There has been some debate, and conflicting advice, circulating, about whether or not a farm or estate business with a renewable energy project eligible for Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) can claim them if it has also received a SRDP grant.

Some clarity has now been forthcoming from The Department of Energy and Climate Change. It is generally not possible for a generator to receive both FiTs and a SRDP grant. There are, however, certain circumstances where FiTs can be accredited where a grant has already been received. These are –

• Where grants have been made before 1 April 2010 in respect of installations commissioned before 15 July 2009, or installations on residential property commissioned before 31 March 2010.

• Where grants are less than EU de minimis rules, which amount to no more than €200,000 (including FiTs) over a three year period.

• Where it can be demonstrated that a grant is for justifiable non-standardised costs, that is costs incurred to reduce the environmental impact of an installation.

If you have any doubt about whether or not you can claim FiTs on an eligible installation, having been in receipt of a grant, please contact our Renewable Energy team for advice.