DTI Low Carbon buildings programme

About the grant programme

About the grant programme

BERR published the Microgeneration Strategy (link to microgen strategy) for the promotion of microgeneration in March 2006. BERR are implementing the raft of financial and non-financial support measures it outlines, including providing grants for the installation of microgeneration technologies through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Launched on 1 April 2006, BERRs Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 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.

The aims of the programme are as follows:

  1. 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.
  2. To see demonstrated on a wider scale emerging microgeneration technologies (with a focus on building integrated technologies).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Grants will be provided towards the cost of installing the following technologies:

To be eligible to receive a grant you must use a certified installer and a certified product.

For more information about the grant streams and eligibility criteria visit our FAQ section:

Please note that Stream 1 Communities, Stream 2A and Stream 2B are now closed to new applications.

Community groups, public and non-profit sector applicants may be eligible to apply to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2.