Solar Grants & Renewable Energy Schemes

Solar power grants and biomass grants are provided by the DTI's Low Carbon Building Programme or LCBP (formerly known as Clear Skies).

Local Solar Grants & Low Carbon Building Programme

The LCBP has generous national grants that are available to homeowners and businesses interested in renewable energy technologies, solar grants being one of the most popular. There are also many local solar power grants available, depending on your location you will be informed of other local subsides during your on site survey.

Please Note When Applying For A Grant
In all cases the customer must apply for the grant and the grant must be approved by the LCBP in writing BEFORE the installation takes place, you will fail to be awarded the grant if the installation is started before you have the grant offer letter from the LCBP. You will also fail to be awarded the grant if you get a third party (I.E. us!) to complete the grant application form on your behalf.

Qualifying for Grant Funding
There are a number of energy efficiency measures that you must undertake before you are eligible to apply for a grant under the LCBP. These measures will ensure that you are minimising your energy requirements before installing renewable energy technologies and are as follows:

• You must have the minimum of 270 mm of loft insulation required to meet current building regulations where practicable.
• You must have installed cavity wall insulation (if you have cavity walls).
• You must be using low energy light bulbs in all the main light fittings in all the main rooms (i.e. the kitchen, hallway and all main living rooms) in the property.
• You must have installed basic controls to you central heating system including a room thermostat and a programmer or timer.

No Monthly Cap
Household grants will be allocated on a first come first served basis as long as funds last, if you apply for the grant you will be awarded the grant you apply for. There will be no further funds and no further measures to extend the scheme life when funds have been depleted.

LCBP Stream 1 Householder
Grant levels are as follows and will be regularly reviewed by the DTI as the market for each technology develops:

Solar Photovoltaic or PV
Maximum £2,000 per kWp installed, up to a maximum of £2,500 subject to an overall 50% limit of the installed cost (exclusive of VAT).

Wind Turbine
Maximum £1,000 per kW installed, up to a maximum of £5,000 subject to an overall 30% limit of the installed cost (exclusive of VAT)

Small Hydro
Maximum £1,000 per kW installed, up to a maximum of £5,000 subject to an overall 30% limit of the installed cost (exclusive of VAT)

Solar Thermal
Maximum £400 regardless of size subject to an overall 30% limit (exclusive of VAT)

Heat Pump
Maximum £1,200 regardless of size subject to an overall 30% limit (exclusive of VAT). Through Green Systems you will be awarded £1,500 grants for Heat Pump installations.

Biomass Room Heater/Stove automated wood pellet feed
Maximum £600 regardless of size subject to an overall 20% limit (exclusive of VAT)

Wood fuelled boiler/Biomass boiler - Pellet, Log or Wood Chip
Maximum £1,500 regardless of size subject to an overall 30% limit (exclusive of VAT)

Renewable CHP - Grant levels to be defined

MicroCHP (Combined heat and power) - Grant levels to be defined

Fuel cells - Grant levels to be defined

£2,500 maximum limit on grants per household
There will be a £2,500 grant cap per household. Householders can still apply for more than one technology but the funding would be limited up to a maximum of £2,500 per household depending on technologies involved.

LCBP Stream 1 Communities
Grants will be up to a maximum of £30,000 or 50% of the capital and installation cost of the micro-generation technologies installed. These grants will be awarded on a rolling first-come-first-served basis.

LCBP Stream 2
Large commercial organisations including developers can apply for up to 40% of the total installation costs (excl. VAT). Large commercial undertakings cannot receive any more than 40% of the total installation costs in Government Aid. Where an organisation has already received government aid towards the costs, this will have to be declared to ensure compliance with State Aid requirements.

Large public sector organisations can apply for up to 40% of the total installation costs (excl. VAT) from the programme, but can seek to match-fund the remainder of the project costs from other sources of public funds or government aid.

Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are entitled to an extra 10% uplift and can apply for up to 50% of the total installation costs (excl. VAT).

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Enhanced Capital Allowances

Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) enable a business to claim 100% first-year capital allowances on their spending on qualifying plant and machinery. There are three schemes for ECAs:

• Energy-saving plant and machinery
• Low carbon dioxide emission cars and natural gas and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure
• Water conservation plant and machinery

Businesses can write off the whole of the capital cost of their investment in these technologies against their taxable profits of the period during which they make the investment.

This can deliver a helpful cash flow boost and a shortened payback period.

• Biomass Boilers
• Heat Pumps
• Pipework Insulation
• Solar Thermal Systems
• Warm Air and Radiant Heaters

Our products are included in the ECAs qualifying equipment list.
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PDF Downloads

Green Systems UK - Terms & Conditions (pdf)
Low Carbon Building Programme - Grant Application Form - Homeowner (pdf)
Low Carbon Building Programme - Completion Certificate (pdf)

Low Carbon Building Programme Accreditation Number: 2142746.