City of Folsom, Real Estate

mPower Finances Home Water Conservation and Energy Improvements – Seminar Friday

Posted on by Steve Heard

mpower

It’s seems everyone is going green these days, looking for newer, better ways to use and save energy, and with the state in the midst of a drought, water.

mPower is a program which finances home owners’ energy efficiency and water conservation improvements through low-cost loans paid through property taxes.

Low-flow toilets and shower heads, landscape watering improvements and grey water recycling are just some of the items covered through the program.

mPower is holding a seminar in Folsom this coming Friday, March 20, at 3pm in Folsom City Council Chambers at City Hall, 50 Natoma St.

More from the mPower Program Site

MPOWER is a regional program to promote more efficient use of water and energy, enable property owners to reduce energy costs, and strengthen our local economy through job creation.

The financing model is called Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE). The financed amount is amortized and the annual amount due is added to your property tax bill each year until paid in full. If the property is sold the equipment and the unpaid amount stay with the property.

The money you save on water and energy could be more than enough to repay the additional amount on your property tax bill.

“Saving energy is real money in your pocket that you can use for other needs”.

A wide variety of improvements are eligible for MPOWER financing including: Envelope Sealing & Insulation, Lighting, HVAC Upgrade, Water Heating, Water Conservation, Renewable Energy, and Custom Measures.

Now, more than ever, residential and non-residential property owners are looking for ways to save money on their energy bills; reduce their impact on the environment; and stimulate the local economy. With the help of MPOWER (Money for Property Owner Water and Energy efficiency Retrofitting), that goal couldn’t be easier. MPOWER will finance energy efficiency improvements and energy generation systems such as solar photovoltaic to qualified property owners, with no upfront costs.

Improvements

Because commercial buildings are major energy consumers, representing 18 percent of the total energy used in the U.S., the EPA developed the Guidelines for Energy Management to help building owners and operators identify and implement cost-effective strategies and technologies to reduce energy use.

There is a huge potential for businesses to reduce their operating costs through energy management. Effective energy management starts with a commitment to continuous energy efficiency improvements. By evaluating the energy usage of business operations a baseline will be set, against which progress can be measured.

Consider a staged approach to upgrading your building. This will help increase the financial and environmental benefits realized from your energy efficient upgrade project. The EPA recommends the five stage approach to building upgrades:

  • Retrocommissioning will help identify improper equipment performance; equipment or systems that need to be replaced; and strategies for improving building systems performance.
  • Lighting upgrades should be installed early in the process since they have the biggest impact on other building systems such as heating, cooling, and power quality.
  • Supplemental load reductions – Supplemental load sources such as building occupants and electronic equipment can affect heating, cooling, and electric loads. By evaluating supplemental loads and their interactions with HVAC systems, equipment size and upgrade costs can be reduced.
  • Air distribution systems deliver conditioned air from heating and cooling equipment to the occupants. Upgrading and adjusting the fan systems to optimize the delivery of air can provide energy savings.
  • Heating and cooling systems – If the previous four steps have been followed the heating and cooling loads should be reduced. Since many existing HVAC systems are oversized to start with replacement of the system may prove to be a cost effective project, especially if it is near the end of its useful life 1.

You should know that certain energy and water efficiency improvements are more effective than others at cutting your energy use. Installing the most effective efficiency improvement first is referred to as “loading order” installation. An energy audit will give you a custom report specific to the loading order for your business. The following is an example of a Loading Order installation.

  1. First, sealing drafts and improving insulation levels in attics can typically save up to 20% of heating and cooling costs by EPA estimates.
  2. Next, installing a tankless water heater can make hot water heating with normal hot water usage 24% to 34% more efficient, according to EnergyStar®
  3. Third, replacing an old HVAC system with an EnergyStar® rated high efficiency one can result in savings that pay for the cost of the system in just three to four years.

Alternative energy generation is most effective when other basic energy efficiency measures have been installed first. An energy efficient building requires a smaller solar system, for example, costing less and shortening the payback period.

The installation of well planned retrofit projects can lower energy bills, reduce your carbon footprint and increase the comfort of your building. Learn more about how some of these proven energy efficiency projects can benefit you:

Non-Residential Eligible Improvements

For more information or to apply, go to http://www.mpowerplacer.org/

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Steve Heard

I am a Realtor serving the greater Sacramento region, and over the years have built an excellent reputation. I work with buyers, sellers, first-timers, move-up buyers and investors. If you want an honest, direct, patient, knowledgeable agent with a sense of humor, who is easy to work with, drop me a line.