Local financing programs – like Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) or utility on-bill financing – offer accessible capital to homeowners to help address the high cost of energy upgrades and other barriers that limit uptake for home energy projects. Learn how the City of Saskatoon, SK, designed a program, from initial concept through program launch, that will help residents retrofit their homes and reduce GHG emissions.

The City’s Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) is the first program of its kind in the province. It provides homeowners with loans for energy and non-energy upgrades, like replacing doors or windows, upgrading heat pumps, or installing low-flow water fixtures. HELP also offers resources and other supports for the renovation process, including a pre-vetted contractor list and reduced fees for low-income households.

In this video, Hilary Carlson, GHG Controls Specialist at the City of Saskatoon, outlines the City’s program design and discusses key challenges and successes in getting the program off the ground.

What you’ll learn from this video:

  • High-level steps to designing and implementing a home-energy upgrade financing program using the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) model
  • Key successes and challenges when getting started
  • Resources available to support a similar project in your municipality

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Innovative financing models – like utility on-bill financing and third-party lending – can help residents afford the high cost of energy upgrades and contribute to local greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions.

Since 2012, the City of Nelson, BC, has been offering an on-bill financing program for home energy upgrades. The Nelson EcoSave program, which expanded into the broader Regional District of Central Kootenay to form the Regional Energy Efficiency Program (REEP) in 2019, helps homeowners access low-interest financing and support to retrofit their homes. Nelson residents can borrow up to $16,000 through the city’s electric utility, Nelson Hydro, and repay it on their electric bills, while other residents can access low-interest loans through local credit unions in the region.

The program also offers a range of other services for homeowners and industry partners, from EnerGuide energy evaluations and customized support, to free training courses and information sessions for residents and contractors. The program has helped more than 1,500 residents improve their homes, including 750 residents in the past three years alone.

In this video, Carmen Proctor, Climate & Energy Manager at the City of Nelson, tells the story of the program’s success to date, shares key lessons learned from running the program, and highlights their next steps to scale up the program.

What you’ll learn from this video:

  • Approaches for structuring a program with different financing models, including utility on-bill financing and third-party lending
  • Recommendations for designing a program that supports residents and your local context
  • Techniques to help you maximize your program’s impact and reach

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