Business rates reductions for renewable energy producers

Relief is available for renewable and hydro energy producers who solely produce heat or power (or both) from certain sources and are involved with community organisations.

Renewable energy relief

To qualify you need to be producing heat or power from:

  • Biomass
  • Biofuels
  • Fuel cells
  • Photovoltaics
  • Water (including waves and tides but not production from pumped storage)
  • Wind
  • Solar power
  • Geothermal sources

The amount of relief depends on the total rateable value of your property/properties:

Renewable energy
Combined rateable value of all business properties in ScotlandRelief
Up to £145,000100%
From £145,000 to £430,00050%
From £430,001 to £860,00025%
From £860,001 to £4,000,00010%
Greater than £4,000,0002.5%

You can get 60% relief for individual properties if both of the following apply, your:

  • scheme produces heat or power from water (including waves and tides, but excluding production from the pumped storage of water)
  • property has a rateable value of less than £5 million

This 60% relief will be available until 2032.

Eligibility

We need to consider six criteria for each business when assessing eligibility for Renewable Energy Generation Relief:

  • whether the business is solely concerned with the generation of heat or power from specific sources
  • whether the property currently receives any other relief (state aid limits apply)
  • if the business receives any other public sector assistance
  • the combined rateable value of all properties in Scotland which the business occupies or is entitled to occupy
  • if, in return for investment within the project by a community organisation, they will be given entitlement equivalent to:
    • at least 15% of the annual profit of the project
    • annual profit attributable to 0.5 megawatt of the total installed capacity of the project

New properties

Any new land or heritage entered into the valuation roll from 1 April 2016 which is used solely for the generation of renewable heat or power (or both), may qualify for the following relief:

  • 10% where the rateable value is £500,000 or less
  • 1.5% in any other case

Apply for a reduction >>

Page last updated: 03/04/2023
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