Commercial Heat Pump
Grants in Inverness
Air source, ground source and water source heat pumps for Inverness businesses and public sector. Salix Finance interest-free loans, the Annual Investment Allowance, and solar co-location. Free thermal survey within one week.
Heat pump funding in Inverness
Multiple stacking incentives apply to commercial heat pump installations in Inverness in 2026.
100% first-year tax relief
Heat pump systems qualify as plant and machinery for the Annual Investment Allowance — 100% of capex deducted from corporation tax in Year 1. A £150,000 heat pump installation delivers a £37,500 tax saving at 25% corporation tax. No cap, permanent, applies to all qualifying commercial heat pump types.
Interest-free loans for public sector
NHS trusts, schools, councils and universities in Inverness can access Salix BAU interest-free loans for heat pumps. Repaid from energy savings over 5–12 years. Open-ended and accepting applications now. PSDS Phase 4 closed November 2024 but Salix BAU continues — no end date.
VAT on heat pump installs
Commercial heat pump installs are standard-rated for VAT (20%), which a VAT-registered business normally reclaims. The reduced and zero rates for energy-saving materials mainly cover homes and relevant charitable buildings, so check the rate on your quote.
Solar-powered heating at near-zero cost
A solar + heat pump system in Inverness uses daytime PV generation to power the heat pump compressor at near-zero marginal cost. Every 1 kWh of solar produces 3.5–5 kWh of useful heat (CoP 3.5–5.0). Particularly effective in Inverness buildings with continuous heating demand — hospitals, leisure centres, food production.
Heat pump types for Inverness commercial buildings
Most common commercial installation in Inverness. Extracts heat from outdoor air — effective down to -15°C with modern units. Low installation disruption. No ground works required. Suited to offices, retail, warehouses and healthcare buildings.
Higher CoP than ASHP, particularly in winter. Requires ground loop installation — open land or borehole drilling. Suited to Inverness sites with available land (rural fringe, business parks, hospitals). More capital-intensive but lower running costs.
Delivers flow temperatures up to 75°C — compatible with existing radiator systems without full fabric upgrades. Enables direct boiler replacement in Inverness older commercial buildings without refurbishment. Increasingly cost-competitive as grid and boiler gas prices diverge.
250 kWp solar + 200 kW ASHP for a Inverness office/industrial building
- • 250 kWp rooftop solar: ~£175,000
- • 200 kW ASHP system: ~£120,000
- • Hot water storage (1,000L): ~£8,000
- • Controls + integration: ~£12,000
- Total: ~£315,000
- • Gas boiler replacement (at 5p/kWh gas): ~£32,000/yr
- • Solar-powered heat pump offset: ~£18,000/yr
- • the Annual Investment Allowance tax relief: ~£78,750 (Year 1)
- Net cost after incentives: ~£173,250
Heat pump opportunities in Inverness
Other clean energy services in Inverness
Heat pump questions from Inverness businesses
What heat pump grants are available for Inverness businesses?
How does solar + heat pump work in Inverness?
Are Inverness older commercial buildings suitable for heat pumps?
What is the Salix Finance route for Inverness public sector heat pumps?
Free heat pump funding assessment for your Inverness site
We scope heat pump type, size, funding route and payback from a free thermal survey.
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Heat pump services near Inverness
Funding by asset class
The allowance depends on the asset, and most pages on this topic get it the wrong way round. Solar PV is special-rate expenditure (HMRC Capital Allowances Manual CA22335), so the 100% year-one route is the Annual Investment Allowance — Full Expensing is a main-rate measure and does not reach it. Battery storage, EV charging and heat pumps are Heat pumps for space or water heating are special-rate: AIA, then the 50% FYA. Standalone batteries are probably main-rate (full expensing for companies), but HMRC has no specific guidance; confirm with your adviser.
- heat pump capex for commercial buildings
Special-rate integral feature: AIA up to £1m, then the 50% special-rate first-year allowance for companies; full expensing does not apply.
- commercial battery storage costs and ROI
Probably main-rate plant (HMRC has no specific guidance, so confirm with your adviser). Stacks with solar for self-consumption.
- what commercial solar costs per kWp
Capex bands per kWp before any relief.
- rooftop solar on industrial premises
Large roofs, high daytime load — the strongest case.
- the Annual Investment Allowance explained for solar
Solar is special-rate, so AIA is the 100% year-one route.
Find out which 2026 schemes your site actually qualifies for
- 1. A short written funding note naming every scheme your site qualifies for in 2026 — and the ones it does not.
- 2. Indicative system size and a capex band for your roof.
- 3. Year-one tax treatment per asset in £ — solar is special-rate expenditure, so the route is the Annual Investment Allowance; heat pumps for building heating are also special-rate integral features, and standalone battery storage is probably main-rate plant (HMRC has no specific guidance, so confirm with your adviser). Most pages get this the wrong way round.
- 4. Projected SEG export revenue at current rates.
- 5. Any red-flag eligibility or DNO issues we can see up front.
Covers solar PV, battery storage, EV charging and commercial heat pumps — separately or as one bundled project. If your project is a heat pump or a battery rather than a roof, say so in the message box and the note is written against that asset instead.
- · We do not pass your details to multiple installers.
- · We do not run a lead auction, and your phone number is optional.
- · No marketing lists, no unsolicited calls.
- · We are an independent funding information service — not an installer.