Richard Bartlett’s Post

Today we have published the second section in our free, comprehensive guide to grants for commercial solar projects on our website. This part of the guide focuses on Northern Ireland where the £20m Energy Efficiency Captial Grant was launched on the 8th May providing up to £150k towards eligible projects. The EECG is reimbursement grant and can cover up to 50% but unfortunately its rules do not allow the balance of the project to be funded with secured lending. In our view not taking full advantage of cheapest funding available in the private sector will reduce the overall impact of the grant funds. GreenHearth can help companies arrange unsecured funding which can be used with this grants or long dated hire purchase funding which can fund 100% of potential projects. https://lnkd.in/e965d_YF

Did you know that Invest Northern Ireland offers the Energy Efficiency Capital Grant (EECG) to help businesses in Northern Ireland install energy-efficient equipment, including solar panels? The grant can provide up to £150,000, and the rate of support depends on the size of your company: 🔸Large companies: Up to 30% of eligible project costs 🔸Medium companies: Up to 40% of eligible project costs 🔸Small and micro companies: Up to 50% of eligible project costs To be eligible for the EECG, a business must: ✅Be registered in Northern Ireland ✅Have been trading for at least two years ✅Install the project at premises registered for business rates with Land and Property Services ✅Own the premises or have a rental agreement that lasts longer than the project's payback period The business information required for an EECG application is commercially sensitive and handled confidentially. For more information, see the Invest NI website: https://lnkd.in/eR_WuPsW Contact us today to discuss your energy efficiency and next steps 👇 ☎️ 028 9082 4000 📧 [email protected] 🖥 solmatix.com

🌞 ATTN: Solar Contractors & EPCs 🌞 Financing solar projects can be timely and costly, making you question your life choices. With me and Greenday Finance on your side? Not so much.  We’ve got you covered. Here’s how my team & I work differently: → Progress Payments: It’s progress, not perfection. Get continual cash flow to keep your projects moving forward. None of the financial hurdles. All of the milestone payments. → 95% Approval Rates: You’ll love my team’s precision, efficiency, and general charm. They review your documents faster than you can say “Help me, I need your approval”. →  Strategic Partnerships: Once you partner with us, you’re part of a tight network of experts who are on your side, and available to talk. At Greenday Finance, we know that your project is as unique as a fingerprint. Let’s get your project up and running smoothly so you can get back to the things you love doing. Like casually saving the planet, one solar project at a time. 🚀 I’ll be at RE+ Anaheim 2024 and would love to meet you in person! Book an appointment with me at the top of this post. I’m looking forward to helping you achieve your solar goals! 🌟 #SolarFinancing #REPlusAnaheim #SolarProjects 

Yesterday, Thomas Dowling and I attended Financing Ireland's Energy Transition, an event hosted by the team at Mason Hayes & Curran LLP. Eoin kicked off proceedings, emphasising the urgent need to deliver key renewable energy projects, while also making Ireland an attractive market for these investments.   The theme for the day… let’s make investment and development processes easier and quicker.   The first panel highlighted the expertise in financing renewable energy. Tara Deeny shared insights on how we can learn from the UK market to streamline due diligence and improve project bankability, whilst Peter Kavanagh noted the willingness of pillar banks to finance wind and solar projects. Peter stressed that developers primarily seek clear routes to market, so we need to simplify quick access to funding to facilitate the significant interest from international developers.   Panel 2 focused on emerging renewable technologies. Barry Kilcline outlined a simple approach: ensure certainty in project delivery, revenue, and risk quantification. Neils Jakeman discussed hydrogen’s future potential and technical challenges, while Jim Arigho stressed the importance of early-stage funding for new technologies. Karen Doyle echoed the day’s earlier sentiments in her calls for simplified processes to meet ambitious targets.   Finally, Pat Leahy provided a political update, expressing concern that if the Greens don’t regain power in the next election, the drive for renewables may slow down. Overall, it’s clear that Ireland has huge potential for renewable energy, but we must reduce barriers to progress.   #MHCEnergy #RenewableEnergy #IrelandEnergyTransition #SustainableFuture #EnergyTransformation

🚀 £24bn Private Investment in UK Energy Projects: A Major Boost for Green Jobs and Innovation! 🌍 The UK is seeing a surge in private finance, with £24bn being funnelled into clean energy projects in the first 100 days of this government. This investment marks a significant step towards achieving net-zero goals and creating thousands of green jobs across the country. Here are some of the key investments: Iberdrola is doubling its UK investment to £24bn, with £4bn allocated to the East Anglia 2 Wind Farm off the Suffolk coast. Ørsted and Greenvolt Group are unlocking £8bn and £2.5bn, respectively, for offshore wind projects. Holtec is investing £325M in South Yorkshire to supply materials for Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C power stations, creating hundreds of jobs in the process. SeAH Wind Ltd has increased its investment into Teesside’s wind technology manufacturing facility to £900M, making it one of the largest in the world. BW Group is proceeding with a £300M investment in battery energy storage in Birmingham. Macquarie Group has pledged £1.3bn into new green infrastructure, including solar farms and electric vehicle charging points along the UK’s motorways. These investments not only contribute to energy security but also provide a significant boost to the economy, supporting key infrastructure and creating long-term skilled jobs in renewable energy. At NEO International Partners, we’re excited to see such positive developments in the energy sector. As a recruitment leader in Mission Critical, Energy, and Construction, we’re ready to help businesses build the teams they need to deliver these ambitious projects and help drive the UK toward a more sustainable future. 🌿 💬 Interested in learning more about how we can help your business grow in this evolving landscape? Let’s connect and discuss how our expertise can help power your success. #CleanEnergy #GreenJobs #RenewableEnergy #EnergyInfrastructure #NetZero #MissionCritical #EnergyStorage #OffshoreWind #Sustainability #UKEnergy #NEOInternational #PositivelyImpactingPeople

Delighted to be partnering with PAC Group / PAC Solar to provide their customers with wraparound support for applications to the Invest NI Energy Efficiency Capital Grant *free of charge* 🥳 This will ensure projects are fully scoped to maximise the grant support available, with projects up to a value of £300k being eligible for support (and you don't need to be an Invest NI client to receive it!). Eligible projects will be funded at 50% for small businesses, 40% for medium, and 30% for large. With the costs of energy rising, and the need to decarbonise operations and supply chains, *now* is the time to explore solar. #RenewableEnergy #CarbonEmissions #RenewableFunding #BusinessFunding #Decarbonisation #BrighterFutures

A landmark £800 million agreement has been signed to develop two additional battery energy storage sites in Scotland, both set to become the largest of their kind in Europe ⚡️🙌 Battery storage will play a key part in the rollout of renewables in Scotland, and the two new sites will join another currently under construction by the same investment fund manager, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). Once complete, the three sites will have a combined energy storage capacity of three gigawatt hours 🔋 Commenting on the news during a visit to the construction site in Coalburn, South Lanarkshire, First Minister John Swinney said: “The fact that Scotland has been able to attract such a formidable investment demonstrates that Scotland is open for investment and open for business.” Read more about this exciting news 👉 https://ow.ly/6GyS50UCG9x #ScotlandIsNow #EnergyStorage

#RenewableEnergy developers are you familiar with Australia's version of the Contract for Difference scheme? The #CapacityInvestmentScheme (CIS) is an Australian Government initiative that aims to encourage new investment in renewable generation capacity and clean dispatchable capacity. Per the market brief, the CIS Agreement (CISA) will be a contract between the project owner and the Australian Government. It provides partial revenue support (90%) if a project’s revenue falls below an agreed floor and returns a percentage of revenue to the Australian Government (50%) if revenue exceeds an agreed ceiling. Tender 1 of the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) is expected to open for bids on 31 May 2024 (now open for registrations) and will seek to deliver 6 GW of renewable capacity across the NEM per below. - New South Wales – 2.2GW - South Australia – 300MW - Victoria – 1.4GW - Tasmania – 300MW (remaining 1.8 GW will be allocated to projects across the NEM based on a merit assessment of the projects) See full details in the tender document and market briefing on AEMO Services website (links below). UK developers or asset managers, reach out to Kathleen Devereaux or Julianne D. in our team at Austrade Europe, UK and Israel | Australian Trade and Investment Commission for more information. https://lnkd.in/e7vw3pue https://lnkd.in/evVi7FZW

The 2024-25 Federal Budget has commendably tackled many concerns within the green industry, placing significant emphasis on bolstering resource and critical minerals production, enhancing the mobilisation of both public and private capital, and fostering the development of skills and technologies crucial for the green energy transition. Yet, a persistent challenge remains, one that I have previously highlighted - the need to streamline and expedite approval processes for green projects.  This being said, I welcome the Government’s investment of $134.2 million to better prioritise approvals for renewable energy projects of national significance, as well as Investing $20.7 million to improve engagement with communities impacted by the energy transition. With ambitious targets set at both state and federal levels, the imperative to significantly reduce bureaucratic hurdles and accelerate approval processes is paramount, not only for developers but equally for investors. I also welcome initiatives such as the New Zealand Government's Fast-track Consenting Act, which empowers ministers to expedite projects by sending them directly to an independent panel, thereby shortening the consenting process and saving an average of 15 months per project. I’m looking forward to how similar measures will unfold in the coming months, particularly as states like the Victorian Government endeavour to address this pressing issue. While funding is undeniably available, the next crucial step is to ensure that processes are efficient and funding allocation is optimised within our systems. 

#Queensland Government invests $3.6 million in initiative to recycle solar panels Over 20 projects are being built in the state, whilst another 170 are in the pipeline. The government of Queensland in Australia has announced nearly $3.6m (A$5.5m) funding for the pilot of a solar panel recycling pilot. In a statement, the Queensland government said around $1.6m (A$2.5m) is allocated to ensuring that residential solar panels will avoid landfill and are re-purposed for parts. Almost $2m ($3m), meanwhile, will be dedicated to delivering Queensland Renewable Energy Industry Association Grants, allotted to the Smart Energy Council, the Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC) and the Clean Energy Council. https://lnkd.in/gR-aEibw #solarpanel #renewableenergy #australia