Grants etc.

Homeowners – England, Wales & Northern Ireland

The grant scheme, previously available to homeowners (excluding Scotland) through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP), has now closed for electricity-generating technologies including solar PV.

From April 2010 new Feed-in Tariffs, part of the Government’s Clean Energy Cash Back scheme, will enable people who install Solar PV to receive fixed, premium rate payments for the low carbon electricity they produce.  They will receive further payments for any surplus energy fed into the grid.

The rate for retrofit installations of less than 4 kW will be 41.3p/kWh.

To be eligible for the tariffs, the system must be installed by a MCS-accredited installer.

For details of the previous grants scheme and information about loans, please see www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk (England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

or www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Scotland/Scottish-Community-and-Householder-Renewables-Initiative-SCHRI (Scotland).

See SolarUK’s Feed-in Tariff page for more information, including rates.

Installers of solar thermal systems will be able to take advantage of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) which starts in April 2011.  Applying to heating at all scales, from private households to public sector buildings, it will guarantee long-term payments.  See SolarUK’s Renewable Heat Incentive page for more information.