DTI-Low-Carbon-Buildings-Program-Re-Launch-29th-May-2007

Launched on 1 April 2006, phase one of the DTI’s low carbon buildings programme will run over three years and replaces the previous DTI Clear Skies and Solar PV grant programmes. Open to householders, public, not for profit and commercial organisations across the UK (except the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), the programme will demonstrate how energy efficiency and microgeneration can work hand in hand to create low carbon buildings.

Click here to find out about phase two of the low carbon buildings programme.

Part of the DTI’s microgeneration strategy, phase one of the low carbon buildings programme will fund a range of microgeneration technologies including:

Solar photovoltaics
Wind turbines
Small hydro
Solar thermal hot water
Ground source heat pumps
Bio-energy
Renewable CHP
MicroCHP (Combined heat and power)
Fuel cells

Two streams of grants are available under phase one of the programme:

Stream one for householders: the householder grant scheme is being re-shaped to make best use of the extra funding announced during the budget and there will be no allocation of funds this month. The next allocation of funds for householders will be announced on this website shortly

Please check the website regularly for updates. Click here to read the full announcement.
Stream two: for medium and large microgeneration projects by public, not for profit and commercial organisations. Applications are being taken now for stream 2A and 2B, click here to find out more. For more information about the grants available and eligibility criteria visit our

FAQs sections:
Householder FAQs are currently unavailable because the scheme is being re-shaped.
Businesses and SMEs applying for funding
Public and charitable organisations applying for funding
Phase one of the DTI’s low carbon buildings programme is managed by the Energy Saving Trust.

There are 4 mains aims for the programme:
To support a more holistic approach to reducing carbon emissions from buildings by demonstrating combinations of both energy efficiency measures and microgeneration products in a single development.
To see demonstrated on a wider scale emerging microgeneration technologies (with a focus on building integrated technologies).

To measure trends in costs of microgeneration technologies. It is expected that these costs should reduce over the lifetime of the programme against a 2005 baseline.
To raise awareness by linking demonstration projects to a wider programme of activities including developing skills and communicating the potential of microgeneration to change the attitudes and behaviour of consumers. Larger scale projects will seek to engage the construction industry in project replication by demonstrating the business case for developing low carbon buildings.

Micro-Generation-Grants-Available-In-The-UK-From-Tuesday-29th-May-2007

Grants for people who want to install micro-wind turbines and solar panels on their homes will be available again from 9am on Tuesday 29 May.

The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) has already allocated £6.8m in to householders and, following the addition of an extra £6m in the Budget, applications are set to open for the remaining £11.9m.

Since it launched in April 2006 the LCBP has directly funded 2175 installations on homes. This includes 242 mini-turbines, 313 Solar PV projects and 1467 solar thermal heating systems.

Announcing the re-launch of the scheme Mr Darling said:
"The microgeneration industry has tremendous potential in the low carbon economy. Products are already available on the high street and are starting to become recognisable on our skylines. This grant scheme is designed to maximise carbon savings, demonstrate potential and help the sector become more commercially competitive in the long term.

"It is part of a wider government programme worth £86m that will also award grants for larger scale installations on schools and other public buildings."

The grant scheme was put on hold in March while the application process was streamlined to make sure it benefits the sector in the long term.

Key changes to the application criteria include the removal of the monthly cap and a new requirement to have planning permission before applying.

The Government is currently consulting on removing the need for planning permission for the majority of microgeneration installations but it must be in place for LCBP grant applicants in the meantime.

The changes are designed to overcome delays in the take-up of grants. Only half of the £6.8m already allocated by March had been spent because of supply chain issues, planning consents not in place, delays in building schedules and applicants not ready to proceed. The DTI will continue to monitor these areas.

More detail on the new application process is available at http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/