lead to inconsistent savings estimates and undermined credibility.
Mismatched signer names or missing authorization records that invalidate electronic signatures for lender acceptance.
Inadequate documentation of incentives or rebates, causing disputed eligible costs during funding reconciliation.

Consequences of inaccurate or incomplete statements

Funding denial: Risk of grant or loan refusal

Repayment obligation: Possible clawback of funds

Audit findings: Negative findings and corrective actions

Reputational harm: Loss of credibility with stakeholders

Contract delays: Project start postponement

Regulatory exposure: Potential compliance breaches

Real-world examples of digital document workflows

These condensed customer experiences show how electronic workflows can streamline energy-related financial documentation and approvals.

Tim Martin — Martin Properties

Tim Martin found online execution improved compliance and speed.

He uses mobile and offline signing as needed.
I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance and built-in security. Whether on mobile or working offline, I can get forms back to their necessary parties efficiently.

Kodi-Marie Evans — Xerox

Xerox integrated signing into NetSuite to route documents automatically.

Integration reduced manual uploads and errors.
airSlate SignNow provides us with the flexibility needed to get the right signatures on the right documents, in the right formats, based on our integration with NetSuite.

Practical tips to improve accuracy and speed

Adopt these practices to reduce review cycles and support faster approvals without sacrificing accuracy.

Use standardized templates

Standard templates reduce variation, ensure required fields are present, and simplify reviewer comparisons across projects.

Require supporting uploads

Make vendor quotes and utility bills mandatory attachments to avoid delays during external review and audit.

Document assumptions clearly

List escalation rates, baseline dates, and measurement methods to enable third parties to reproduce savings calculations.

Maintain an auditable trail

Capture signer identity, timestamp, and IP or authentication method to support funding or lender acceptance.

How the Financial Energy Statement differs from similar documents

Compare related documents to determine which form best fits financing, grant, or procurement workflows.

Document Type	Purpose	Typical Use
Capital Budget	long-term funding plan	used for capital allocation
Energy Audit Report	technical assessment	informs savings estimates
Grant Application Appendix	supporting financial detail	submitted with application
Loan Underwriting Packet	credit analysis	used by lenders for decisioning

Representative eSignature pricing and capabilities for document workflows

Compare basic price points and core capabilities when selecting an eSignature provider to handle Financial Energy Statement workflows. Pricing and features vary by plan and billing frequency.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day trial	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

Frequently asked questions about completion and eSubmission

Answers to common questions about legal validity, notarization, eSignature options, and storage for Financial Energy Statements.

Need help? Contact support

Are electronic signatures legally binding?
Yes. Under the federal ESIGN Act and state UETA statutes, electronic signatures are generally legally equivalent to handwritten signatures when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are present.
When is notarization required?
Notarization is required when a funder, lender, or state rule specifies it; requirements vary by document purpose and state. Confirm whether a remote online notarization is accepted by the recipient.
Can I submit statements signed electronically?
Most lenders and grantors accept properly executed eSigned documents if they include an audit trail and meet any specified authentication or notarization requirements.
What if signer names differ from authorization records?
Mismatched signer names or incorrect titles can invalidate acceptance. Use full legal names that match corporate authorization documents to avoid delays.
How long must signed statements be retained?
Retention depends on applicable standards: IRS rules, funder terms, or industry regulations. Maintain records for the greater of contractual retention or regulatory minimums.
What formats should I archive?
Store signed packets and audit trails in non-editable formats (PDF/A recommended) and retain a copy of the complete audit history for future verification.

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