Adam and his family live at the end of a dirt road on a mountain in western Massachusetts. Worries about losing power were in the back of his mind.

Being environmentally conscious, he looked into adding solar panels to his home to mitigate energy costs and wanted to add a backup battery in the event of a power failure. But when Adam looked at some initial estimates he was overcome by sticker shock.

"When I looked at the cost of doing solar, I thought how the heck am I going to pay that," he said.

In discussing various options, Adam's contractor, Valley Solar, told him about the Energy Saver Home Loan Program (ESHLP) through MassHousing and the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank (MCCB).

The ESHLP helps eligible Massachusetts homeowners cut their energy use by at least 20 percent and reduce or eliminate their reliance on fossil fuels. It provides low-interest rate, second-mortgage loans that support a variety of energy-related home improvements. Another benefit of the program is participants receive guidance on available incentives and tax credits to lower the cost of their home energy projects.

"When I looked at the interest rates for other loans out there, there really was no option. If I didn't get this (ESHLP) loan, this project would not have happened at all," said Adam.

Energy Saver Home Loans are made in partnership with Concierge Service Providers (CSPs), who will guide you through all aspects of the home energy improvement process. The CSP covering Adam’s community is Center for Eco Technology (CET).

"At CET, we are proud to support customers like Adam in turning their solar projects into reality through the Energy Saver Home Loan Program, where the unique combination of a 20-year loan term and a low interest rate plays a central role in making clean energy upgrades financially achievable. In Adam's case, these features were exactly what made his project feasible and allowed him to move forward with confidence," said CET Value Stream Manager II Simon Siher Bentolila.

After consulting with CET, which confirmed Adam was eligible for an ESHLP loan, Adam was referred to Abode Energy Management, the Energy Service Provider for the ESHLP. Mike Simons, a Decarbonization Consultant from Abode, conducted a no-cost assessment of Adam's home and provided him with a detailed report of solutions that would reduce the home's energy usage by an estimated 85 percent and reduce its CO2 emissions by nine tons a year.

In addition to installing solar panels to reduce his energy usage, Adam had heat pumps installed for cooling and some heating of the home which is primarily heated by a propane boiler. He was also able to install a backup battery in the event he lost power, which was an important thing he wanted to have based on his home’s location.

"This project is exactly what the program was built for. Adam understands the practical realities of living on a mountain in western Massachusetts and the grid vulnerabilities that come with it," said Abode's Mike Simons. "Transitioning from propane as his primary heating fuel to installing heat pumps and solar PV allows him to be more in control of both operating costs and energy production. We were able to take what he knew about his home and turn his goals into a project plan, creating an energy model that showed him the project impacts and walked him through how the affordable financing made the whole thing viable. When everyone's working from a shared understanding, the project planning goes smoothly, and this one did."

Adam used Holyoke Credit Union to obtain his ESHLP loan.

"As someone who loves the outdoors and has a young child, I've always felt a responsibility to protect the environment for the next generation," said Adam. "With my technical background, I was drawn to the idea of energy independence through solar. Living at the end of a mountain dirt road, adding a backup battery was essential. Now, we have total peace of mind whenever the grid goes down."

The ability to use heat pumps for cooling will also be a welcome addition when the weather is hot.

"A single bedroom AC unit wasn't enough for the hotter months. The goal was to upgrade to heat pumps so we could finally manage the temperature of the entire house, year-round," said Adam.

Adam worked with Valley Solar who, with Abode, helped guide him through the process of obtaining his loan and completing the project.

"Everything has gone well, and I've been happy with everyone involved," Adam noted. "The process was straightforward because Valley Solar stayed ahead of the curve. Even as a smaller company, they really know how to navigate the documentation, and Abode worked right alongside them to get the final paperwork finished."

The Massachusetts Community Climate Bank at MassHousing, with resources like the ESHLP, is working to accelerate investments to decarbonize the building sector in Massachusetts. As the Commonwealth transitions to a net zero future, MCCB promotes an equitable transition to clean energy by addressing the needs of low- and moderate-income households and environmental justice communities.

"We are proud to help customers like Adam transition off of delivered fuels and make their homes more comfortable and more affordable to live in. The addition of solar and battery storage also provides peace of mind, knowing you won't lose power in a storm,"  said Maggie Super Church, MCCB Director of Policies and Programs.