Solar Panels Grants . Solar Panel UK Grants . Feed In Tariffs . Clean Energy Cash Back Scheme . Scotland Solar Grants . Solar Grants UK
Water heating evacuated solar tubes (left) Water heating flat solar panels (center) PV electric solar panels (right)
Other solar panels grants and incentives
As well as the government backed incentives for solar panels, you can now be rewarded for your installation through 2 new scheme's by Good Energy. Good Energy are he UK's only 100% green energy supplier, who work with thousand's of independent home and largescale generators using pv solar panels, wind turbines and hydro electric sysems.
Learn about Good Energy incentives for homeowners >>
"The golden age of cheap energy is over"
The Clean Energy Cash Back Scheme and Feed-In Tariffs
In July 2009, Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy and climate change, announced that households would be encouraged to generate their own power through a “clean energy cashback” system, under which they would be paid for any power they produce — whether they use it or not.
So-called “feed-in tariffs” will come into effect in April and will pay for the electricity households generate through solar panels or a wind turbine. Under the plans, homeowners will be paid up to 36Åp for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity produced using solar panels.
If electricity is exported back to the National Grid — when the homeowner is away, for example — an additional 5p per kWh is paid, while savings are still being made on electricity bills.
Darling added to this in last Wednesday’s pre-budget report, announcing that these feed-in tariffs, worth an average £900 a year, would become free of income tax.
The Treasury claims this will save households paying basic-rate tax of £180 in 2010 but this is nonetheless small beer compared with the cost of installing a solar panel, which can be as much as £10,000, according to Sharp Solar, the UK’s largest solar panel manufacturer.
It said that the “pay-back” time for solar panels — the time it takes to recoup an initial investment of £10,000 — would shrink from 14 years to 10 as a result of the measures.
Who qualifies for Feed-in Tariffs?
Homeowners who have a PV electric solar panels fitted on or after July 2009 and have a 4kWp or smaller system will qualify for the feed in tariff scheme.
Ofgem will administer the scheme and electricity suppliers will be responsible for paying the reward to their customers.
How much will I earn?
Retro fitted photovoltaic (PV solar panels) systems of up to 4kW for existing homes will earn the highest initial payments, 41.3p per unit (although this declines over time). Lower rates, up to 36.1p, apply to new-builds and larger setups. A typical 2.5kW well sited solar PV installation could offer a homeowner a reward of up to £900 and save them £140 a year on their electricity bill.
The money that you receive will be dependant on the size of system you have fitted but the government estimate you will receive between 7 – 10 % return on your investment.
Why are the Government doing this?
The UK government have been set targets to meet and have made commitments to reduce carbon emissions and secure future energy supplies. The most effective way of doing this is to make small scale renewable energy an attractive proposition for householders. By giving a generous return on investment it is hoped this will initiate a speedy take up of solar electric. The initial Feed in Tariff rate of 41.3 pence will be available for a limited period in order to incentivise homeowners to enter the scheme sooner rather than later.
Will the amount you earn change?
The Feed in Tariff scheme will be indexed linked, which means the rate will rise in line with inflation so the tariff you receive will not be devalued over time.
Government Guarantee
The UK Government will guarantee your Feed in Tariff scheme for 25 years. This leaves plenty of time for you to realise the return on your investment. This also highlights the necessity to act quickly as the higher rate tariff will make payback significantly quicker over 25 years. This guarantee of long term income also adds weight to the belief that investing in solar power may add value to and improve the saleability of your property.
Where’s the catch
The Feed in Tariff scheme has to be paid for somehow.
The answer is that the government are not directly funding this scheme but will be raising funds through a general increase in electricity prices to the standard consumer. This works in a similar way to the current climate change levy which is added to our bills at the moment. The scheme has been devised to prompt individuals to act quickly and install renewable solar energy whilst it makes financial sense.
Find an accredited solar panels installers in the United Kingdom
Solar panels grants news archives...
There are no solar grants available for businesses but they can claim the Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) which enable them to claim 100% first-year capital allowances on their solar panel expenditure.
Solar grants & not for profit organisations
There is a DTI solar grant of 30% available for non-profit organisations under the Low Carbon Building Programme (Phase 2). This encompasses public sector buildings (including schools, hospitals, housing associations and local authorities) and charitable bodies.
Other solar incentives
you can receive Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) or other green energy certificates - which entitle you to money for generating energy
you may be able to claim other grants and should contact your council or Regional Development Agency
you can also sell any surplus electricity you generate back to the national grid. Contactyour electricity supplier for more information
some banks and other organisations are offering ‘green loans’ to help with installation costs
The latest UK solar panels grants news
Money spent on the next generation of nuclear stations
Gordon Brown confirms that the UK government will soon embrace a new generation of nuclear power stations. Mr Brown believes that renewing Britain's civil nuclear power programme is the most effective way of guaranteeing security of supply while tackling climate change, thus increasing solar grants, is very unlikely to occur.
Heat my Home believe that a mix of renewables for ruducing individuals households and thus the nations energy consumption is needed fast. No mention of reducing our energy consumption is ever mentioned, in the same sentence, when our politicians talk about climate change issues.
"My children will one day ask, what we did to address global warming
I want to be able to say I did something"
Mrs Bouvier, Lancashire
The DTI's response to our solar grant campaign
The 2003 Energy White Paper put global warming at the heart of the Governments energy policy. We are looking to significantly expand the proportion of energy produced from renewable sources. Renewable energy is an integral part of our longer term aim of reducing emissions by 60% by 2050 to mitigate the impact of climate change by reducing our reliance on greenhouse gas emitting fossil fuels.
The Government intends to spend over £500 million between 2002 and 2008 to help develop emerging technologies, with a focus on Rand D and capital grants funding. This sum includes, among other things, grants of £117 million for offshore wind, over £60 million for energy crops and biomass, £31 million for Photovoltaic's and £12 million for domestic schemes and £80 million on a new Low Carbon Buildings programme.
The Government is keen to exploit the potential of solar PV and solar thermal water heating systems, making them become reasonably practical and economic for most cases. We are also monitoring developments and encouraging industry and consumer take up with grants schemes and changing the building regulations to enable the benefits of low carbon and zero carbon technologies to be more readily taken into account.
I mentioned above the £31 million spent on PV Photovoltaic's solar; This was the four year Major Photovoltaic's Demonstration Programme under which homeowners and businesses claimed a contribution towards the installation costs of PV panels. It aimed to raise awareness and to encourages homeowners and others to take an active part in the climate change agenda and while reaping the benefits of renewable energy. Building on its success, we launched a new Low Carbon Building Programme at the beginning of April. The programme had a £30 million budget over 3 years, but this was increased to £80 million in March 2006's budget statement.
The Carbon Buildings programme was designed following a review of the UK's potential renewable energy resources which recommended that we continue to support for the installation of photovoltaic's and other small scale renewable's through a low carbon building approach. It is design to encourage homeowners, businesses, architects and developers to adopt an holistic approach to energy consumption in buildings and will focus on energy efficiency measures as well as renewable technology installations. This approach marks a significant change to current grant programmes.
I hope this letter helps to reassure you that the Government takes this matter very seriously, and has put in place a range of measures to ensure that the UK becomes a low carbon economy.
Malcolm Wicks MP
Minister of Energy (DTI)
Why solar grants
The Government's Solar Photovoltaic's (PV) Major Demonstration Programme - which is administered on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) by the Energy Saving Trust - is to officially end in March 2006, with the final round of funding for stream 2 (commercial) grants in February 2006.
As demand for grants has been so high, the DTI has announced a further £750,000 to support the programme through to completion. The scheme provides funding of between 40 and 50 per cent for the installation of solar electricity panels for both domestic (stream 1) and commercial (stream 2) applications. The aim of the programme has been to kick start the UK market for solar PV, by demonstrating the long-term potential of the technology and thereby encourage the use o more environmentally friendly and sustainable methods of generating electricity.
Since 2002, the programme has provided £26 million of funding for 1,200 domestic and 180 commercial solar installations. As a result, it is estimated that 20,000 tonnes of carbon will be saved over the lifetime of the installations, thereby making an important contribution towards reaching the UK's climate change targets as well as the Government's target of 10 percen of energy generated to be from renewable sources by 2010.
Latest UK Solar Grants News Grants to help climate-conscious householders to install microgeneration technologies will be up for grabs again later this month, Alistair Darling announced today.
The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) has already allocated £6.8m in grants to householders and, following the addition an extra £6m in the Budget, applications for the remaining £11.9m will be open from 29 May.
Since it launched in April 2006 the LCBP has directly funded 2175 installations on homes. This includes 242 mini-turbines, 313 Solar PV projects and 1467 solar thermal heating systems.
Mr Darling said:
“Micro-wind turbines and solar panels are fast becoming the credible response of householders to cutting their carbon emissions as well as their utility bills.
“The microgeneration industry has tremendous potential in the low carbon economy. Products are already available on the high street and are starting to become recognisable on our skylines. This grant scheme is designed to maximise carbon savings, demonstrate potential and help the sector become more commercially competitive in the long term.
“It is part of a wider government programme worth £86m that will also award grants for larger scale installations on schools and other public buildings.”
The grant scheme was put on hold in March while the application process was treamlined to make sure it benefits the sector in the long term.
Key changes to the application criteria include the removal of the monthly cap and a new requirement to have planning permission before applying.
The Government is currently consulting on removing the need for planning permission for the majority of microgeneration installations but it must be in place for LCBP grant applicants in the meantime.
The changes are designed to overcome delays in the take-up of grants. Only half of the £6.8m already allocated by March had been spent because of supply chain issues, planning consents not in place, delays in building schedules and applicants not ready to proceed. The DTI will continue to monitor these areas.
Grants for solar water heating systems
The Clear Skies (Low Carbon Building Programme) gives homeowners in England and Wales the opportunity to obtain a £400 grant toward a cost of a solar water heating system (including systems to heat swimming pools). In Scotland (www.est.org.uk/schri/)the grant rate is 30% of the system price.
Local authorities, housing associations, charities and “not for profit” organisations can apply for grants of 50% of solar water heating project costs under the Clear Skies programme.
Household Grant Offered
£400 regardless of system size
PV solar panels grants The Department of Trade and Industry has established a £20 million PV (Electric generating Solar Panels) grants programme which is managed by the (www.est.org.uk/housing buildings/funding)
Energy Saving Trust.
Household Grant offered
£2,500, per each household maximum
Solar Grants Applications Requirements
1. No faxed, photocopied or emailed applications will be accepted - and original signatures only.
2. Funds are limited and all funding is therefore allocated on a first come first served basis.
3. Incomplete applications will not be processed and there will be no opportunity to resubmit applications after the deadline.
4. Applicants must confirm that the installation will be completed within the six months of receiving a grant offer. Grant offers are time limited and applications that schedule work beyond the six month life time of a grant offer can not be approved.
5. Please be aware we expect to receive a higher than average volume of applications and the processing of these will cause delays to approvals. It is therefore very important to note that grants are not paid retrospectively. If work is started prior to receipt of a formal grant offer letter, the grant offer is invalidated and no grant monies will be paid.
6. All work must be completed by an accredited installer. No installer can undertake any work prior to receiving written confirmation of their accredited status. Any installations completed by non-accredited installers will not be eligible for a grant.
7. Installers and applicants are requested to not telephone to check if applications have been received / processed / offered as this will simply cause more delays to the processing of the applications.
Heat my Home Solar panels grants UK
9 South Street, Eastbourne, Sussex BN21 4UJ
Tel: 0151 324 2808 (Local Rate) Business Hours - Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm
