Congratulations, San Franciscans! You live in a city that supports property tax solar financing.

How does San Francisco’s municipal solar financing program work?

In a nutshell, the San Francisco Clean Energy Loan Program will allow homeowners to pay for solar panels and other energy efficiency improvements over a 20 year period through property tax bills. The loans will carry a fixed interest rate and stay with the house- so if you move, the next tenant continues to pay for the loan through property taxes. That means you don’t have to worry about paying for panels on a house that you don’t live in anymore.

That sounds great! How is San Francisco able to do this?

San Francisco’s program is made possible thanks to California’s AB811 law, which allows loan programs to pay back investments in renewable energy systems through property tax payments.

Is the solar financing program available now?

The program should be available by the end of the year, with between $20 million and $30 million in available loans. The GoSolar SF program, which offers residents up to $4,000 and businesses up to $10,000 for solar installations, is available now. Keep watching the SFGov website for further updates.

Do you have more info on the status of this municipal solar and energy efficiency financing program? Let us know and we will update this page with your tips.

Congratulations, Sonoma County residents! You live in a city that supports property tax solar financing.  It also has an active 1BOG Solar Group Purchase Campaign

How does Sonoma County’s municipal solar financing program work?

The Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP) is providing $100 million dollars in loans for homeowners to use for solar panels and other energy efficient equipment (home heating, cooling, insulation, improved ductwork, etc.) through property tax bills. This is the largest municipal financing package of its kind.

The loans carry a 7% interest rate and are paid through property taxes. The repayment term for assessment amounts of $2,500-$5,000 are 5 or 10 years. For assessments over $5,000, the available terms are 10 or 20 years. Use SCEIP’s payment calculator to estimate the annual cost of the assessment that will be added to the property tax bill.

The standard program provides funding  of $2,500-$60,000 per project. Payments are issued on the 1st of the month following final inspection sign-off, and a title check (including fee payment) is required. The comprehensive description of the program terms can be found here.

That sounds great! How is Sonoma County able to do this?

This financing is from the County of Sonoma and the Sonoma Water Agency. Sonoma is the first county to take advantage of the California Assembly Bill 811 which authorizes municipalities to fund energy improvement projects on private property.

Is the solar loan program available now?

The program was formally launched in March of 2009 and has begun accepting applications. Before applying, SCEIP recommends conducting an energy audit on your home. 1BOG will be launching a campaign in Sonoma County soon, so skip a step and sign up with 1BOG before applying for municipal financing. The SCEIP application can be found here.

What if I move?

The loans carry a low interest rate and stay with the house—so if you move, the next tenant continues to pay for the loan through property taxes, and you’re not stuck with the bill.

Do you have more info on the status of this municipal solar and energy efficiency financing program? Let us know and we will update this page with your tips.

Congratulations, Berkeley-ites! You live in a city that supports property tax solar financing.

How does Berkeley’s municipal solar financing program work?

In a nutshell, the city’s Berkeley FIRST program allows homeowners to pay for solar panels through property tax bills over a 20 year period. The loans carry a fixed interest rate and stay with the house–so if you move, the next tenant continues to pay for the loan through property taxes. That means you don’t have to worry about paying for panels on a house that you don’t live in anymore. The minimum financing amount for solar systems through the initiative is $5,000 and the maximum is $37,500.

That sounds great! How is Berkeley able to do this?

Berkeley was the first city in California to start up municipal solar financing initiative. Since the Berkeley FIRST Program was launched in 2008, cities like San Diego and Sacramento have gotten on board with similar initiatives. Berkeley’s program also spurred California’s AB811 law, which allows loan programs to pay back investments in renewable energy systems through property tax payments.

Is the solar financing program available now?

Applications for Berkeley’s solar financing pilot program aren’t available at the moment, as all 38 spots in the Berkeley FIRST program were quickly snatched up. The city is evaluating whether another round of funding for a second solar initiative can be made available, so stay tuned. To receive updates and new application period announcements, sign up to receive email notifications from the Berkeley FIRST office.

In the meantime, join 1bog’s group purchase for solar energy in the Bay Area! You can also calculate the cost benefit savings from the Berkeley FIRST program here and view Berkeley FIRST’s solar map, which allows Berkeley residents to compute their solar potential or list their solar installation. For residents who need technical assistance regarding solar, please contact the SmartSolar program of Community Energy Services Corporation for a free consultation.

Do you have more info on the status of this municipal solar and energy efficiency financing program? Let us know and we will update this page with your tips.

Congratulations, Palm Desert-ites! You live in a city that supports property tax solar financing.

How does Palm Desert’s municipal solar financing program work?

In a nutshell, the city’s program allows property owners—residential or commercial—to pay for solar panels through property tax bills over a 20-year period. The loans carry a fixed interest rate and stay with the house—so if you move, the next tenant continues to pay for the loan through property taxes.  That means you don’t have to worry about paying for panels on a house that you don’t live in anymore. The city also provides loans for a number of other energy efficiency improvements, including pool pumps, ventilation systems, window films, and natural gas fuel cells.

That sounds great! How is Palm Desert able to do this?

Palm Desert’s solar program is made possible thanks to California’s AB811 law, which allows loan programs to pay back investments in renewable energy systems through property tax payments.

Is the solar financing program available now?

Palm Desert’s Energy Independence Program was launched in August 2008 and has already committed over $7,500,000 for energy efficiency and solar upgrades.  So yes, the financing program is available now.

How do I get involved?

The Energy Independence Program loan application is available here. Just fill out the form and send it to the City of Palm Desert Office of Energy Management via e-mail, fax or snail mail. For more information, check out this PDF and the city’s AB811 website.

Do you have more info on the status of this municipal solar and energy efficiency financing program? Let us know and we will update this page with your tips.

Congratulations, Annapolis property owners! You live in a city that supports easy energy efficiency and solar financing.

How does Annapolis’s energy improvement financing program work?

The Annapolis EZ|Energy Zone program allows residential and commercial property owners to pay for solar panels and energy efficiency equipment—such as home heating, cooling, insulation, improved ductwork, geothermal, etc.—through a Carbon Reduction Energy Fee. The financing carries a fixed interest rate and stays with the property—so if you sell the property, the next owner continues to pay for the loan through the City Fee. Also, this program allows financing that does not affect your credit score. Best of all, the program makes it easy for you to reduce your energy bill by supporting you through the entire process of energy audits, choosing the right contractors and helping you benefit from the tax incentives on all levels of government.

That sounds great! How is Annapolis able to do this?

The city is partnering with a number of organizations to make the program work, including local banks. Annapolis is the first U.S. city to pass legislation for financing that includes energy conservation solutions (i.e. sealing air leaks) in addition to renewable energy installations (solar)—using only private financing.

Is the Annapolis EZ|Energy Zone program available now?

The program is being launched in June, 2009 as a pilot program with approximately 50 projects. The program is expected to expand to other cities in Maryland and surrounding states shortly after the launch in Annapolis.

What if I move?

The financing stays with the property—so if you move, the next tenant continues to pay for the loan through property taxes, and you’re not stuck with the bill.

Do you have more info on the status of this muncipal solar and energy efficiency financing program? Let us know and we will update this page with your tips.

Congratulations, San Diego-ites! You live in a city that supports property tax solar financing.

How does San Diego’s municipal solar financing program work?

In a nutshell, the city’s program allows homeowners to pay for solar panels through property tax bills over a 20 year period. The loans carry a fixed interest rate and stay with the house–so if you move, the next tenant continues to pay for the loan through property taxes. That means you don’t have to worry about paying for panels on a house that you don’t live in anymore.

That sounds great! How is San Diego able to do this?

San Diego’s solar program is made possible thanks to California’s AB811 law, which allows loan programs to pay back investments in renewable energy systems through property tax payments. The city is the largest in California to take advantage of the program thus far.

Is the solar financing program available now?

Homeowners can take out loans as part of the program beginning in July 2009. The pilot program is expected to launch in Fall 2009 with about 500 participants, and thousands more following soon after. After about a year, San Diego will open up the financing program to solar hot water heaters and other products that contribute to home energy efficiency.

Do you have more info on the status of this municipal solar and energy efficiency financing program?  Let us know and we will update this page with your tips.