PACE Financing

What is PACE?Let us explain

PACE provides long-term financing for qualifying construction and renovations that improve the environmental footprint of property to save you money on utility bills with no money down. You repay funds to private lenders as a semi-annual voluntary tax, the first voluntary property tax assessment in the U.S. By using voluntary property taxes to repay funds, you and other small businesses get access to the same financing terms that large corporations benefit from, ensuring that your projects produce positive cash flow in year 1. This frees you up to spend your capital on other investment opportunities, such as opening that next location or hiring more staff.

Your OptionsPace VS other funding options
PACE
New Mortgage
Vendor Finance
Company Cash
Cost alignment with tenants
Cash flow positive year 1
Owner keeps incentives
Balance sheet neutral
No acceleration upon default
Can be terminated upon request
Transferable on sale
No pre-pmt of first mortgage
Preserve borrowing capacity
Preserve internal capital
Nonrecourse, no personal guarantee
Typical terms in years
5-30
10-20
5-10
N/A

InterviewsHear from real people

Supported by political leaders from more than 30 states, PACE has been used to create over 50,000 jobs, save 32 million metric tons of carbon (the equivalent of 8 coal fired power plants), and help over 200,000 thousand Americans fund more than $5 billion in construction and renovation projects.

HVAC updates

Envelope update

Solar update

Case StudiesProjects funded with PACE

Restaurant

Right Proper Brewery produces craft beer for some of the top restaurants and bars in the region. Located in an old warehouse, the brewery installed a new rooftop, a 56-kW rooftop solar PV system, and a 7-kW solar parking canopy with PACE financing.

Project cost:$230,000
Income after:$11,100

Hardware store

Annie’s ACE Hardware, a local fixture in Washington, D.C.’s Brookland neighborhood, used PACE to finance interior and exterior LED lighting, envelope improvements, a VRF system, and low-flow bathroom fixtures.

Project cost:$396,000
Income after:$22,000

Apartment

Brittany Apartments is owned by a third-generation, family-owned real estate company. The apartment complex used PACE to upgrade its hot water boilers, hot water heaters, storage tanks, and distribution pumps.

Project cost:$530,000
Lifetime savings:$121,900

New construction

The new DC United stadium wanted to implement money-saving green measures, which included an 884-kW solar system, high efficiency HVAC systems, LED field lighting, insulation, site stormwater conservation, a green roof, and low-flow fixtures.

Project cost:$25,000,000
Lifetime savings:over $25MM

Affordable housing

The Phyllis Wheatley YWCA provides 84 rental units to low-income women and was in urgent need of upgrades, including new appliances, new water fixtures, heating systems, lighting system, HVAC system, and solar.

Project cost:$700,000
Income after:$7,000

Office

The Headquarters of the FSFSC worked with the DC PACE program to finance HVAC, windows, lighting, and new kitchen equipment as part of a gut rehab, allowing it to attract new tenants.

Project cost:$2,200,000
Lifetime savings:$2,500,000

PublicationsPublished results

Commercial PACE for affordable multifamily housing2018
Energy efficiency for all, NRDC & VEIC
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Opening C&I solar markets with C‑PACE2017
SEIA and Alta Energy
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Morningstar: clearing the air – Addressing misconceptions about PACE2017
Morningstar ABS Research
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WebinarsLearn about PACE first hand

How to qualify for PACE?

What can PACE fund?

What is PACE?

Who is using PACE?

ArticlesTake a deeper dive into PACE

Thats WACC!
Cash is not free; and a cash investment is not always cheaper than a loan. The cost of money – known as the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) – tells you the cost of the cash that is currently in your bank account. The money in your bank account may...
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How Financing Could Solve Climate Change
An innovation is quietly taking hold and it is on track to make today’s environmental design best practices the status quo before the end of the decade. Already, many of the nation’s largest property owners are using it to retrofit entire portfolios, while major developers are including it in all...
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How to get Approved for Commercial PACE Financing
Commercial PACE funds are lent to borrowers to finance construction projects that improve the operational quality of a property; they are funded by private investors and banks; they give borrowers the option to take long repayment terms, up to 25 years; and they come with unique tax advantages that often...
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Futuristic Green Building Technologies You Won’t Believe
Picture an office that cleans up after itself, improves indoor air quality with nanotech-formulated paint, and responds to sunlight by magically adjusting window tint, all while fighting climate change. Then imagine entering your workspace to find your desk light on and the temperature just as you like it. Though it...
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