Berkeley's Solar Panel Program Garners Nationwide Interest

The Daily Californian

December 9, 2008--Berkeley has championed many innovative programs designed to help the environment, but this time, the rest of the country is taking note.

Since September, when the city began its novel solar panel financing program to reduce carbon emissions and save money on electricity, cities nationwide have expressed interest in starting similar programs.

The program, which allows property owners to pay for solar panels through their property taxes for up to 20 years, is the first of its kind in the nation.

While cities from San Francisco to Annapolis have shown interest in similar solar financing programs, some areas already have programs under way.

Before Berkeley's program was officially approved, a similar program began in Palm Desert, California.

While Berkeley's program relies on bonds for funding, Palm Desert initially paid for the program by borrowing from the city's general fund.

"The idea Berkeley had that interested us was putting the payment of the loan on the property taxes," said Patrick Conlon, director of Palm Desert's office of energy management. "We thought that was a really good idea."

Palm Desert, along with Berkeley and San Francisco, helped pass a California State Assembly bill that allows other cities to adopt similar programs.

Berkeley's program is currently in its pilot phase. According to Gail Feldman, the city's sustainable energy programs manager, the 40 homeowners selected for the first phase of the program will receive funding by next week, which will allow them to begin installation.

Berkeley's program is the first in which a city has borrowed money from an outside source to finance its program, which makes it more accessible to cities under monetary constraints.

Berkeley's model of financing appealed to many cities and counties without the ability to borrow from their already stretched general funds, such as Boulder County, Colorado.

"Any city could have used their own money, that's the big problem because many cities don't have their own money available," Feldman said. "Berkeley's program is unique and exciting because we're using outside money to kick-start the program."

Boulder County's program is a step beyond Berkeley's because it covers eight municipalities with $40 million in funding, according to Ann Livingston, sustainability coordinator for the Boulder County Commissioner's Office.

"We've definitely been looking at what Berkeley and Palm Desert have been doing to help us design it," said Yael Gichon, energy sustainability coordinator for the city of Boulder.

Conlon said Berkeley's trail blazing with the solar program was important to its extension in other cities, something he hopes to continue.

"We're very appreciative of Berkeley's leadership and ideas," he said. "We've been following Berkeley quite closely over the years, we are all brothers in arms."

Amy Brooks covers city government. Contact her at abrooks@dailycal.org.

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