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Funding for Renewable Energy

UK

The main support for small scale wind projects are the Community Renewables Initiative from the DTI and its Scottish equivalent. These co-fund community based schemes and offer useful advice on how to get started.

The Government's Clear Skies funding programme was replaced by the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in April 2006. The new programme is managed by the Energy Saving Trust and offers grants for domestic, community and larger microgeneration installations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scottish Community Renewables Initiative - www.est.org.uk/scri

England

DEFRA - Rural Enterprise Scheme and the Objective 1 Programme in appropriate areas of England. Assistance is only available for schemes that form part of the development and improvement of an agricultural business. Details are available from the Defra website on www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/res and www.defra.gov.uk/rural/structure respectively.

LEADER PLUS scheme: contact local action groups. Further information is available on www.defra.gov.uk/rural/leader.

Scotland

Agricultural Business Development Scheme
The Agricultural Business Development Scheme (ABDS) is a business development scheme for farmers/crofters and their immediate families. It operates under the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme within the legal framework of the Rural Development Regulation. It is a discretionary and competitive scheme.

Legal occupiers of agricultural units within the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme Area, who have been actively engaged in agriculture for a minimum of two years, are eligible to apply to the scheme for both investments in agricultural holdings and diversification projects.

Advice and details about the Scheme are available from SEERAD Area Offices or from the Scheme Co-ordinator based at Longman House, 28 Longman Road, Inverness IV1 1SF (Tel: 01463 253065)

Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants (Scotland) Scheme (CCAGS)
This may in some circumstances apply to small wind energy projects. Grants covering a wide range of agricultural activities are available to the following persons in the former Crofting Counties:

  • Tenants and legal sub-tenants of crofts, and owners occupying unlet crofts who are of the same economic status as crofters;
  • Common Grazings Committees and Grazings Constables where all the work relates to the Common Grazings;
  • Occupiers of holdings other than crofts, the area of which does not substantially exceed 30 hectares (excluding common pasture) or where the annual rent would not substantially exceed £100 if the holding were let as a croft. In addition, the occupier must be of the same economic status as a crofter.

Information about these grants can be obtained from the Crofters Commission, 4-6 Castle Wynd, Inverness, IV2 3EQ, Tel: 01463-663450 or from your local SEERAD Area Office or visit www.crofterscommission.org.uk

Ethical Investment

Another approach for larger projects may be to seek project finance from ethical investment schemes, such as Triodos Renewables, an initiative of Triodos Bank, or Energy4All, an initiative of the Baywind Energy Co-operative.

It is now possible for individuals to invest directly, either in wind farms themselves, or in companies that develop community projects:

Energy4All: Want to be part of a co-operative future for clean, green energy generation? You can own a direct stake in wind farms in Lincolnshire, Cumbria, Oxfordshire, Scotland and Wales that will be built in 2005 through democratically run, social enterprise. The minimum cost of joining community wind co-operatives is £250 and each member receives an equal say in how the co-op is run, regardless of the number of shares they hold. To find out further information on your local wind power co-operative visit www.energy4all.co.uk and be part of the renewable revolution.

Ventus is a specialist venture capital trust, established to invest in a portfolio of companies that will develop, construct and operate small onshore wind farms, typically consisting of between on and six wind turbines. The minimum investment amount is £3,000, and the offer closed on 1 April 2006.

Visit www.ventusvct.com for further information including a prospectus.