Marin adds more PACE energy-retrofit money options
The county of Marin has joined Sebastopol and the city and county of Sonoma in launching a property assessed clean energy, or PACE, program, which helps property owners finance energy-efficient, water-conservation and renewable-energy upgrades.
Cloverdale, Healdsburg and Windsor are set to launch their programs this fall.
With rising energy costs and water scarcity, the Marin County Board of Supervisors on July 21 voted unanimously to approve four new choices associated with the local PACE program. Instead of traditional credit through a lending institution, such programs allow property owners to get upfront project funding that is repaid through a special line item on their property taxes.
The board approved one financing choice in August 2014 called CaliforniaFIRST, administered by Oakland-based Renewable Funding, resulting in 183 project applications and 58 funded projects. The newly approved choices are the San Diego-based California Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) , Figtree, Santa Rosa-based Ygrene Energy Fund and the Alliance NRG program. All the programs allow for open marketplaces, and participation results in no cost to the county of Marin, which is partnering with MCE Clean Energy on promoting PACE programs.
“Lots of our residents will have a better chance to shop around to finance the costs of making their homes energy efficient and conveniently have it paid through their property taxes,” said county sustainability planner Dana Armanino. “The advantage of PACE is that the financing is not attached to the homeowner but rather to the property, so if you were to sell your house the next homeowner can take over the assets and the payments. Some people also like PACE because it’s not attached to a personal credit rating.”
Marin County Community Development Director Brian Crawford said the PACE program aligns well with the county’s goal of expanding consumer choice for financing renewable and energy-efficiency projects.
“Homeowners living outside town and city limits are better positioned to find an option that best fits their needs,” he said.
The county’s sustainability team supports healthy, safe and sustainable communities while preserving Marin’s environmental heritage. The team has developed programs to promote renewable energy, address climate change, encourage green building, recognize green businesses and implement energy efficiency projects in schools, special districts, businesses, private homes, cities and towns.
