Go Green FAQS

GoGreen Home is a program backed by the state of California that helps homeowners make energy-saving improvements through affordable financing. Self-Help is proud to partner with GoGreen to offer loans for upgrades like insulation, HVAC systems, heat pumps, energy-efficient windows, solar panels with battery storage, and more. Learn more on the GoGreen website.

To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be the homeowner of the property in California
• Property must be an owner-occupied primary residence
• Eligible property types: Single-family home, duplex, triplex, or fourplex (no more than 5 acres)
• Property must receive a utility bill from PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas, or SDG&E
• For HVAC and Solar projects, a UCC-1 lien will be filed (this does not affect your mortgage).
• Your total home loans, including this one, cannot exceed 90% of your home's value. If you owe a significant amount on your home relative to its appraised value, you may not be eligible.
• Be a Self-Help Federal Credit Union member. A $5 deposit and a one-time $5 membership fee are required to join.

You can use GoGreen loans for a wide range of upgrades, including:

• Heating and cooling systems (e.g., HVAC, heat pumps)
• Energy-efficient windows and doors
• Insulation, duct sealing, cool roof
• ENERGY STAR appliances
• Solar plus battery storage
• Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations

For more information on eligible projects, explore project possibilities on the GoGreen website.

Your contractor must be registered with GoGreen Financing and provide a qualifying job proposal. You can find a registered contractor on the GoGreen website.

Depending on your credit score and the type of upgrade:

• Loan amounts: $2,500 – $75,000
• Terms: Up to 20 years
• No dealer fees
• Below-market rates. See below for current APR (annual percentage rates).

Rates updated as of 10/1/25. All rates and terms subject to change without notice.

GoGreen Loans

GoGreen Solar Loans

Your monthly payment depends on your credit score and the terms of your loan. We also recommend using a loan calculator to estimate your monthly payment based on your desired loan amount and term.

1. Apply: Complete the GoGreen application online to apply for a loan.
2. Initial Review: Our team will check your eligibility (home value, income, primary residence).
3. Document Collection: You'll upload supporting documents (ID, proof of income, etc.)
4. Underwriting Decision: We'll review your information and provide a decision (usually within a few days) about rates and terms.
5. Become Self-Help member: Self-Help will reach out to you to finalize your credit union membership.
6. Loan Approval: Self-Help will send you and your contractor an email with your loan approval so that the project can be started.
   • Your contractor will need to enter details of your project in the GoGreen Contractor Portal and upload utility bills.
   • Your contractor will send you, the borrower, a Privacy Release form for signature.
7. Complete Project: Your contractor will complete the upgrade/install.
8. Funding: We will disburse funds directly to your contractor after all final documents are submitted and verified (see below for more details) and our loan documents have been executed.

You can upload the required documents during the application process or wait until after you apply — we'll send you a secure link to upload anything that's missing. Please submit all required documents promptly. Most delays in processing are due to missing or incomplete information.

For application review and rate offer:

These documents are needed so we can review your membership eligibility, perform a credit check, and determine if you're qualified for financing:

• Valid government-issued ID
• Proof of income (e.g., pay stubs, tax returns, Social Security award letter). If you are self-employed, you will need to upload your federal tax returns for the last two years and a year-to-date profit and loss statement
• Copy of your Certificate of Trust (if your property is held in a trust). All trustees must be borrowers.

To finalize loan approval:

After you receive a rate offer, we'll need project-specific details to finalize your loan:

• Your contractor must upload the project details (including a signed job proposal or contract) and a utility bill (from PG&E, Southern California Edison (SCE), SoCalGas, or SDG&E) into the GoGreen Contractor Portal.
• For solar loans, the contract must include system specifications and a solar panel layout.
• You must sign the GoGreen Privacy Release Form, which will be sent digitally once your contractor enters your contact information on the portal.

For final funding (after project completion):

Before we can release funds to the contractor, we'll need confirmation that your project is complete. You and the contractor should upload these documents directly into the GoGreen portal to initiate funding:

• Certificate of Completion (signed by you and the contractor)
• Final city inspection
• Proof of interconnection from utility company (for solar projects)