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Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF ), a private, nonprofit, financial organization, offers commercial loans for new or retrofit energy-related projects to established commercial, industrial, municipal, and nonprofit entities. Our geographic focus is eastern and central Pennsylvania, but we can finance projects anywhere in PA, and certain projects in the eastern PJM grid territory (PA, NJ, DE, MD). Currently, SEF does not fund energy projects in other US states or other countries.
Types of energy-related projects can include building envelope improvements (e.g. windows, doors, insulation), lighting systems and lighting controls, energy control systems, power factor improvements, motors, HVAC, geothermal, renewable energy systems, and more. As long as the project (a) reduces energy consumption, (b) replaces a “dirty” fossil fuel with a clean (or cleaner) energy source, or (c) produces clean energy (e.g. from renewable sources), then SEF will consider financing the project. SEF does require that the energy savings or energy production be documented as a condition of the loan.
SEF will finance 100% of your entire project, and no out-of-pocket payments are required from you during the construction phase of the project.
- No loan payment is required until several months after the project is completed. By that time the energy savings from the project show up in your utility bills, freeing-up cash from your operating budget to use for the loan payments. Instead of giving your hard-earned cash to the utility company, use it to upgrade and improve your building!