PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
ANN ARBOR PROMOTES ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES
WITH PROPOSED PACE PROGRAM
ANN ARBOR, Mich., October 4, 2011 — Ann Arbor City Council unanimously supported the establishment of a Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) at last night’s session. The approved PACE program will provide special assessments for energy projects installed on commercial properties. Electronic files of the resolution to establish, the referenced report and an application package are available online at www.a2energy.org or can be requested by e-mailing PACE@a2gov.org.
The establishment of a PACE program allows the City to raise capital to use for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on commercial properties located within Ann Arbor City limits. The availability of PACE funding supports economic stimulation creates jobs and reduces operating costs for business owners. The properties pay for the energy projects through the use of a voluntary special assessment. This approach provides more attractive financing to property owners by offering fixed interest rates and a longer re-payment period than offered through traditional financing.
Commercial properties--defined as any property that is not a single family home, duplex or certain townhouses--may apply for energy projects such as heating and air conditioning equipment, lighting, system controls, insulation and weather sealing, cool roofs, windows and doors, geothermal systems, energy star appliances and solar photovoltaic systems. Projects may range in size from $10,000 to $350,000.
Commercial property owners inquiring about the PACE program should contact Wendy Barrott at 734-794-6430 x43714 or PACE@a2gov.org. All properties applying for a PACE assessment will have to perform an energy analysis of their property unless they have one performed under the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority’s energy efficiency program or an ASHRAE level II or level III energy analysis that is less than 3 years old.
Michigan authorized local governments to create PACE programs in 2010 by the passage of Public Act 270 of 2010. To date twenty-seven states have enabled local governments to establish PACE programs. Ann Arbor supported the development and passage of PACE in the State of Michigan and estimates that PACE could keep $26 million circulating in the economy each year and save up to the equivalent of 39 Barton Dams worth of electricity each year when aggressively implemented.
For more information on the PACE program and other City of Ann Arbor energy initiatives, please visit www.a2energy.org. Ann Arbor’s PACE program is joint program with the City of Ann Arbor and Clean Energy Coalition.
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