Comments on: PACE Home Solar Loans Spreading Like Wildfire

By: Scott Gordon

Scott Gordon — Fri, 21 May 2010 00:36:37 +0000

I like the concept of PACE for financing solar and believe that it’s a wonderful option for folks whose credit is less than stellar, have a high LTV, and are current on their property taxes. For credit worthy customers with a favorable LTV, traditional financing can be secured at a far lower cost of money. Most PACE programs I’ve worked with in CA charge interest rates in the 7-8% range. Many of my customers are able to secure financing from their local credit union for 5-6%. Over 20 years, a couple hundred basis points can add up to some serious money. Additionally, residential PPAs (like the one offered by SunRun) are gaining a lot of traction, and generally have a cost of money in the 4-5% range. Other benefits of a PPA include: regular cleanings, monitoring, insurance, and a very long 18 warranty. I believe that folks looking to go solar should examine all of their available financing options.

By: S. Mark Florence

S. Mark Florence — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:14:35 +0000

I agree with Global Patriot; state and federal tax incentives are simply not enough. There are a lot of people interested in making energy efficient and/or renewable energy upgrades to their homes, and programs such as PACE allow them to worry less about where the money will come from and more about getting the job done right.

By: Green Energy » Blog Archive » San Antonio PACE Program in Jeopardy

Green Energy » Blog Archive » San Antonio PACE Program in Jeopardy — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:23:41 +0000

[...] innovative municipal solar incentive program is spreading like wildfire across America. Based on a program devised in Berkeley, California, Property Assessed Clean Energy [...]

By: Global Patriot

Global Patriot — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:27:21 +0000

While the federal government can provide incentives to install solar energy, the approach of adding it to the value of the home and paying for it via property taxes allows the current owner to invest in a technology that may extend beyond his ownership.