Eligible Improvements Flashcards
7 cards from real CPACE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Eligible Improvements flashcards as text
A commercial office tower replaces its pneumatic building controls with a modern digital direct digital control (DDC) system. This qualifies for C-PACE because:
Answer: DDC systems enable precise energy management and measurably reduce energy waste
Digital DDC systems allow precise monitoring and control of HVAC, lighting, and other systems, yielding measurable energy reductions that meet C-PACE criteria.
Which factor most commonly determines whether a C-PACE improvement meets the program's 'useful life' requirement?
Answer: The improvement must last at least as long as the C-PACE financing term
C-PACE programs require improvements to have a useful life equal to or exceeding the financing term to ensure the asset outlasts the assessment obligation.
A property owner wants to finance new landscaping and irrigation controls under C-PACE. The irrigation controls would likely be:
Answer: Eligible if the controls demonstrably reduce water consumption
Smart irrigation controls that reduce water use qualify as water efficiency improvements; the landscaping itself would not qualify, but the controls measuring and limiting water use would.
Under C-PACE, which of the following best describes 'resilience improvements' as an eligible category?
Answer: Measures that protect the property from natural hazards such as flooding, wind, wildfire, or seismic events
Resilience improvements eligible for C-PACE are those that harden a property against natural disasters, reducing damage risk and recovery costs.
A hotel chain installs a solar thermal system to pre-heat domestic hot water. This is C-PACE eligible as a:
Answer: Renewable energy improvement that reduces conventional fuel use for water heating
Solar thermal systems harvest the sun's energy to heat water, reducing fossil fuel or electricity consumption and qualifying as a renewable energy improvement.
When a C-PACE project includes both eligible and ineligible components, how is financing typically structured?
Answer: C-PACE financing is limited to the eligible components; ineligible portions must be separately financed
C-PACE financing is scoped to the eligible improvements only, and ineligible portions of a project must be funded through other means.
Which of the following improvements to a commercial parking structure would most likely qualify for C-PACE?
Answer: LED lighting replacement with motion sensors throughout the structure
LED lighting with motion sensors provides measurable energy savings by reducing electricity consumption, meeting C-PACE energy efficiency criteria.