Solar Water Heat

Howard County - High Performance and Green Building Property Tax Credit

The state of Maryland permits local governments (Md Code: Property Tax § 9-242) to offer property tax credits for high performance buildings and energy conservation devices (Md Code: Property Tax § 9-203) if they choose to do so. Howard County has exercised this option by offering property tax credits for new and existing multi-family residential and commercial buildings that meet certain high performance building standards, and for the installation of energy conservation devices in LEED-certified structures. The property tax credit for energy conservation devices in green buildings (the Green Building Tax Credit) was initially enacted in 2002, while the High

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Local Option - Special Energy Improvement Districts

Note:  In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing

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Local Option - Property Assessed Clean Energy

Note: In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has released initial guidelines for using PACE with FHA-secured single or multifamily properties

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Local Option - Renewable Energy Financing District/Solar Energy Improvement Special Assessments

Note: In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing
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Local Option - Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) Financing

Note:  In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing

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City of Bloomington - Green Building Requirements for Municipal Buildings

In March 2009, the City of Bloomington passed an ordinance establishing the Green Buildings Program. This ordinance directed the City of Bloomington to incorporate green building principles into municipal facilities by committing to the use of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, developed and awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), for projects involving city government buildings and facilities. 
Specifically, all new occupiable City of Bloomington buildings must be designed, contracted, and built to achieved LEED-NC Silver certification level at a minimum. The Green Buildings Program encourages certification beyond Silver (to Gold or Platinum)
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Denton Municipal Electric - GreenSense Solar PV/Thermal Rebate Program

 Note: As of December 2020, funding for solar rebates has been exhausted and the program is suspended; additional funding may be supplied in October 2021.

Denton Municipal Electric (DME) offers rebates to its electric customers for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar water heating systems. The solar rebates are designed for residential and small commercial customers and are available for both existing buildings and new construction. Applicants must be a home or rental property owner.

The following requirements apply to the PV rebate:

  • Applicant must contact Program Manager to receive Interconnection Agreement, Application for Interconnection Packet, and GreenSense
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Maine Solar Easement Rights and Laws

Maine law requires that any municipal ordinance, bylaw, or regulation adopted after September 30, 2009 regulating solar energy devices on residential property follow certain requirements. The rules, bylaws, and regulations of homeowner associations (HOAs) must also follow these requirements. Specifically, these legal instruments may not prohibit a person from installing or using a solar energy device (including a clothesline or drying rack) on residential property owned by that person. In the case of a leased/rented property, the policy protects the renter's right to use a clothesline or drying rack.

The municipal reviewing authority may, to protect and ensure access to

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Investment Tax Credit

Vermont offers an investment tax credit for installations of renewable energy equipment on business properties, in order to encourage investment in rehabilitation and qualifying renewable energy projects. Vermont created this credit starting for Tax Year 2002 and provided an additional incentive for solar investments for Tax Year 2008 (via S.B. 209). The project must be eligible for and receive the federal tax credit to receive the state credit. The credit is equal to 24% of the "Vermont-property portion" of the federal business energy tax credit for project leaders

For qualifying renewable energy projects the credit is calculated

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Vermont Solar Rights Laws

Vermont law forbids ordinances, bylaws, deed restrictions, covenants, declarations, or similar binding agreements from prohibiting (or having the effect of prohibiting) the use of solar collectors, clotheslines, or "other energy devices based on renewable resources." 

A homeowner may be subject to certain restrictions regarding the location of the solar collectors on the roof (orientation to the south or within 45 degrees east or west of due south) as long as those restrictions do not impact the effectiveness of the solar collectors. However, municipal bylaws may not, to any extent, regulate the installation, operation, and maintenance of a solar water heating

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