Solar PV, energy storage and other clean energy technologies will be exempt from business rates rises from April 2023, in plans unveiled in the last Budget.
The move is in response to pressure from the likes of the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Property Federation to introduce new investment relief and encourage British businesses to adopt green technologies.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has committed to providing business rates exemptions and relief in England for eligible green technologies to support the decarbonisation of non-domestic buildings. The move complements the government’s final report on its review of business rates, which gives more detail on how it will look to drive renewable energy generation and storage from 2023 until 2035.
Eligible technologies include rooftop solar PV, battery storage that is used in conjunction with renewables, and electric vehicle charging points.
However, despite similar lobbying from the renewables sector, there is currently no sign of cutting VAT levels for technologies such as solar PV, heat pumps and domestic batteries.