A $65,000 energy-saving project at the Kerrytown Market & Shops in downtown Ann Arbor is expected to save tenants anywhere from $500 to $5,000 a year on their electric bills.
The project is one of four being funded this year though a special assessment district set up by the city that allows businesses to get long-term, lower-cost loans to make energy improvements. including lighting, insulation, heating and cooling systems, reducing water use and adding renewable energy sources, such as solar and geothermal.
Ann Arbor was the first municipality in Michigan to set up a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) district under legislation passed in 2010, but the idea is starting to catch on elsewhere. Read more.