Renewable Energy Initiatives

Businesses and organisations considering capital investment in renewable energy solutions or energy efficiency gains for their buildings and premises can get assistance for this type of expenditure in a number of ways.

Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme (ECA)
DEFRA, the Carbon Trust and the Inland Revenue have collaborated to produce a web site which explains this scheme in detail. Companies investing in renewable technology products or energy efficiency products now have the ability to offset 100% of their capital allowance in the first year. Providing the product appears on their Energy Technology List* you can claim for the value of this product or a proportion of the overall cost if the product is a component of a larger installation. See the link to the ECA web site in the right hand panel for further information.

Interest Free Loans
These loans are available from Scottish Energy Efficiency Office (SEEO) and are operated by the Energy Savings Trust, for amounts ranging from £5000 to £50,000 for capital expenditure on energy efficient equipment such as lighting, boiler or insulation products. More information on these 0% loans can be found on the SEEO web site. See link in right hand side panel.

Support For Farmers and Smallholdings
Farmers and growers interested in Short Rotational Coppice (SRC) for use as a Renewable Energy fuel can get assistance from both the Forestry Commission and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). By giving over agricultural land to the growing of SRC owners can claim grant aid through the Forestry Commission's Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme. This scheme is particularly aimed at the fast growing Popular and Willow crops but other species are also eligible.
Businesses and groups of growers can also apply for grant assistance from the Bioenergy Infrastructure Fund which is being administered by DEFRA. The aim of this fund is to encourage the creation of supply chains for the production of Biomass wood fuel as a renewable energy source.
The Forestry Commission's web site has a grant calculator which interested parties can download and this enables them to quickly guage the value of this potential grant aid.

Scottish Community and Household Renewables Iniative (SCHRI)
Community groups and householders can receive this assistance through the Scottish Community and Household Renewables Scheme which is administered by ALIenergy in the Argyll and Islands area. Community groups can recieve up to £100,000 per project for any community renewable energy scheme (not just Biomass) and householder can benefit from grants of up to 30% of their eligble costs on a number of renewable energy technologies. See the links in the right hand panel for further information.

Companies wishing more information should contact our Lochgilphead office on 01546 602281or use the form on our Contact Us page to request further information.  

*Ground Source Heat Pumps are a recent addition to this list.