Public Sector Solar Financing

At HelioPower we have engineered over 1000 solar power installations, and most of them required some sort of financing. With a customer centric approach, our solar energy account, engineering/design and installation team members will optimize your solar power installation to create the maximum energy output, lowest risk, most advantageous solar financing structure to reap the highest return on investment and internal rate of returns.

A HelioPower solar energy expert will thoroughly review your electricity usage, future electrical needs, property considerations and financial goals. After calculating the rebates and incentives available in your area, we can then recommend the best financial support based on your unique objectives.

The engineered solar power solution we present to you will be supported by a detailed financial analysis. This analysis is customized for your organization and will outline return on investment, applicable incentives including an upfront or performance based cash rebate, the 30% Federal tax credit/grant check, and an accelerated depreciation schedule. We pursue the best solar financing options available and have created industry partnerships including power purchase agreements to give you the widest array of financial options.

Solar Lease

HelioPower is working with financial partners who are able to offer a low cost seven (7) year financing program for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to financially strong commercial firms and nonprofit entities in California and surrounding states. We work with our solar financing partners to provide 100% financing of a PV system at a fixed payment for 7 years with an 8.5 year amortization. Normally no additional collateral is required other than the solar equipment. The nonprofit entity applies to the U.S. Treasury for the the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) 30% cash grant which, when received, is applied against the financing agreement.  Additionally the monthly lease payments required from the organization are offset for the first five years by the CA State Performance Based Rebate payments to the property owner.

This solar financing structure involves an interested third party utilizing the tax incentives in the role of a Site-Delivered Equipment Provider.  The resulting solar financing product is much simpler and less costly to arrange than a solar power purchase agreement (PPA) for smaller sized solar power installations. The minimum transaction size is $200,000.

This program is available to well-established, creditworthy U.S. based companies and nonprofit organizations. It can also benefit municipalities, churches, schools, and 501c3 structured entities that want to leverage ARRA funds and state utility rebates to go solar. The effectiveness of this solar financing structure will be impacted by construction site considerations and the financial strength of the host as it would be in any other type of solar installation.

Power Purchase Agreements

Power purchase agreements (PPA’s) are one of the most common financing structures for solar panel installations. They are applicable to profit and nonprofit entities. In essence your organization contracts for the solar power system to be constructed on your property from which you purchase the solar power at a set price. Your firm is thus shielded from the unpredictable future costs of utility based electricity.

Stimulus Funding Programs

Loans payable through property taxes: AB 811 or PACE loans are provided by municipalities for citizens making energy improvements to their home and businesses. These loans are affixed to the property tax lien thus apply to taxable organizations only. In some cases seeded by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Stimulus funds, this type of program is growing in its popularity from its initial start in Berkeley and Palm Desert. Now AB 811 programs are in process in the following counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Sonoma, Alameda, Sacramento, San Mateo, Ventura, Fresno, San Benito, Santa Clara, Yolo, Kern, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Solano County.

Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs): Projects approved for $2.2 billion in funding under the IRS's Clean Renewable Energy Bonds program, or CREBS, include a huge planned ramp-up of solar installations on schools and municipal buildings. Of the $800 million in CREBS bonding authorized for government projects, about 80 percent is being made available to California.

Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds: A separate IRS program, Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds, allots $3.2 billion in bonding authorization to states for projects that can include installations solar photovoltaic. Plans for specific uses of this money are not yet in place. Both IRS programs involve what are called tax-credit bonds. Instead of receiving interest payments, holders of these financial instruments take credits against tax liabilities. The cities, schools and utilities receive loans that may be interest-free or have a very low interest rate. For many solar projects, savings on electric bills are expected to be used to pay back the principal over time.

Get Started Today with a Free Site Evaluation by our Skilled Team!

Call us Toll Free: 1-87-SOLAR-888

Or provide us initial information on a confidential basis and we will get back in touch with you!