County Encourages Green Building

Posted on Jan 10 2009 by Martin Holladay, GBA Advisor

Boulder County will soon be providing low-interest loans to homeowners who want to install a photovoltaic array. This PV array was recently installed by Simple Solar of Boulder.

Boulder, CO to Issue Energy Efficiency Retrofit Bonds

BOULDER, CO — Voters in Boulder County, Colorado, have voted to approve a program to provide homeowners with county-backed loans to finance the installation of photovoltaic(PV) Generation of electricity directly from sunlight. A photovoltaic cell has no moving parts; electrons are energized by sunlight and result in current flow. systems and residential energy-efficiency improvements (for example, air-sealing work or insulation upgrades).

Boulder County plans to issue up to $40 million in bonds to finance the program, which is modeled on a similar program launched in Berkeley, California. The loans will be repaid with new assessments to be added to the property tax bills of participating homeowners. If county officials can iron out the remaining details in time, applications for the program will be accepted beginning in February 2009. For more information, visit www.bouldercounty.org/bocc/Ballot_Issues/2008/1A.htm .