Article 4. Home Energy Loan Program.

is a participating contractor/auditor with the Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program; or

meets other equivalent requirements approved by the Director.

reduces the consumption of energy in the home, including:

meets safety and performance standards set by a nationally recognized testing laboratory for that kind of device, if these standards are available.

assure that a home’s energy efficiency is accurately measured; and

identify cost effective steps that can be taken to improve a home’s energy efficiency.

the County’s current cost of borrowing funds or the cost, if any, of federal funds made available to the County for this purpose; and

the cost of administering the Program.

solar;

wind;

geothermal; and

any other energy source or technology which the Director finds is derived from natural processes that do not involve the consumption of exhaustible resources.

creates, converts, or actively uses renewable energy;

is permanently installed on the home or property; and

meets safety and performance standards set by a nationally recognized testing laboratory for that kind of device, if these standards are available.

improve energy efficiency;

promote energy conservation;

reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and

reduce consumption of fossil fuels by County residents; and

create jobs.

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.

To be eligible for a loan under this Program, a property owner must:

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.

The term of the loan must be 15 years. However, the Director may set a longer loan term by regulation.

Use of funds for an energy efficiency improvement.

Use of funds for a renewable energy device.

An applicant for a loan under this Program must have an submit to the County a home energy audit performed on the owner’s home by a certified energy auditor.

The auditor must prepare a written report that:

The cost of the audit may be included in the amount of the loan.

The owner of single-family home must agree to repay the loan amount borrowed, amortized over 15 years, through the County property tax bill for that home.

If the owner of the single-family home sells the home, the seller must disclose that the buyer must continue to repay the loan through the property tax bill.

The loan amount and any accrued interest constitute a first lien on the real property to which the loan applies until paid. The loan amount and accrued interest are collectable by suit or tax sale like all other real property taxes, to the extent allowed by State law. If the property owner does not pay the loan and accrued interest as required, the property may be certified to the Department of Finance and the lien may be sold at the tax sale conducted by the County.

lending standards and priorities;

minimum and maximum loan amounts;

interest rates, terms, and conditions;

application procedures, including necessary supporting documentations;

criteria for adequate security;

procedures to refer applicants to other sources of funds, and to cooperate with other public and private sources of funds;

procedures to ask the Director to reconsider any denial of a loan or any decision on interest rates, terms, and conditions;

procedures for nonpayment or default;

procedures and requirements for post-installation inspection;

disclosure requirements for real estate transactions; and

criteria for loan disbursement.

Definitions. In this Section, the following words have the meanings indicated:

The Fund consists of:

The Department must:

the number of recipients of loans;

the amount of funds loaned; and

any activities during the previous fiscal year to market the Program.

The County may contract with a non-profit or for-profit organization to take any action necessary to fulfill the purposes of this Article, including:

The County, or a contractor for the County, may charge an applicant or borrower usual and customary fees that the Department finds is consistent with the overall goals of the Program and will not inhibit utilization of the Program, including: