The PACE Program is a federally funded program in which municipalities elect to take part in. PACE is a Loan program offering a secure low interested APR designed specifically for residential Weatherization improvements, including: Air Sealing, Insulating, Heat & Hot Water system replacements, appliance upgrades, window & door replacements, and Solar Solutions (Thermal & PV).
You might ask – but I’m already too far in debt? This is not your ordinary loan program. Paying off this PACE Loan will not be an
additional burden or bill that you will struggle to pay off. How? The monthly payments you make on your PACE Loan are strategically designed to be less than or equal to the monthly savings you will reap from your PACE eligible solutions. If these solutions ultimately won’t add to your monthly out of pocket costs, THEN why choose to do NOTHING to improve the energy performance of your home?…you might as well be consuming less fuel and living in a more comfortable home (improved comfort is due to successful structural weatherization).
What type of guarantee do I have that these solutions will lower my energy bills? The program starts with an Energy Audit. Having a qualified, and certified, Energy Auditor perform tests on your home AND deliver an in depth Audit Report will show you the savings achievable per solution. A high quality Audit Report can show you the estimated Costs and Savings per solutions which allow the homeowner the opportunity to make an educated decision based on their specific budget, payback goals, and monthly payment plan. Any quality Energy Auditor will walk you through the solutions after the audit is conducted and give you more than enough information to make an educated and confident decision on what direction you want to take you PACE solutions in.
One piece of advice to prospective home owners interested in PACE and receiving an Energy Audit – be open minded. You may think you know where your largest energy inefficiencies are, and maybe you are right, but in most cases you will be wowed at some of the solutions.
Take a look at the attached documents to find out more on the PACE Program. If you town doesn’t partake in the PACE Program, feel free to ask your town office, “Why?”.
PACE Program Brochure – Click on Images
