Sometimes, going green or switching to renewable energy sources comes with a hefty price tag.

To help get around that barrier, Napa County officials are considering the idea of offering loans to businesses and homeowners who install green and energy-saving technologies such as double-paned windows, low-flow toilets, tankless hot water heaters, more efficient heating and air conditioning units or solar panels.

The loans would be made possible through Assembly Bill 811, signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2008, The law permits cities and counties to put the cost for qualifying upgrades to their properties on their property tax bills — spreading the cost over 20 years. If the person moves, the outstanding loan balance is taken over by the next owner.

About a half dozen people, ranging from a businessman to a Realtor, encouraged the Napa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning to move forward with the program.

“Sustainable Napa County is behind you 100 percent to make this happen,” Jeri Hansen-Gill, CEO of Sustainable Napa County, told the supervisors.

Finding the money

Steve Lederer, director of Environmental Management for Napa County, said in an interview the big stumbling block for Napa County is where to find seed funds for the program.

All five county supervisors on Tuesday said they are supportive of the program or something like it. The only communities in the North Bay currently offering a form of the program are Sonoma County and Berkeley.

Sonoma County started the program in March with $25 million in funds.

“I’d like to see Napa County try to start with $5 million to $10 million. Whether it is enough is difficult to say, but is a reasonable start. Berkeley started with $1.3 million and the program sold out in an afternoon,” Lederer said.

Supervisor Keith Caldwell said Napa County should “not pull all the weight. Have we talked to the cities to see if they want to be involved?” he asked.

Lederer said there have been no formal conversations with any of the cities to see if they want to participate in the program.

Hansen-Gill said she has informally talked to a couple of Napa City Council members and “they have shown some interest. It just takes time. We just need to put our heads together and come up with something. I believe there is a real positive interest.”

Supervisor Bill Dodd said he thinks the program “is very important.” He mulled investigating some alternatives, wondering aloud if local banks could help get a program off the ground.

“There are other models out there. This is all very premature,” Napa County Treasurer-Tax Collector Tamie Frasier said. More research is needed, she said.