Solar Panel Grants & Funding
There are a number of different grants and sources of funding available to both businesses and homeowners who wish to install solar PV systems at their homes or business premises. A summary of the grants and funding available for homes, businesses and charities, schools and not for profit organisations is listed below:
Solar PV Grants for Homes
A number of different solar PV grants are available for installing renewable at your home, with the main one being provided by the Low Carbon Buildings Program.
England and Wales Solar PV Grants - £2,500
This grant gives homeowner up to £2,500 towards the cost of a solar PV system, and people applying should expect to get the whole amount. Green Energy Consultancy can arrange the application for this grant for you if you wish to apply, or further details can be found at the Low Carbon Buildings website.
Scotland Solar PV Grants – up to £4,000
In Scotland, more grant money is obtainable with solar PV grants for 30% of the total cost of work up to a maximum of £4,000 available.
Other Regional Solar PV Grants
In addition to the solar PV grants available above, there are also many regional grants and sources of funding available from charities and organisations, though this is dependent on you location. A couple of examples are given below:
North West - The Climate Fund Foundation for the North West is available to help homeowners. – contact for actual figures
London - Solar for London offers solar PV grants of up to £1,500.
There are many of these schemes are available in other regions, so contact us today and we can inform you of what solar PV grants are available to you in your area.
Solar PV Grants for Businesses and Solar PV Loans for Businesses
Regional Schemes – Up to 50% of Total Costs Grants
Although there is no national grant scheme for businesses there are a good number of regional schemes running that can provide solar PV grant funding to businesses, and a lot of schemes that will contribute 50% of the cost of solar PV installations for example. A few examples and some further information can be viewed below:
Lancashire Small Scale Renewable Scheme – Businesses can claim up to 50% of installation costs for solar PV panels.
North West Development Agency - the NWDA also have grant funding available for businesses looking to improve their energy efficiency.
There a many other regional funds available around the country so please contact us for information about what is available in your area.
0% Interest Loans
0% interest loans are available from the Carbon Trust for the purchasing and installation of solar PV panels. These loans are available to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings through projects to like the installation of solar PV panels in order to reduce energy consumption. Loans are available between £3,000 and £400,000 and both SME’s and larger companies can apply, as long as annual energy bill spend doesn’t exceed £500,000 for the company. The carbon trust state that:
“Loans can be repaid over a period of up to four years and as the scheme is designed for energy savings to cover repayments, the loan will effectively pay for itself.”
This clearly shows a fantastic opportunity to save vast sums of money in the long term and at no cost in the short term; as well as bringing great benefits that to the environment, and your company image. Please do not hesitate to contact us to get any more information you need about this fantastic opportunity. We can provide a free feasibility study and report to assess payback periods and savings which will show that the investment effectively pays for itself.
Often, solar PV grants, solar PV loans, and tax friendly incentives for businesses are difficult to get to grips with or locate. Our renewable energy consultants however are well experienced in this area and can help you to establish what grants and funding options are available to your business. As a result of this we can put together a plan of action for you and handle the majority of work involved as a service to all our clients. If you would like us to take a look at what is available specifically for your business please contact us.
Charities, Schools, Not for Profit Organisations and Community Groups Solar PV Grants
For the kind of organisations listed above there are some fantastic opportunities when it comes to grants and funding. Some available options are listed below:
Grants covering up to 50% of Total Installation Costs
Grants that cover up to 50% of any work carried out are available from the Low Carbon Buildings Program to the various kinds of organisations listed above. This funding is also easily accessible so we can start work very quickly if you require it. Bear in mind however that application’s for this solar PV grant must be handed in before March 2010 to receive any grant funding.
Grants up to £5,000 to Cover Feasibility Studies
The Big Lottery Fund can provide a grant for a up to £5,000 to cover the costs of a feasibility study. This would completely cover the costs of a site survey, feasibility study and report, as well as complete system design carried out by Green Energy Consultancy. If this is of interest to you, please do not hesitate to contact us for what effectively is a free investigation into the feasibility of generating electricity for your organisation. In addition to the £5,000 grant, the Big Lottery Fund also provide grants of 50% towards the cost of any work actually carried out.
There are also a number of additional grants and funding options available depending on which region you are in, so please contact us and we can provide further information of additional grants available to you.
