solar power

Solar Grants and Renewable Heat Incentive

Customers of Rayotec can benefit from a variety of government and regional solar grants now available for solar power.

MCS Approved Installer

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Domestic Solar Grants

There are still £400 grants available for solar thermal installations from the Low Carbon Building Program Phase 1. To be eligible to receive a low carbon buildings program grant you must use a MCS certified installer and a certified product. Rayotec are MCS accredited and all the products we use are suitable for obtaining the grant.

The grants are due to finish in April 2011 but may run out beforehand due to its popularity

house with solar heating

Solar Grants for Non Profit organisations

There are 50% grant funding available for supply and installation of solar thermal systems for public sector buildings (including schools, hospitals, housing associations and local authorities) and charitable bodies. This is through the Low Carbon Building Program Phase 2 run by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Rayotec will assist its customers with the application process to make it as simple as possible for the clients.

Similarly the householders phase 1 grant, phase 2 grants are due to finish in April 2011 but may run out beforehand due to its popularity.

Renewable Heat Incentive

Similar to the "Feed in Tariff" the government has committed itself to a similar scheme for solar thermal starting in April 2011. The "Renewable Heat Incentive" will be open to householders, non profit organisations and businesses. The following information is what has been released as a proposal by the Government and will hopefully be confirmed later this year.

How will the payment be calculated

Renewable Heat Incentive payments are to be calculated on the annual amount of heat output, expressed in kilowatt hours (kWh). Using metering devices with solar thermal systems would be expensive and may encourage wastage. So instead of metering the amount of useful heat that a system will produce will be estimated at the time of installation and then paid annually for 20 years. The exact details of the method of calculation to be used to estimate the amount of heat a system will produce each year has not been confirmed yet.

The proposed rates of payment

Scale of System Rate (per kWh) Lifetime
Up to 20kW 18 Pence 20 Years
20kW – 100kW 17 Pence 20 Years

Who can claim the Renewable Heat Incentive

Those projects completed after 15 July 2009 (when the Renewable Energy Strategy was published) will in principle be eligible. The scheme will only be available for installations carried out by MSC approved installers with approved products. All of Rayotec's solar products are approved by MSC and Rayotec are one of the first MCS approved companies.

Q: If I receive the Renewable Heat Incentive payments will I have to repay any grant?

A: If you are a householder and have received a central Government grant, then you will not be expected to repay the grant.

Q: How much will a typical solar heating system expect to the earn from the renewable heat incentive payments?

A: A typical solar heating installation could expect to earn between £160 and £350 each year as well as saving an additional 60% of the annual hot water energy cost.

Summary of the solar heating renewable heat payment benefits

  • Payment for each kWh unit of heat generated
  • Payments to be guaranteed for 20 years
  • Amount of energy to be estimated not metered thus defending against waste and bad weather
  • You may be able to receive a grant as well as renewable heat incentive payments for a limited time

 

commercial solar grant