Greenville church is first in city to use TX-PACE for solar installation
A longstanding Greenville church has become the city’s first participant in the Texas Property Assessed Clean Energy program, completing a solar energy project aimed at cutting utility costs and advancing environmental sustainability.
Shady Grove Baptist Church recently installed a 100-kilowatt rooftop solar system in a $320,000-plus project financed through Imperial Ridge Real Estate Capital, a private lender focused on clean energy development in Texas.
The project is the first in Greenville to use TX-PACE, a statewide financing tool that allows property owners to fund energy and water efficiency upgrades using private capital. Loans are repaid over time through a voluntary assessment on the property, administered in partnership with local governments.
PACE allows owners of commercial, industrial and multi-family residential properties with five or more dwelling units to obtain low-cost, long-term loans for water conservation, energy-efficiency improvements and renewable retrofits. The PACE Act authorizes municipalities and counties in Texas to work with private sector lenders and property owners to finance qualified improvements using contractual assessments voluntarily imposed on the property by the owner. In exchange for funds provided by a private lender to pay for the improvements, the property owner voluntarily requests that the local government place an assessment secured with a senior lien on the property until the assessment is paid in full. More information on how to harness the power of TX-PACE can be found here.
City officials say the church’s move could signal broader benefits for the community.
“This project highlights the positive impact of the TX-PACE program in Greenville,” said city manager Summer Spurlock. “By providing a pathway for energy upgrades like rooftop solar, TX-PACE not only helps reduce costs for property owners but also supports local economic growth and contributes to a stronger, more resilient community.”
While smaller than typical commercial PACE projects, the solar installation is expected to significantly reduce the church’s electricity bills – freeing up funds for ministry and outreach efforts. It will also lower the property’s carbon footprint.
TX-PACE is managed statewide by the nonprofit Texas PACE Authority. According to the organization, more than $500 million in energy-efficiency projects have been financed through the program across Texas.