Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Finance Resource Center

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing is a mechanism for achieving energy retrofit or energy generation of existing privately owned buildings by utilizing special assessment district financing techniques to finance projects, with private capital, via property owners’ property tax bills. Practically speaking, a PACE program can be established to address a single piece of property, a district, a region or an entire state. This makes PACE a very flexible and easily implementable financing tool. In essence, the property owner is able to access affordable capital in the form of a loan for energy efficiency upgrades, retrofit and/or generation to their home or business. In turn, the municipality places a special assessment on that property’s tax bill. This assessment is collected during the regular property tax payment process with payments made to the private lender. Over time, the loan is paid off and the property sees measurable energy savings creating a more sustainable energy solution and community.

One of the major benefits of the PACE model is that the tool can be tailored to broad and narrow programs at the same time. Communities can create broad programs that encompass larger geographic districts and allow for multiple uses such as housing, commercial, industrial and mixed-use. Conversely, programs can be designed to be very narrow such as assistance for low-income households, manufacturers, business districts, etc.

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+Webcasts

Yale CEFF & CDFA Energy Finance Webinar: Accessing Creative Revenue Sources for Clean Energy Members only

The second installment of the Yale CEFF & CDFA Energy Finance Webinar Series focused on innovative state and local programs that successfully catalyzed clean energy. Speakers discussed the role of purchasing power agreements, PACE, and energy efficiency upgrades in energy projects.

CDFA Illinois Webcast: Exploring Clean Energy Finance in Illinois Members only

Energy Finance | Green Finance | Webcasts | Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)

Claire Tramm with the Chicago Infrastructure Trust and Marion Lunn at the Illinois Office of Energy & Recycling explore ways to maximize clean energy finance in Illinois.

CDFA-Stern Brothers Renewable Energy Finance Webcast Series: Financing Renewable Energy in the Wild Wild West Members only

Bond Finance | Energy Finance | Webcasts | Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)

During this webcast, David Hurlbut from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, John Kinney of Clean Fund, and Suzanne Linfante from the Nevada Governor's Office of Energy discussed the latest renewable energy financing trends on the west coast.

CDFA California Financing Roundtable Webcast: PACE Financing in the Golden State

Energy Finance | State Finance Program | Webcasts | Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing is being implemented by communities across the nation as a powerful tool to drive the installation of energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems. In light of this emerging trend, the CDFA California Financing Roundtable partnered with CALED and the League of California Cities to organize a webcast which discussed the ins & outs of PACE financing and the impacts it can have on communities within the state of California. Through this webcast, presenters from Renewable Funding and Figtree Energy Financing compared and contrasted the most popular PACE programs and presented a checklist of criteria which communities must consider when choosing PACE programs.

CE+BFI Task Force Meeting - Energy Investment Partnerships, PACE, SCEFI

During this Task Force meeting, CE+BFI discussed a variety of trending topics for clean energy development. Speakers discussed efforts to explore Energy Investment Partnerships as a mode for supporting clean energy development and successful financing projects under the PACE program. In addition, CE+BFI leaders presented the proposed State Clean Energy Finance Initiative that would create a credit enhancement pool for state and local bond finance agencies to tap into for local projects.