(a) The Director may loan funds to an owner of a single-family home to fund eligible costs to make an energy efficiency improvement that is projected to be cost effective or install a renewable energy device in the single-family home, up to the maximum loan amount set by regulation.
(b) To be eligible for a loan under this Program, a property owner must:
(1) have a home energy audit performed on the owner’s single-family home by a certified energy auditor, as required under Section 18A-27; and
(2) have the energy efficience improvement completed or renewable energy device installed in the time frame set by regulation; and
(3) agree to repay the loan amount borrowed through the County tax bill for that home, as required by Section 18A-28.
(c) The Department of Permitting Services must certify that the improvement or device for which the funds were loaned has been property installed. The Department must accept a certification by another government agency, including a municipality, that the improvement or device has been properly installed. The County Executive may assign the responsibility under this subsection to another entity, including a third party. However, the entity responsible for certifying that the improvement or device has been properly installed must not be the entity that installed the improvement or device.
(d) The term of the loan must be 15 years. However, the Director may set a longer loan term by regulation.
(e) Use of funds for an energy efficiency improvement.
(1) A person may borrow funds for eligible costs to make an energy efficiency improvement, less any amount received from a public or private program because the improvement is or will be made.
(2) Except as provided by subsection (e)(3), funds must be loaned only for an energy efficiency improvement that is projected to be cost effective.
(3) Funds may be loaned for an energy efficiency improvement that is not cost effective if that improvement is part of a package of improvements financed under the Program that cumulatively is cost effective.
(f) Use of funds for a renewable energy device.
(1) Except as provided in (f)(2), a person may borrow funds for eligible costs to install a renewable energy device only if the single-family home meets energy efficiency criteria established by the Department.
(2) A person may borrow funds to install a renewable energy device on a single- family home that does not meet the energy efficiency criteria in (f)(1) if the device is cost effective.
(3) A person may borrow funds for eligible costs to install a renewable energy device, less any amount received from a public or private program because the device is or will be installed. (2009 L.M.C., ch. 8, § 1.)