Camden’s First PACE Project

Back to Blog

Camden Select Board Member Jim Heard is getting an energy efficiency upgrade, thanks to the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program and Evergreen Home Performance. Heard and his wife, Misty Van Kennen, are the first Camden residents to take advantage of what he calls “this incredible opportunity.”

Under PACE, homeowners pursuing eligible energy improvements can borrow up to $15,000 at 4.99 percent. The loans have a term of up to 15 years and are transferrable upon the sale of a property. “At these rates, and amortized over this many years – PACE makes energy efficiency really affordable, even if cash flow is a concern,” said Heard. “This will be money well spent.”

Heard and Van Kennen worked with Evergreen to engineer a comprehensive project that improves their comfort and reduces their overall energy use by at least 25%, as required by PACE. Energy Advisor Brian Robinson recommended sealing attic air leaks and installing dense-packed cellulose in the attic and sidewalls.

“The fiberglass they had in the attic really wasn’t the right product for the job, and it wasn’t very well installed,” Robinson explained. Fiberglass insulation is porous, which means any drafts travel through it easily. Air sealing prevents those drafts, and dense-packed cellulose provides a much more efficient layer of insulation.

“I really hope people will recognize what an opportunity this is and jump on board,” said Heard. “I don’t like heating the outdoors if I don’t have to, and this is something we can do to control how much energy we use.”

PACE may be new to Camden, but it’s not new to Evergreen Home Performance. We helped Rockland homeowners Michael and Jody Herbert cut their energy consumption by 35% in Maine’s first PACE project. Federally funded and administered by Efficiency Maine, the PACE program must be authorized in each municipality before homeowners can apply for a loan, and was adopted by Camden voters last November. For more information about PACE, including a list of the 108 Maine municipalities that have already adopted the program, visit www.SaveLikeaMainer.com.

Contact us today to learn more!

207-594-2244

I highly recommend Evergreen! 1st, I had a home efficiency inspection (that was free) & Bryan P. was great! He took the time needed, asked & listened to what I thought were priorities, explained clearly what he thought were priorities & why, then gave me numerous options. No pressure whatsoever. Then I had my attic sealed & insulated as the 1st step & Bryan came along on day 1 to introduce everyone & make sure we were all on the same page. Bruce's team (inc. Kelsey & Roland) did the work - they were exceptional!!

Melissa M.

Kennebunk

Awesome company. It was a few years ago that they did the audit and then we commissioned them to do the work. We subsequently sold our house and moved to South Africa, but their level of service and expertise will live on.

Odette Brown

I made the mistake of NOT hiring this company last year when I bought and renovated my home. I have brought them in now and what a difference. This group knows what they are doing. They take a complete look at everything and believe they can make your home more energy efficient. They are very professional in the way they approach problems and solutions. And they find ways to save me money. Don't bother with anyone else. Bring Evergreen in before you do anything. Let them assess your issues and give you the right solutions.

Shaw

Owls Head

The Evergreen Team did a fabulous job and was very tuned and responsive to the particular needs we had. The job was done right on budget and we are thrilled with the improved warmth and energy efficiency.

Ira M.

Rockland

I have always been impressed by the high level of service, quality of work, and excellent follow-through provided by Evergreen Home Performance in the three projects that they completed at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm over the past several years.

Paul D.

Wells

A thorough inspection of our (older) house and its energy needs. Competent and personable work crew.

Jacob Watson

This team of individuals was professional at all times. They set up barriers that kept the dust at a minimum. They conducted an air flow audit and cut the draft circulation from the outside in half by sealing cracks. They hauled out the old insulation and replaced it with blown in insulation with an R - 60 Value. They also did the rebate paperwork so that I could get my $1500.00 rebate from the state of Maine. I highly recommend Evergreen Home Performance!

Daniel B.

Rockland

"Working with Evergreen from start to finish was a great experience." See what our customers have to say about their experience with Evergreen Home Performance.

Jeff L.

Bryan, Dave and the entire Evergreen team are wonderfully professional, prompt and thorough. I enjoyed working with them and look forward to continued work as we upgrade our home! Thank you so much for your professionalism, fairness, time and diligence.

Cait

Yarmouth

Evergreen came back this year to finish insulating our house. We have been remodeling and renovating an 1850s cape for several years. Their employees are very professional and pleasant to deal with. Over several years Brian Robinson has been able to schedule us in for several small areas that needed addressing and finally turning a room we used to close off in the winter into a comfortable usable space. We primarily heat with wood and since Evergreens great work our furnace has only come on ONCE this winter. Fantastic. Really satisfied customer in Thomaston.

Chris F.

Thomaston

Evergreen is the "go-to" company for improving the efficiency of your home. There are others to choose from but none so effective, honest, and capable as Evergreen. They did a great quantity of dense packing cellulose to improve our home (both for energy efficiency and for sound insulation) and it was totally successful. They are on-time, helpful, and caring. They clean up to a level that can't be over emphasized. This was the second time we employed them and we'd use them again if the opportunity came. You'll not be sorry to select Evergreen.

Dirk F.

Belfast

The crew members from Evergreen Home Performance each made sure to greet us every day, while maintaining their distance in this time of the pandemic. Their work took a total of nine days, spread over three weeks. Even though they were working in multiple rooms of our house, as well as the basement and attic, they were unobtrusive and always cleaned up after themselves every day. The on-sight manager kept us informed of their daily schedule so we'd know which parts of the house they'd be working on.

Bob & Sue

Whitefield

Evergreen has just completed Phase 2 of 2 at my home. They are professional, hard-working and courteous. They communicate well..no surprises. They've gone above and beyond to make my home comfortable and were very respectful of my home.I recommend them unequivocally!!!Many thanks to Brian, Brian, Rick, Eddie, Dawson and the rest of the Evergreen crew!!

David Henry Feldman

We had Evergreen redo the insulation in our roof. The team handling our project did a great job. They left the house spotless. We've already noticed the difference in how much better our house is retaining heat. I would definitely recommend and will use them for future projects.

Ffej C.

South Portland

We initially contacted Evergreen through Efficiency Maine for an energy audit, which was conducted promptly and professionally by Justin McEdward, one of their Energy Advisors who is BPI-certified. After a thorough inspection of our newly purchased home, Justin explained in great detail what we needed and did not need. It was agreed that Evergreen would remove all of the existing attic insulation, which was not adequate, and replace it with blown in cellulose, to a rating of R-60.

Thomas W.

Scarborough

See All Testimonials

Efficiency Maine

EPA Lead-Safe Certified

Building Performance Association

BPI Certified