Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) for solar thermal

Much like the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) for Solar PV systems the RHI is a payment from the government for heat that is generated by renewable technologies such as solar thermal. Solar thermal installations less than 200 Kwth are eligible. The proposed payment rate is 8.5p/Kwh. Managed by OFGEM, the payments will be made quarterly for the next 20 years.

General eligibility checklist:

• The installation is an eligible renewable heat technology and size
• The installation was completed and first commissioned on or after July 2009
• The heat generated is used for ‘eligible purposes’ heating space, heating water or for carrying out a process where heat is being used in a building
• No grants from public funding have been received for purchasing or installing the installation
• The plant was new at the time of installation
• The plant uses either liquid or steam as the heat delivery medium

Installations will have to carry heat meters to measure the amount of renewable heat delivered. All heat meters must consist of:

• A flow sensor –determining the volume of fluid which passes through a pipe within a given period of time
• A matched pair of temperature sensors – two sensors that are calibrated together to make sure the temperature difference between the input and output is measured to the stated accuracy level.
• A calculator – using the information provided by the flowmeter and sensors to calculate the heat energy being transferred.

Only MCS or Solar Keymark approved products will be eligible and the installation must have been completed by an MCS approved installer.

For lots more information go to:

The Renewable Heat Premium Payment - residential solar

If you have a solar thermal system installed between August 2011 and March 2012 then you are entitled to the premium payment (it's pretty much the same as a grant) The government has allocated just 15m for this payment, meaning get in there quick! once it's gone its gone!

You do not automatically qualify for the RHI just because you have had the premium payment you will need to apply separately for the RHI when it is launched.