The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall establish within the Department of Housing and Urban Development the Solar Assistance Financing Entity (in this section referred to as the “Entity”).

The purpose of the Entity shall be to assist in financing solar and renewable energy capital investments and projects for eligible buildings under subsection (c).

The Entity may provide assistance under this section only for the following buildings:

(1) Single family housing Any building consisting of 1 to 4 dwelling units that has a system for heating or cooling, or both.

(2) Multifamily housing Any building consisting of more than 4 dwelling units that has a system for heating or cooling, or both.

(3) Commercial buildings Any building used primarily to carry on a business (including any nonprofit business) that is not used primarily for the manufacture or production of raw materials, products, or agricultural commodities.

(4) Schools, hospitals, and agricultural buildings Any school, any hospital, and any building used exclusively in connection with the harvesting, storage, or drying of agricultural commodities.

(5) Other buildings Any other building of a type that the Entity considers appropriate.

Assistance provided under this section by the Entity may be provided only for programs for financing solar and renewable energy capital investments and projects, which may include programs for making loans, making grants, reducing the principal obligations of loans, prepayment of interest on loans, purchase and sale of loans and advances of credit, providing loan guarantees, providing loan downpayment assistance, and providing rebates and other incentives for the purchase and installation of solar and renewable energy measures.

The Entity may encourage or require programs receiving assistance under this section to supplement the assistance received under this section with amounts from other public and private sources, and, in making assistance under this section available, may give preference to programs that leverage amounts from such other sources.

The Entity shall provide assistance under this section through State agencies responsible for developing State energy conservation plans pursuant to section 6322 of this title, or any other entity or agency authorized to specifically carry out the purposes of this section.

Not later than the expiration of the 12-month period beginning on October 28, 1992, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall issue any regulations necessary to carry out this section, which shall ensure maximum flexibility in utilizing amounts made available under this section.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1993 and $10,420,000 for fiscal year 1994. Such sums are to be available until expended.

(Pub. L. 102–550, title IX, § 912, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3875.)