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Finance solutions

for an inclusive clean energy future

Fund climate solutions for all people in your market.

We lead the charge for outcome-driven equitable energy finance solutions that advance clean energy, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Financing is often the largest barrier to entry for participation in these programs; our solutions pave the way for a fair clean energy future.

Do you need financing options to drive participation in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs? We can help you design, implement, and promote loan programs that respond to the specific needs of your residential market.

Are you looking to offer large-scale financing solutions for sustainable urban development and retrofits? With decades of expertise and the know-how to bring partners together for comprehensive funding programs, we build solutions that respond to ever-changing market needs.

Since 1995, Slipstream’s Energy Finance Solutions (EFS) division has partnered with hundreds of utilities, state agencies, municipalities, cooperatives, financial institutions, and contractors. We design, implement, and promote flexible energy finance solutions for homeowners and businesses that improve access to healthier, more comfortable buildings.

Our financing solutions help lower barriers to entry for customers. When more customers participate in programs, contractors can hire more crews to perform energy efficient retrofits or renewable installations. Typically, those crews come from small businesses, thus growing local jobs in the clean energy economy.

Solutions We Want to Scale with You

On-Bill Programs:

Traditional On-Bill Financing: We can facilitate programs in which loan payments are made directly through a customer’s utility bill. Program participation increases when OBF is paired with inclusive underwriting.
Pay as You Save (PAYS)®: PAYS is a highly effective inclusive utility investment program. Utilities invest in energy efficiency upgrades for customers. The utility recovers costs with a fixed monthly tariffed charge lower than expected annual energy savings. PAYS doesn’t require a credit check or income verification.
On-Bill Recovery: We can implement solutions that allow businesses to repay loans on their utility bill so the energy savings cover the loan payment. We handle all program administration and make sure the program is convenient for the business.

Income-Based Repayment:

We can scale solutions proven in other markets that combine loans and grants to vary loan repayment based on family size and income. Lower payments for families with lower incomes improve participation.

Inclusive Underwriting:

When underwriting criteria look at utility payment history rather than credit score or debt-to-income ratio, more people are eligible to participate in energy-saving programs. Inclusive underwriting practices pair well with other methods of financing.

Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) Financing:

C-PACE programs are an easy and effective way to drive energy efficiency, water conservation, and clean energy improvements in commercial properties. Recent changes to Wisconsin C-PACE financing make even more projects feasible.

Unsecured Programs

We offer traditional, unsecured loans for multifamily housing projects, small businesses, and commercial and industrial projects.

My husband and I raise our 10-yr old granddaughter, which deems us categorically eligible for programs our utility provides. I recently found myself overwhelmed with personal problems and in the unfamiliar circumstances of being less than diligent in complying with what was required of me to secure a loan from EFS.

While attending to some serious issues for my granddaughter, I embarrassingly made several errors on the application, such failing to include my husband on the application as a co-borrower.

I consider the patience and guidance extended from EFS staff the epitome of what Customer Service should be."

— Customer in New York

An illustration of a happy customer

Tools and Support You Need to Deliver Efficient Energy Financing Programs

Energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades are one solution to the climate crisis, but many consumers and businesses struggle to find affordable financing options. Upgrades are often too large for credit card purchases and too small for home and building equity loans. Traditional lenders don’t know the energy efficiency market well enough to develop effective lending programs. That's where we come in.

Financing program design and advisory services:

We offer a full-service, customizable approach to financing from start to finish. We can design, build, source capital for, implement, and promote a financing program that aligns with your mission and goals.

Capital partnerships:

We have experience matching programs and funding resources in many areas. We can help you:

establish revolving loan funds
partner with private investors and regulated financial institutions
install emerging credit enhancement measures
manage property-assessed financing programs

Marketing, Education, and Outreach (ME&O):

We offer full-service support for the financing program we implement with you. From marketing to education, we ensure your contractors are fully prepared to support the program and deliver appropriate information to customers. We also provide outreach to contractors to build a network to support your financing program.

Could these solutions benefit you?

Do you want to pioneer a new clean energy finance solution?

Contact us to see how we can help!

Homeowner?
See if there are any available funding opportunities in your area.

Homeowners

Business Owner?
Find funding opportunities to support your growth.

Business Owners

Contractor?
See how we can help you empower your customers.

Contractors

Multifamily resident or property owner?
See if there are any available funding opportunities in your area.

Multifamily

Lower interest rates for people with lower incomes: Slipstream improves equity in clean energy finance with innovative New York program

Slipstream continues to partner with NYSERDA to achieve New York’s ambitious clean energy goals as mandated by the state’s Climate Act.

May 18, 2022

Financing arrows in the decarbonization quiver

There are six factors to drive the most impact from financing in your market. Here's how to decide which financing arrow to pull out of your utility's quiver.

April 25, 2022

Wisconsin Passes New C-PACE Law to Expand Sustainability Efforts

Slipstream, the state-wide PACE program administrator, will work with stakeholders to update measures and educate the 47 participating counties on the changes and new opportunities Act 175 makes possible.

April 8, 2022

Don't get left behind: Amplify equitable energy finance with IIJA funds

Read our best practices for equitable and impactful distribution as you consider how to apply IIJA funds to expand or establish energy efficiency and renewable energy financing programs.

January 31, 2022

Slipstream and EEtility join forces to bring Pay as You Save (PAYS) inclusive energy efficiency investment programs to the Northeast and Midwest

Slipstream and EEtility enter a strategic agreement to scale Pay as You Save (PAYS), a proven inclusive utility investment model that enables energy efficiency upgrades without imposing debt on consumers.

January 26, 2022

Pay as You Save: A forward-looking model for home retrofits

A new partnership between Slipstream and EEtility will drive equitable decarbonization while reducing that initial cost barrier by scaling the Pay as You Save (PAYS) model.

December 1, 2021

2020 Innovations: On-bill financing brings energy-efficient upgrades to rural homes

Scaling energy efficiency means making programs more equitable. As we expand programs to serve more people's energy needs, we must help the people who have the highest energy burden. Why should utilities focus on rural community needs? Regulators and utilities often consider rural communities hard to reach.

December 1, 2021

Loan and rebate program makes access to energy efficient solutions more equitable

Michigan Saves hosts a program for DTE Energy customers in Wayne and Washtenaw Counties that combines low-interest financing with rebates. The program provides access to home upgrades for comfort, health, and lower energy bills that might not be otherwise accessible.

September 29, 2021

2020 Innovations: Scaled up a more inclusive underwriting approach to drive participation in energy efficiency programs

Climate change hasn’t taken a back seat to the world’s challenges. At Slipstream, we're proud to share our 2020 Innovations that helped clean-energy equity move forward.

February 20, 2020

Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program makes waves during first two years

As one way to eliminate barriers and make smart energy choices accessible to everyone, we turn to financing. EFS, the financial services division of Slipstream, was created to make efficiency upgrades and renewable energy technologies affordable for your home or business.

January 7, 2020

Slipstream partners with Croatan Institute to create financing model for regenerative agriculture

The agriculture industry significantly impacts global greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, as well as local and global water quality and quantity issues. Conventional farming practices are unsustainable in their effects on the land and soil.

January 3, 2020

New year brings a new program for Slipstream's Financial Services Division

Slipstream’s mission to make smart energy choices easy and accessible to everyone is being realized one step at a time. Financing is one of the major barriers to individuals making energy efficient updates to their home. We are proud to kick the new year off by launching the Illinois Energy Loan Program with our utility partners.

October 10, 2019

Slipstream Plays Key Role as C-PACE Engine in Illinois

(Chicago, IL) Slipstream is proud to be part of the C-PACE operations for the Illinois Energy Conservation Authority (IECA), providing core commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) program administration services in participating Illinois counties.

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Finance solutions for an inclusive clean energy future