Tag: energy efficiency (Page 4 of 5)

Revolving Credit – All Grown Up

February 20, 2013 / Jennifer Weiss

Jen Weiss is a Finance Analyst at the Environmental Finance Center.

Quick … what do you think of when you hear the word “revolving?” A revolving door? A revolving restaurant? Perhaps a revolving credit card?

In the environmental finance world, the term “revolving” is being paired up with the equally unassuming term “green” to create an effective energy efficiency and renewable energy financing tool called a green revolving fund. At its core, it is a revolving credit instrument, operating much like a credit card which, according to Merriam-Webster, is a pretty straight forward financial tool: “a credit which may be used repeatedly up to the limit specified after partial or total repayments have been made.” But a green revolving fund is not your everyday Visa or Mastercard with a $5,000 upper limit. It is the more sophisticated older sibling of the credit card, the sibling that has grown up and gone off to college. And while it is there, it is making a significant contribution to the bottom line.

State Green Banks: Funding a Greener Tomorrow, Today

January 30, 2013 / Christopher Kenrick

Chris Kenrick is a Research Assistant at the Environmental Finance Center and is pursuing dual master’s degrees in information science and public administration.

If any of you are like me, then you probably spent a good portion of last Monday waiting to hear what President Obama would make the centerpiece of his second inaugural address. After a few incredible performances, and a couple glimpses of funny looking hats, we heard, among other priorities:

“The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it.”

Survey Says: Some in NC Using Green Financial Incentives, Elsewhere Regulations

October 11, 2012 /

Dayne Batten is a Research Assistant for the EFC and second year MPA student at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Government.

NC Local governments surveyed indicated a diversity in policies, ranging from financial incentives for green building projects to regulations affecting alternative energy installations.

Alternative energy facilities, green site design features, and green building techniques (such as those required for LEED certification) are a promising way for citizens, businesses, and governments to minimize the environmental impacts of construction projects. Seizing on these opportunities for environmental responsibility, many local governments have provided incentive programs for green construction in their zoning ordinances. Other governments, seeking to walk a fine line between environmental friendliness and aesthetics, have regulated various features of alternative energy installations. But how many local governments are doing this? And what, specifically, are they doing?

Three States, Three Different Statutory Frameworks for PACE Programs

October 4, 2012 / Matt Harris

Matt Harris is the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator for the Environmental Finance Center. Adam Parker and Jeff Hughes wrote the paper referenced below, which is available on the Environmental Finance Center website at: http://efc.unc.edu/publications.html#PACE

While watching the presidential debate last night I was particularly struck by one contentious issue that surfaced as a sharp disconnect between the two candidates: the age-old debate between the role of federal government versus the role of state and local governments. Although not entirely surprising to see in a presidential race, the plea by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for states’ autonomy and President Barack Obama’s fierce defense of federal oversight sounded like two men on soap boxes at the turn of the nineteenth century, perhaps with anti-federalist and federalist papers respectively in hand. So it’s fitting to post today about a financial tool for clean energy that remains beholden to the variance in policy landscapes across states.

Clean Energy Durham makes headway in achieving energy efficiency in Halifax EMC territory.

September 6, 2012 /

Christine E. Boyle, PhD is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Environmental Finance Center. Dr. Boyle investigates new models for sustainable local water and energy provision.

In the world of energy efficiency programming, relatively few programs have focused on the unique challenges that rural, low-income electricity cooperatives face in managing residential demand and lowering customer bills.

In 2012, the Environmental Finance Center carried out a quantitative impact evaluation of one such program, Clean Energy Durham’s community-based workshops and trainings in Warren County, North Carolina. We evaluated how attending a Clean Energy Durham workshop impacted households’ energy consumption, by comparing electricity bills before and after the workshops in these households, with households that did not attend. Continue reading

Tag: energy efficiency (Page 4 of 5)

Revolving Credit – All Grown Up

State Green Banks: Funding a Greener Tomorrow, Today

Survey Says: Some in NC Using Green Financial Incentives, Elsewhere Regulations

Three States, Three Different Statutory Frameworks for PACE Programs

Clean Energy Durham makes headway in achieving energy efficiency in Halifax EMC territory.

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