The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) Phase 1 and Phase 2 has closed to all new applications for grants for electrical microgeneration as of 5pm, Wednesday 3rd February, which follows the publication of the Government’s decision document on the Feed-In Tariffs (FIT).
The LCBP Programme has been running since 2006 and has provided a firm basis for the manufacture, assembly, supply and installation of microgeneration technology across the UK with over 14,500 grants provided to householders and 3,000 grants provided to schools, churches, communities and other not-for-profit organisations to date.
The publication of the of the FITs consultation on Monday 1st February in advance of the FITs tariff introduction scheduled for April 2010, will provide additional certainty for the industry to continue to develop and expand.
The total funding for LCBP is finite and the closure to applications for electrical microgeneration technologies will allow the remaining un-allocated funding to be focussed on thermal microgeneration in the run-up to the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentives (RHI’s) scheduled for April 2011.
The Low Carbon Buildings Programme is the £131 million grants programme providing assistance for the purchase and installation of both electrical and thermal microgeneration technology for householders under Phase 1 and schools, churches, communities and other not-for-profit organisations under Phase 2.
LCBP has shown its commitment to electrical microgeneration and has committed, to date, over £62 million (64%) of funding to it of which £54 million has been committed to the buoyant Solar PV market.
For further details about the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 please visit http://www.lowcarbonbuildingsphase2.org.uk/
The Low Carbon Buildings Programme householder stream was due to be open until the end of March 2010 for electricity generating technologies, or as long as funds last. Funding has been allocated on a first come first served basis and has seen a substantial increase in the uptake of grants for electricity generating technologies over the last few months. This has lead to a more rapid reduction of funds than anticipated.
Following the publication on Monday 3rd February 2010 of the government’s decision document on the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) (which is the new government incentive for electricity technologies), and to preserve some longevity for the programme and continuing support for heat generating technologies whilst the Renewable Heat Incentive is still being developed, the decision was made to preserve remaining funds for heat generating technology grants only.
DECC made a decision based on the amount of funding remaining unallocated for the programme.
The demand for electrical microgeneration has been unprecedented and whilst funds were depleting rapidly, it was considered best to make the announcement as soon as possible, but also in line with greater certainty over the Feed-inTariff and so follows the decision document published on Monday 3rd February 2010. See here for more details.
The technologies no longer being funded under the LCBP are solar photovoltaic, wind turbine and small scale hydro.
Your grant offer will still be valid in line with the terms and conditions of grant as specified in your grant offer letter.
There are no current plans for any further grant programmes for renewable technologies.
It is intended that LCBP will be replaced by the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) for electricity generating technologies and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) for heat generating technologies.
FITs are due to commence 1st April 2010
RHIs are due to commence on 1st April 2011