San Diego Solar Install Offers Riverside Property Owners New Financing Option With HERO Program

SAN DIEGO - May 21, 2013 - PRLog -- We all know that decreasing your home's energy usage helps the environment and your wallet. California's Riverside County HERO financing program has helped over 6000 Riverside homeowners finance over $100 million in water and energy efficient upgrades since the program started in 2012.

What is the HERO program?

The HERO program helps homeowners purchase many types of energy and water efficient products and renewable energy systems like SOLAR (there are currently over 150,000 eligible products). The HERO Program is offered through a partnership between Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) and Renovate America, Inc.

What is the programs purpose?

The Hero program’s purpose is threefold; to provide low interest rate financing to spark the local economy by creating jobs, to reduce property utility costs, and to help the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Program provides HERO Financing for permanently affixed energy efficiency, water efficiency, and renewable (Solar) energy products (Eligible Products). HERO Financing is repaid through an assessment on your property tax bill over 5-20 years, based on the useful life of the products, and upon sale of the property, the balance generally stays with the property.

How does the program work?

You, your property, and your new energy efficient products must all meet the HERO programs eligibility requirements in order to qualify for HERO Financing.

Some of the homeowner eligibility criteria are:

• Must be the property owner(s) of record
• Current on their property taxes for the prior twelve (12) months
• Property owner(s) must certify that the property taxes for this property have not been paid late more than once during the prior three (3) years (or since purchase if owned for less than three (3) years)
• No late payments on property debt for the past twelve months (through funding)
• No liens on the property
• No bankruptcy in the past seven years and property is not currently an assest in a bankruptcy proceeding
• Eligible Product costs cannot exceed 10% of the property’s market value
• Mortgage-related debt on the property may not exceed 90% of the property’s value
• Manufactured and mobile homes must be attached to the property, own the underlying land, and pay real property taxes (not DMV fees)

(You can review specific eligibility requirements by downloading the HERO Program Handbook http://herofinancing.com/Content/Documents/WRCOG_HEROProg... )

Who may install HERO financed products?

Only contractors registered with the WRCOG HERO Program or a property owner who has signed a Self-Install Agreement may install HERO Financed Eligible Products. (San Diego Solar Install is a registered HERO contractor) Note: property owners who elect to self-Install their HERO financed products will not be reimbursed for their time and labor.

How do I apply for the program?

Once you determine that you are eligible for HERO there are 2 ways to apply for the program. You can apply online at www.herofinancing.com or if you are planning on financing a solar energy system please contact San Diego Solar Install at www.sandiegosolarinstall.com.

With the undeniable success of the HERO program here in Riverside County, program officials are hopeful that it will expand into other communities throughout California. If you live in an area outside of Riverside please check with your local city and county governments to see if they are familiar with the program. There is no reason why every county in California can't be leading the way in making home and business property's as energy efficient as possible.

About San Diego Solar Install

San Diego Solar Install is a family owned and operated Solar Energy contracting company (C-46 Licensed). San Diego Solar Install has been installing award winning solar power systems throughout Riverside and San Diego Counties since 2009. San Diego Solar Install is now a registered HERO Low Interest Financing Program Contractor. Please visit their website at: http://www.sandiegosolarinstall.com for more information.