SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA, June 15, 2015 – The City Councils of San Mateo, San Carlos and South San Francisco launched the HERO Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program today. HERO PACE financing enables homeowners to make energy- and water-efficiency improvements and pay them off through their property tax bill. Property owners repay the assessment over up to 20 years and the interest is tax-deductible. Homeowners see immediate savings on utility bills. Given the State of California’s newly-adopted regulations aimed at reducing urban water consumption by 25%, PACE financing is a particularly appealing option for homeowners and cities.
“The HERO Program makes it possible for homeowners to do both the right thing and the smart thing: invest in conservation,” said Mayor Maureen Frechet of San Mateo. “PACE financing allows for homeowners to pursue energy efficiency remodels, solar installations, and drought-tolerant landscaping projects that will make their homes more sustainable. Property owners that take advantage of PACE financing programs, such as HERO, can feel good that they’ve made a smart investment in their properties and in our community as a whole.”
Seven other communities in San Mateo County have already launched HERO, including Daly City, Foster City, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Bruno and Woodside, as well as the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. Burlingame is set to launch this fall.
As California’s drought drags on, eligible retrofits give homeowners a fast, affordable way to lower water bills and conserve a desperately-needed resource. HERO has more than 50 product lines to help homeowners save water, including high-efficiency toilets, faucets and showerheads; drip irrigation systems; rainwater catchment systems; gray water systems; and artificial turf and drought-tolerant landscaping
A wide variety of energy-saving products are available through HERO as well. Some of HERO’s most popular products include solar panel installations, whole-home heating and cooling systems, energy-saving windows and doors, roofing and insulation.
The HERO Program’s success rests in its extensive contractor network. When a homeowner faces unexpected and inevitable repairs such as a broken water heater or leaking roof, HERO-qualified contractors can steer their customers toward more efficient upgrades. Bringing HERO into the process has many advantages for the homeowner. Homeowners can select a truly efficient product for their repair since they don’t have to put down large amounts of money upfront; they then enjoy immediate savings on water and/or energy bills. Cities and counties benefit through economic stimulus and local job growth, while helping their communities reach state-imposed water and energy savings goals.
HERO has helped fund more than 33,000 residential efficiency projects totaling more than $650 million in financing in California. By stimulating home renovation activity, the HERO Program increases demand for local contractor services. HERO is estimated to have spurred the creation of more than 5,500 jobs in California since beginning in December 2011.
“As this drought continues on, each year we see a direct response and interest in the type of water-efficient landscaping Heavenly Greens provides,” said Troy Scott of Heavenly Greens. “I’ve also heard from friends and neighbors that they’ve had to let their lawn go dead and brown without replacing it with a suitable alternative simply because they can’t afford it. Now that HERO Financing is an option in our community, I expect we’ll be seeing fewer brown lawns as a result of this great program. We’re excited that Heavenly Greens can help more homeowners not only save our community thousands of gallons of water each year – we can transform those dead brown lawns into beautifully manicured showcases.
HERO’s ongoing contribution to the environment is significant – and growing daily. An estimated 4.5 billion KwHs of energy are already being saved by projects completed to date. This is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from 28,000 homes’ energy use for a year. Water-efficiency projects HERO has helped finance to date will save 790 million gallons of water, or the equivalent of 25 million showers. If every resident of California used HERO, we could save the equivalent of twice the volume of Lake Tahoe, every year.
The HERO Program has now been adopted by 319 communities in California and is available to more than 10 million households.
“Between the extended drought and rising energy costs, property owners are eager to make the types of investments HERO supports,” said Blair McNeill, Vice President of Community Development for Renovate America, the company that administers the HERO Program. “We’re happy to provide an avenue for financing that requires no money down and does not depend on personal credit, bringing efficiency improvements within reach for a broad range of homeowners.”
Cities and counties need only pass a resolution to make PACE programs like HERO available to local property owners. The HERO Program has received numerous awards, including the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, the Urban Land Institute Best of the Best and the Southern California Association of Governments President’s Award for Excellence. Taking part in HERO is 100% voluntary for both jurisdictions and property owners. PACE financing is cost neutral to participating local governments.
