Program Overview
CDFA’s Clean Energy Fund invests in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean technology projects that reduce costs for New Hampshire businesses, non-profits, and municipalities and helps to: address New Hampshire’s energy challenges in a fiscally and environmentally responsible manner; reduce New Hampshire’s contribution to global climate impacts; and reduce barriers for equitable access to the many benefits of clean energy.
Capitalized at over $9 Million, CDFA’s Clean Energy Fund merges three individual revolving loan funds dedicated to financing energy-efficiency improvements and clean / renewable energy initiatives into a single program and application process, providing low-interest loans along with energy technical assistance and project funding guidance.
Funding for the program comes from a combination of Federal and State sources as well CDFA’s own funds.
Program Objectives
- Offer financing options for New Hampshire businesses, non-profits, and municipalities to implement clean energy projects that:
- Reduce operating costs
- Reduce energy use and its related environmental and climate impacts
- Improve non-energy benefits including: Building durability, occupant comfort, safety, and health, and workplace productivity;
- Increase access to clean energy and its associated benefits for all NH residents.
- Provide technical assistance to prospective borrowers as well as to contractors and partners in all stages of project development;
- Complement CDFA’s grant programs with financing tools and technical support for projects with expected annual energy and cost savings;
- Coordinate with non-CDFA funding sources to enable a creative approach to financing;
- Develop public-private partnerships, de-risking private investment;
- Structure loans to ensure project savings are equal to or greater than annual debt service payments.
- Provide programmatic and underwriting flexibility to support projects that benefit priority populations and/or priority communities, utilize newer clean energy technology, substantially exceed current state energy code, and/or improve community, organizational, or facility resiliency.
DEFINITIONS
Definitions of key program terms should be used to further clarify the program priorities. A full list of CDFA definitions is available here on our Resource Hub.