See below for more details on upcoming
Board of Directors Meetings.
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December 8 Board of Directors Meeting
Date: December 8, 2021 Time: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Location: Teleconference The Montgomery County Green Bank will be holding a Board of Directors Meeting on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, ET. The public is permitted to attend this meeting. Please RSVP to attend and receive the teleconference information. View the meeting agenda. |
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The Green Bank is working diligently to bring public awareness to our green energy programs.
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Montgomery County Council Proposes
Legislation to Provide
Annual Funding for the Green Bank
On Monday, November 15, Montgomery County Council President Tom Hucker and Councilmember Andrew Friedson hosted a press conference to announce a major climate energy bill to fight climate change by working with the Green Bank. The legislation was introduced on November 16 by Council President Hucker and bill co-sponsors Councilmembers Friedson and Riemer and proposes dedicating 10% of the County’s Energy Tax revenue to the Green Bank.
Green Bank’s CEO, Tom Deyo, provided remarks during the press conference. Additional speakers included Bryan Haaser, Board President of Glen Manor Condominiums that used a Green Bank CLEER loan for energy efficiency program, and Diana Younts, representing the Montgomery County (MoCo) Climate Action Plan Coalition, who is also a participant in the County Solar Coop and recent applicant for a Clean Energy Advantage loan.Please see below for media coverage:
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C-PACE Legislation Introduced for New, Expanded Features for Building Owners Proposed by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has submitted legislation to the County Council that would expand financing opportunities for building owners to improve the energy performance and climate resilience of their buildings to help meet the County’s climate goals. The Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) Financing Amendments bill would expand an existing tool in the market to help building owners undertake energy efficiency measures, meet the new green building code requirements under the 2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC), and be available if the proposed County Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) were adopted. |
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National Funding for Green Banks Defined in Clean Energy Accelerator of Build Back Better Framework
President Biden announced the Build Back Better framework, including funding for a national green bank that can support green banks across the nation. The Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator, which was proposed by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D, MI-12), would support local and state green banks, including the Montgomery County Green Bank.
This national investment will greatly further the positive change of the Green Bank’s inclusive and affordable climate smart solutions and support the continuing accessibility of these offerings to all in our communities.
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The Green Bank is committed to connecting with the community and stakeholders. See below for updates on recent networking and community events.
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Speaking on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Annual Solar Conference of CHESSA
Tom Deyo, CEO of the Green Bank, joined a panel of national and regional solar industry experts on how to be more intentional on inclusion, diversity, and equity in the solar industry. The panel was part of Solar Focus 2021 held by CHESSA (Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association). The November 16 panel explored the needs to be more inclusive as well as the strategies that government, business, and community could take.
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Virtual Contractor Breakfast on
Expanding the Solar PV Market
On Wednesday, November 3, the Green Bank hosted a Solar PV Discussion Panel on “Expanding the Market.” Cindy McCabe, the Green Bank’s Program Manger, hosted an industry roundtable on agrivoltaics, solar manufacturing updates, pricing forecasts, and connecting behind the meter for multifamily properties. The panel, including the County’s Office of Agriculture, CED Greentech, CHESSA, and the Green Bank, led an open conversation on factors impacting solar in the County and in the markets to help participants stay on top of local and national trends.
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Webinar: You’ve Been Benchmarked,
Now What?!
On Tuesday, November 2 the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection hosted a webinar, “You’ve Been Benchmarked, Now What?!” Green Bank’s Director of Commercial Business, Rokas Beresniovas, joined a panel of speakers to discuss how to use benchmarking information to start saving money. Speakers reviewed common energy benchmarking metrics available via ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and the benchmarking scorecards, how to use those to start targeting savings opportunities, and ways to finance those projects.
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Energy Efficiency Discussion at Rockville Chamber of Commerce Meeting
On Tuesday, November 2 the Rockville Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion, “Save Money. Save Energy. Create Value. Help the Environment.” The Green Bank’s CEO, Tom Deyo, joined representatives from Pepco and CQI Associates to discuss the energy cost trends in the market, utility incentives to support energy savings improvements, and funding options for energy efficiency and renewable energy for property and business owners.
The Green Bank has increased its product offerings in the last year to now include C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy), a commercial loan for larger projects, a small business loan offering more flexibilities for small to medium size projects, and a solar PV program that offers no out-of-pocket costs and operating costs benefits.
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Statewide Clean Energy Advantage Program Introduced at Home Performance with Energy Star (HPwES) Virtual Contractor Meeting
ICF hosted the quarterly Home Performance with Energy Star (HPwES) program meeting on Thursday, October 28 for participating contractors and support staff. Along with the Maryland Clean Energy Center, the Green Bank’s Program Manager, Cindy McCabe, provided insight into the upcoming launch of the Maryland Clean Energy Advantage (CEA) Green Home Improvement loan program planned for January 2022. If you have questions about the Maryland CEA Green Home Improvement loan program, email Cindy McCabe.
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WEBINAR: Understanding Green Building
Tax Credits in Montgomery County
This webinar, recorded November 10, 2021, explores the opportunities for commercial and multi-family residential building owners seeking to apply for green building tax credits under the existing Energy and Environmental Design Property tax credit program (being phased out) and the new Energy-Efficient Buildings tax credit program. Presented by Selzer Gurvitch, with representatives from the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS), this webinar provides an overview of the eligibility requirements, deadlines, and incentives available to commercial and multi-family building owners under the Montgomery County green building tax credit programs and other related opportunities. Slides for this webinar are available to download here.
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Online Resources and Events
Take advantage of these resources and webinars while staying-at-home: Clean Energy Solutions Webinar ArchiveView the library of Clean Energy Solutions webinars for topics ranging from home appliance efficiency and benchmarking to breakthrough information on achieving energy savings. New Buildings Institute Webinar ArchiveView NBI’s archive of on-demand webinar recordings on topics including codes and policies to advance net zero to zero net carbon schools. ENERGY STAR Recorded Webinars and Online Contractor TrainingsLearn about the latest ENERGY STAR residential programs about advanced energy efficiency in homes, or revisit your contractor trainings for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR to refresh requirements, objectives, and strategies. Home Energy Score Training WebinarsBrush up on your Home Energy Score understanding with these webinars from the U.S. DOE’s Better Buildings Challenge.
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