Your Community Group Could Get Grants To Lower Heating Costs

15th February 2010

Community and Renewable Energy Scheme

CARES stands for Community and Renewable Energy Scheme and is the Scottish Government's rebranding of the previous Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) programme.

Community Energy Scotland were awarded the contract to deliver CARES across the whole of Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government for three years from May 2009. CARES continues the support available for communities under the previous SCHRI programme and builds on this by increasing the maximum grant levels by 50%. Grants of up to £150K are now available.

CARES Grants

Through Community Energy Scotland, CARES offers grants to a range of community organisations to help with the installation of a variety of renewable energy technologies. Communities may apply for funding for technical assistance and capital grants for renewable energy equipment installation and associated costs. Under CARES there is no set grant funding. The amount of funding awarded is determined on a case by case basis.

Technical grants

Technical assistance funding is available to support non-capital projects, such as feasibility or scoping studies and capacity building within a community. The maximum grant is £15,000.

Funding is available to:

•pay for part or all of the costs associated with feasibility studies or community consultation
•provide support for an organisation's staff to develop a proposal
•pay for capacity building (renewable energy awareness raising, training and skills development)
•Capital grants contributing to the capital costs of a project. The maximum grant is £150,000.

Funding is available for:

- the capital costs of installing renewable energy generation plant

- capital costs for supporting infrastructure, such as roads

project management costs associated with the development and installation of generating equipment

- the costs of the community establishing a partnership with a third party such as a developer, or setting up a new company or purchasing an equity share in an existing company

- the costs of implementing regulatory or fiscal regulations designed to encourage renewable energy generation or use; these may include metering equipment, licences or costs of accessing Renewable Obligation Certificates.


Which organisations are eligible?

All legally constituted, non-profit distributing community organisations are eligible to apply. Such organisations may include (but are not restricted to):

- local/national voluntary, non-profit and charitable organisations

- local rural partnerships

- local authorities

- housing associations

- Universities and schools

Consortia of non-profit distributing organisations are acceptable. Bids in which private industrial or commercial organisations collaborate as part of consortium bids with non-profit distributing bodies will also be accepted, provided that the private organisations is not the lead applicant / beneficiary and the project itself is non-profit distributing. Communities may apply for funding for technical assistance and capital grants for renewable energy equipment installation and associated costs.

If you are unsure about whether or not your organisation meets the criteria, you should contact your local Community Energy Scotland Area Team to discuss your particular situation.

Technologies eligible for funding

Technologies that are eligible for funding under CARES include (but not limited to):

- hydro-electric (incl wave and tidal)
wind
- green hydrogen / fuel cells
- geothermal
- solar systems
- heat pumps (ground, air and water source)
- automated wood fuel heating systems
The scheme does not fund

- non-automated wood burning stoves (as a mature technology with well-established market which does not require this support)

Renewable energy technologies can generate energy in the form of electricity and/or heat - both types of technologies are acceptable. The overriding requirement is that the project must result in a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, relative to alternative sources of power.

Essential criteria

All projects must be located in Scotland.

The project must entail the generation of energy from renewable means.

The project must involve an assessment of measures to improve energy efficiency

Projects relating to direct community ownership on behalf of the local community must demonstrate community benefit, involvement and a good level of local support for the project.

Capital projects must be technically viable and capable of producing renewable energy within 2 years of funding being granted. Technical Assistance applications must be completed within 1 year.

Applicants must allow publication of grant assisted work and reasonable access to those seeking to replicate the project.

The project must meet all general legal, statutory and regulatory requirements.
There must be a satisfactory maintenance and management plan for the project once installed.

Applicants must demonstrate that the project entails the most cost-effective and appropriate means of meeting a given requirement for renewable energy.
There must be an established and viable structure for the on-going management of the project.

Desirable criteria

Potential for replication elsewhere.
Additional sources of funding
High reduction of carbon emissions when compared to the cost per tonne of achieving that reduction in carbon emissions as a result of the project.
A clear plan of action to maximise the project's educational potential, i.e. potential to raise awareness of renewable energy in general and /or the particular technology used.

For more information got to www.communityenergyscotland.org.uk