Funding

 

Renewable energy is primarily supported by the Renewables Obligation and, to a lesser extent, through an exemption from the Climate Change Levy. Additional support is provided through Research & Development (R&D) funding and capital grants, worth approximately £500 million between 2002 and 2008.

 

This section tells you about available funding to the public and ways of saving money for specific sources of renewable energy.

 

Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECA)

The government run ECA scheme is accessible to businesses allowing for the total cost of investment in a number of energy saving products to be written off against the taxable profits in the same period during which the investment was made.

There are 14 preferable technologies, such as lighting, heat pumps, solar thermal systems, pipework insulation and boiler equipment. Within these is a list of acceptable products, the price of which can be claimed on the tax return, in the same way as other capital allowances. We can offer you help and advice on ECAs and make sure that your project uses approved manufacturers' products and is both technically and financially viable, assuring you that it will be possible to claim back against the initial capital cost outlay.

Interest-free energy loans.

The Carbon Trust are offering interest free loans from £5,000 to £100,000 to small to medium sized businesses for the investment of energy saving or renewable equipment, which may help to fund your investment into either Enviko distributed products or other energy efficiency measures or solutions. The unsecured loans are obtainable through the government backed Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme, for up to 4 years with no arrangement fees. Enviko can access funding on your behalf providing the requisite technical specifications and energy analysis required to provide security in the worth of the project.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme


The Low Carbon Buildings Programme is an £86m grant programme for microgeneration technologies, launched in April 2006 offering capital grants over 3 years to successful applicants. The main objectives are to demonstrate the potential for encouraging both energy-efficiency and microgeneration technologies in a range of buildings, driving down costs in the process, and making the microgeneration market more sustainable.

 

Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 provides grants to householders

 

Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 provides grants for public sector and charitable organisations

 

Bio-Energy Capital Grants Scheme


Applications are being accepted now. It is currently anticipated that funds will be committed through to mid-2009, but this will depend on the actual rate of applications. Once applications are approved, claimants will be given details of the latest date grants can be claimed.

 

This DEFRA scheme will support the installation of biomass-fuelled heat and combined heat and power (CHP) projects in the industrial, commercial and community sectors. Available grants will cover up to a maximum of 40% of the difference between the biomass capital cost and the fossil fuel alternative. The minimum grant starts at £25,000 with a maximum single award of £1million. The scheme does not target any particular biomass heat or CHP technology nor sector or sub-sector, but does require that systems have a rated output over 50kW.

 

Community Sustainable Energy Programme (CSEP)


CSEP is an open grants programme run by Building Research Establishment (BRE) as an award partner of the Big Lottery Fund (BLF). BRE carries out research, consultancy, training and testing to help create better buildings and communities.

 

The Community Sustainable Energy Programme will provide £8 million to communit -based organisations for the installation of microgeneration technologies, such as solar panels or wind turbines and energy efficiency measures including loft and cavity wall insulation. It will also provide £1 million for project development grants that will help community organisations establish a microgeneration and energy efficiency installation which will work for them.

 

It aims to achieve the following outcomes: