Going Solar in Berkeley

Berkeley, CA has just launched a loan program for property owners who wish to install solar panels on their roofs. Despite a frail economy, the city council is optimistic about the program's success.

1 minute read

September 18, 2008, 5:00 AM PDT

By Judy Chang

"The program, said Daniel M. Kammen, a professor of energy at the University of California at Berkeley and director of the school's Institute of the Environment, is designed to entice people who might be scared away by the high initial cost of retrofitting homes to incorporate solar power or become more energy efficient.

It allows homeowners 'to think about creating clean-energy homes with basically no cost' up front, he added.

Participating homeowners would pay roughly $180 more per month on their property tax bills, though much of that cost could be expected to be recouped in savings on electrical bills."

FULL STORY: Berkeley Approves City-Backed Loans for Solar Panels

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 in The New York Times

Energy California Berkeley Solar Panels

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