Welcome to GoGreen Financing.

Making the Golden State greener by helping Californians make energy-saving upgrades to their homes and businesses.

Green means go.

We are part of the California Hub for Energy Efficiency Financing (CHEEF), a state-administered program working towards a cleaner and more energy-efficient California. Funds from investor-owned utility ratepayers power our program, and we partner with finance providers and local contractors to make it happen. CHEEF is administered by the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA), which is housed in the California State Treasurer’s Office. Learn more on the CAEATFA website. The CHEEF and a series of energy efficiency financing pilot programs were authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and developed in collaboration with the investor-owned utilities:

  • Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E®)

  • Southern California Edison (SCE®)

  • Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas®)

  • San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E®)

Program Goals

The State of California has ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change.

An important part of achieving these goals and improving air quality is reducing energy use in existing buildings. Billions of dollars are needed for the upgrades, and there is simply not enough government or utility company funding to pay for these investments. The energy efficiency financing programs seek to:

  • bring about broader and deeper energy savings than can be realized through traditional utility rebate and incentive programs

  • make more private capital available for energy upgrades, so customers have access to financing to make their homes and businesses more comfortable and efficient

  • help traditionally underserved customers access attractive financing

Benefit from GoGreen Financing.

  • Customers can enjoy affordable financing rates and terms.

  • Finance companies attract new members and customers.

  • Contractors and energy service companies (ESCOs) can access broader energy efficiency projects.

  • The State of California reaches its energy savings goals.

Program features

The programs offer finance companies a credit enhancement in the form of a loss reserve. The loss reserve helps mitigate the risk for finance companies because they can access these funds in the case of a default. This allows the finance companies to offer more attractive terms – like lower rates, larger amounts to borrow, or longer time periods for repayment – than they otherwise could. The credit enhancement also allows finance companies to approve financing for a wider base of borrowers than they otherwise could, like homeowners with lower credit scores or small businesses with only a few years of operating history. Additionally, the small business program offers an on-bill repayment option. This allows customers to make, and finance companies to receive, convenient payments for financing charges through the bills of all four investor-owned utilities using the CHEEF infrastructure.

Explore program details.

Learn more about program eligibility and guidelines.

  • For residential properties of 1 to 4 units, including townhomes, condos or manufactured homes.

  • Available to owners and renters (with owner’s permission). Please note: self-install measures do not require owner’s permission.

  • To be eligible, property must receive electricity, gas or both from one of the following utilities: PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas, SDG&E, or City of Palo Alto Utilities.

  • At least 70% of the credit-enhanced portion of the loan must be used for Eligible Energy Efficiency measures.

  • You can use up to 30% credit-enhanced portion of the loan for other home improvements.

  • Loans of up to $50,000 are supported. However, individual lenders can set lower loan limits if they choose to do so.

  • Program rules set a minimum credit score of 580 and maximum debt-to-income (DTI) ratio of 55% for standard loans, but individual lenders may set stricter criteria. Loans under $5,000 are not subject to a DTI requirement.

  • The full program was approved by the CPUC in April 2020.

    • View the GoGreen Home Energy Financing program regulations here.

  • Eligibility requires that business properties receive a utility bill from at least one of the following investor-owned utilities: PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas, SDG&E.

  • To be eligible, businesses and nonprofits must meet one of the following size requirements:

    • 100 or fewer employees
    • Annual revenues of less than $15 million.
    • Meet SBA small business size requirements (annual revenue limits range from $1 million to $41.5 million depending on industry)

  • The first $1 million of each enrolled financing agreement will receive a loss reserve contribution.

  • Participating finance companies can recover up to 90% in the event of charge-off.

  • At least 70% of the credit-enhanced portion of the loan must be used for Energy Savings Measures or demand response. You can use up to 30% for other improvements. Additional non-energy improvements can be financed, but that portion of the financing will not receive the credit enhancement.

  • Distributed generation (DG) improvements, like solar photovoltaic (PV), may be financed but will not be credit-enhanced.

  • Loans, leases, equipment financing agreements, service agreements, and savings-based payment agreements up to $5 million are supported.

  • Finance payments are made directly to the finance company or through the customer’s utility bill.

  • View the GoGreen Business Energy Financing program regulations here.

     

  • Eligibility requires that business properties receive a utility bill from at least one of the following investor-owned utilities: PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas, SDG&E.

  • Properties of 5 or more units where at least 50% of units are income-restricted (Low to Moderate Income) are eligible.

  • Up to $1 million of each enrolled financing will receive a loan loss reserve contribution.

  • At least 70% of the credit-enhanced portion of the loan must be used for Energy Saving Measures or demand response. Up to 30% can be used for other improvements.

  • Lenders may finance distributed generation like solar photovoltaic (PV), but will not receive a credit enhancement for that portion of the loan.

  • Loans, leases, energy service agreements, and equipment financing agreements up to $10 million are supported.

  • Finance payments are made directly to the finance company.

  • View the GoGreen Affordable Multifamily Energy Financing program regulations here