Berkeley FIRST
Financing Initiative for Renewable and Solar Technology 

Berkeley FIRST is the City of Berkeley's solar financing program. The recently concluded pilot program provided property owners an opportunity to borrow money from the City’s Sustainable Energy Financing District for the installation of solar photovoltaic electric systems.  The pilot was the first in the nation to finance the cost of solar installations through an annual special tax on the homeowner's property tax bill that is repaid over 20 years.  The tax is only paid by Berkeley property owners who voluntarily participated in the Berkeley FIRST program.

Berkeley FIRST was designed to solve many of the financial hurdles facing property owners who wanted to install solar systems. The advantages of the Berkeley FIRST program are:

• There is relatively little up-front cost to the property owner.
• The cost for the solar system is paid for through a special tax on the property, and is spread over 20 years.
• The financing costs are comparable to a traditional equity line or mortgage.
• Since the solar system stays with the property, so does the tax obligation—if the property is transferred or sold, the new owners will pay the remaining tax obligation.

Pilot Program

The FIRST program concluded its pilot phase in November. The pilot program used Berkeley’s powers as a charter city to provide property owners an opportunity to borrow money from the City’s Sustainable Energy Financing District.  Thirteen solar installation projects, distributed throughout Berkeley, received funding through the Berkeley FIRST pilot program. 

Renewable Funding LLC, the third party administrator for the Berkeley FIRST program, conducted the application process and administered the program. 

Evaluation and Next Steps

The City of Berkeley continues to encourage the installation of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal systems.  (Please see resources below.) Legislation to create financing programs like Berkeley FIRST have been adopted by many states and localities.  Vice President Biden recently endorsed the Berkeley FIRST model as a national strategy for clean energy.  Based on the evaluation of the pilot, Berkeley is working with a state-wide consortium to develop a California First program to tap into efficiencies of scale and expand the program to include energy efficiency improvements and solar thermal rather than continuing the program on its own. 

To view a copy of the evaluation of the pilot program, see Berkeley FIRST Initial Evaluation.  In addition, the City of Berkeley has produced a guide on how to institute property tax based financing districts; to download, see Berkeley FIRST Guide.

Additional Resources

Rebates: see California Solar Initiative (CSI) and IRS for Federal Energy Tax Credits.

Permits: see the Solar Photovoltaic Permit Guide and Solar Permit Checklist.

Free Solar Analysis: contact Community Energy Services Corporation, a nonprofit organization partnering with the City to provide technical advising services; see the SmartSolar Program. Community Energy Services Corporation can be reached at 510-981-7750.

Solarmap and Solar Calculator:The Berkeley Solar Map is an interactive tool for viewing existing solar installations in Berkeley.  It also allows users to determine the potential size and cost for solar systems. The solar calculator was designed to estimate the cost or savings to go solar.  

The Berkeley FIRST Program is funded by grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Berkeley FIRST Program Frequently Asked Questions

Berkeley FIRST Legislative History - Links to City Council reports & legislation


1st financed installation  -Courtesy Sungevity Corp. 

Check the Updates link for the most current announcements.  Subscribe here for update notifications on Berkeley FIRST, Berkeley's Climate Action Plan and other City programs.  If you have questions about the program, you may email us at solar@ci.berkeley.ca.us.

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