[From the SF Examiner]
Solar panels, low-flush toilets and other Earth-friendly upgrades could be a lot easier to purchase with a new initiative that would turn The City into a green loan zone.
Mayor Gavin Newsom and Supervisor Eric Mar will introduce legislation this week that would allow homeowners to receive loans to make environmental improvements to their properties and then pay back the money through extra property taxes.
The idea mimics a similar Berkeley program in which homeowners can install electric and thermal solar systems and make energy-efficiency improvements to their buildings, then pay for the cost through 20 years with an annual tax.
The special tax is voluntary and allowed by state law. In Berkeley, a homeowner who buys a $12,000 solar panel pays approximately $900 per year, or $75 per month.
Both residential and commercial buildings are eligible for the loans, and the San Francisco model would apply not only to energy-saving equipment such as solar panels, but also for water-saving fixtures.
San Francisco already has some of the strictest environmental building codes in the nation. Legislation passed in 2008 requires most new commercial buildings to be certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards created by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The Board of Supervisors must approve the legislation.
Read the full of the story on SFexaminer.com. SFCitizen.com also has a FAQ about the proposed program.
So what do you think? Would a program like this motivate you to make green upgrades to your home or business?
Sarah B.