Solar - Passive

City of San Diego - Sustainable Building Policy

The City of San Diego’s Sustainable Building Policy is directed by Council Policy 900-14. The policy contains regulations regarding building measures, private-sector incentives, health and resource conservation, outreach and education, and implementation.

Among the directives is a commitment City-owned, occupied or leased new construction and major renovation projects must meet LEED "Silver" Level Certification. In addition to achieving LEED Certification, Council Policy 900-14 states that City-owned and occupied new construction and major renovation projects of buildings containing more than 1,000 square feet of conditioned space must meet the energy efficiency requirements of San Diego Council Policy 900-03, Zero

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Energy Conservation Loan

Energy Efficiency Loans are available through the Capital for Change, Inc. to owners of one- to four-family homes . Some programs have established income limits and location requirements. Interest rates vary in accordance with the borrower's family size and income, and the loan may be repaid over up to 12 years. For certain programs, single-family homes can receive a 0% interest rate if the family has below a 50% Median Income.

Applications for these programs are available from the program web site above. In addition to the application, the borrower must submit copies of the past two years' federal tax

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Local Option - Solar, Wind & Biomass Energy Systems Exemption

Section 487 of the New York State Real Property Tax Law provides a 15-year real property tax exemption for solar, wind energy, and farm-waste energy systems constructed in New York State. As currently effective, the law is a local option exemption, meaning that local governments are permitted to decide whether or not to allow it. The exemption was mandatory prior to a 1990 reenactment in which the local option clause was added. The exemption is valid unless a government opts out of the exemption, as opposed to the more common practice of requiring governments to "opt-in" in order to offer

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Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Systems

In Iowa, the market value added to a property by a solar or wind energy system is exempt from the state's property tax for 5 full assessment years. Residential geothermal systems are exempt for 10 years. Eligible systems include:

  • a system of equipment capable of collecting and converting incident solar radiation or wind energy into thermal, mechanical, or electrical energy and transforming these forms of energy by a separate apparatus to storage or to a point of use which is constructed or installed after January 1, 1978;
  • a system that uses the basic design of the building to maximize solar
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Renewable Energy Systems Property Tax Exemption

The Texas property tax code allows an exemption of the amount of 100% of the appraised property value increase arising from the installation or construction of a solar or wind-powered energy device that is primarily for the production and distribution of thermal, mechanical, or electrical energy for on-site use and devices used to store that energy.

Under H.B. 2500 (2013), solar energy devices installed or constructed on or after January 1, 2014, used for a commercial purpose are subject to the cost method of appraisal, and the depreciated value must be calculated using a useful life of 10 years

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Renewable Energy Systems Exemption

Note: This exemption may not be allowed for the tax years beginning after July 1, 2029.

Oregon law states that any change in real market value to property due to the installation of a qualifying renewable energy system is exempt from assessment of the property’s value for property tax purposes. Qualifying renewables include solar, geothermal, wind, water, fuel cell or methane gas systems used to heat, cool or generate electricity. This exemption is intended for end users and only applies to systems that are net metered or primarily intended to offset on-site electricity use.  Systems installed on real property that

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State Agency Loan Program

The State Agency Loan Program (SALP) was established in 1991 using funds from the Energy Overcharge Restitution Fund. Through this revolving loan program, the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) provides loans to state agencies for cost-effective energy efficiency improvements in state facilities. Typical loan amounts range from $50,000 to $250,000. State agencies pay zero interest with a one percent administration fee. Their repayments are made from the agency's fuel and utility budget, based on the avoided energy costs of the project. Repayments replenish the fund so that it can continue to make additional loans each year. During 2011 alone the MEA reports

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Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption

North Dakota exempts from local property taxes any locally-assessed* solar, wind, or geothermal energy device serving a new or existing building or structure. These systems may be designed to provide heating or cooling or to produce mechanical power, or any combination of these, or to store any of these. Stand-alone systems and systems that are part of conventional systems are eligible. For solar, wind, or geothermal systems that are part of a conventional energy system, only the renewable energy portion of the total system is eligible. This exemption is applied only during the 5-year period following installation. To apply for

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Renewable Energy Systems Property Tax Exemption

Renewable energy systems which serve a commercial or industrial building or irrigation system are exempt from property taxes. Qualified equipment includes solar, wind, geothermal, solid waste and hydroelectric systems used to heat or cool a building, heat or cool water used by a building, or generate electricity used by the building. S.B. 426 of 2011 clarified that a system installed on one or more buildings and supplying energy to adjacent buildings or an irrigation system in an agricultural operation is eligible for the exemption.  This exemption applies for all years following installation.

The renewable energy property tax exemption cannot be

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Renewable Energy Systems Exemption

Montana's property tax exemption for recognized non-fossil forms of energy generation and low emission wood or biomass combustion devices may be claimed for 10 years after installation of the property. The exemption is allowed for up to $20,000 in value for single-family residential dwellings and up to $100,000 in value for multi-family residential dwellings or non-residential structures. This property is class 4 property and otherwise would be taxed on 2.54% of assessed value in tax year 2013 and 2.47% in tax years after 2013.

Recognized forms of energy generation include solar photovoltaics, passive solar, wind, solid waste, decomposition of organic

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