Solar Power Shines
Santa Fe’s sun is good for more than being outdoors: Renewable power, like that produced by solar panels, is ideal here. But installing them can seem daunting and expensive. Enter the Neighborhood Energy Improvement Program, a loan program initiated in January that offers energy-efficiency financing at 3.75 percent to households earning less than $99,000 per year. Homewise, a Santa Fe nonprofit providing financial and technical assistance to homeowners, teamed up with the city in a matching-fund pool, with each entity contributing $300,000 to the program. “We’ve gotten a lot of really excited responses,” says Rebecca Sobel, of Santa Fe–based WildEarth Guardians, a nonprofit with a vision of a 100 percent renewable-energy New Mexico. She adds that more than 200 people have pre-enrolled for loans, which are capped at $30,000. “Most of them were interested in the solar aspect of the program,” she says, but she stresses that energy efficiency in general is vital. Nick Schiavo, the city’s energy specialist, says loans can be taken out for improvements ranging from new windows and doors to photovoltaic systems and solar hot-water heaters. “People who didn’t have the means to do it now can, through a lower-interest loan,” he says. “Will this program single-handedly solve the city’s renewable-energy issue? No way. Will it spark interest? I hope so.” Sobel agrees. “New Mexico ranks sixth in the nation in terms of wind potential,” she says. “Some parts of the state have 300 days of full sunshine a year. Renewable energy is a no-brainer.” Info: 505-983-9473, homewise.org
