Pinellas County home and business owners who want to make their properties more environmentally friendly could soon have a new source of financing.
Pinellas County leaders are cautiously moving ahead with a new countywide program that would allow property owners to borrow money for certain home improvement projects and repay them through a special assessment added to their property tax bills.
The program, known as Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, provides loans to pay for improvements that reduce energy consumption, such as adding solar panels to a roof or installing new loft insulation. It could also be used to pay for items such as storm-proof windows or new roofs that better protect homes and businesses from hurricanes and storms. Read more.