Clean Energy Advantage DC Loan Program
Washington, DC residents can borrow $3,000–$35,000 for qualifying home energy improvements, using a participating contractor and applying before work starts.
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The programme, administered by DC Green Bank, offers loans for energy-efficient home improvements with or without assets pledged as security for repayment. Repayment terms are 3, 5 or 10 years. Clean Energy Credit Union assesses your credit and approves the loan separately from the programme’s project assessment.
Examples include ENERGY STAR-certified smart thermostats, LED lighting and fixtures, and induction stoves or cooktops. Other measures have their own technical requirements on the programme page. Solar, electric vehicles, electric bikes and geothermal systems are labelled “coming soon” rather than currently available.
The lender pays the proceeds to your contractor in one payment after the project is fully complete and you have signed the loan documents. Projects needing separate payments to multiple contractors are not suitable. You repay the borrowed money with interest over the agreed term; the lender describes its rates as fixed and allows early repayment without an added penalty.
Eligibility
- You must be a Washington, DC resident and your proposed improvements must pass the programme’s measure-specific assessment. Use a contractor on the programme’s participating-contractor list.
- Obtain both project approval from the programme and loan approval from Clean Energy Credit Union before starting work.
- Your contractor must provide at least a one-year workmanship warranty. These loans are intended for smaller home improvements, rather than new construction or major renovations.
- You must join Clean Energy Credit Union. If you are not already eligible, you can request free Solar United Neighbors membership through your membership application. Open a savings share account with a minimum $5 deposit to become a credit union member.
How to apply
- Statut
- Candidatures au fil de l’eau
- Conditions de cette période de candidature
- Project and loan approval are required before work begins.
Get a proposal from a participating contractor, then register as a customer in the CEA application portal. The programme encourages the contractor to submit the DC application on your behalf.
Part one asks for applicant and installation information, the planned measures and completion date, contractor and loan details, your utility bill and the contractor’s quote. After submitting part one, proceed with the lender’s credit assessment and membership process. Begin work only after both approvals. Part two requires the final sales invoice and signed affidavit; the lender then requires signed loan documents for its final payment to the contractor.