Tag: Solar Thu, March 18, 2010
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Santa Cruz’s Spendy Solar Program
Jan 17, 2010, by Curtis Cartier Environment
As Santa Cruz’s much-trumpeted Renewable Energy Assessment District inches closer to implementation, its fate increasingly seems tied to the 9 percent interest rate participants would pay to join. The program, dubbed CaliforniaFIRST and administered by the quasi–public organization California Communities, would let homeowners purchase alternative energy systems like solar panels with loans financed by the sale of “special district”-issued bonds. The plan targets homeowners that lack enough home equity or good credit to qualify for a bank-issued loan.
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Santa Cruz Group Gears Up for Life After Cheap Oil
Jun 18, 2009, by Alastair Bland Environment
In late May, a small grassroots organization called Transition Santa Cruz convened for an evening meeting at the police station on Center Street. The subject of the hour was how the community could bolster Santa Cruz’s public transportation system and steer residents away from sprawl and dependency on cars for every outing and errand. Led in part by Micah Posner, director of the cycling advocacy group People Power, the discussion quickly veered into a debate over whether or not high-density housing would facilitate a public rail system or do the opposite and lead to more cars on the streets.
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Santa Cruz Ponders Alternative Energy Tax District
Jun 01, 2009, by Curtis Cartier Environment
Santa Cruz City Councilmember Mike Rotkin spent $63,000 to outfit his house with solar panels. Using the equity in his home and good credit, he easily qualified for a loan from Santa Cruz Community Credit Union and expects to have it paid off in seven years. Considering his savings in energy costs, Rotkin calls investing in solar energy “a no-brainer.” But not everyone has the kind of home equity and credit that qualified the politician and UCSC lecturer for a solar loan.
