For Scottish businesses & community organisations
A meaningful share of our work isn't domestic. Community halls, churches, charities, schools, SMEs, community centres and public-sector sites across Scotland come to us because we understand the funding landscape, design honestly for each building, and run the install with the same in-house team that does the survey.
Why this matters
For years we have installed for community organisations whose projects are funded through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) — the funding is theirs; the design and installation is ours. A meaningful share of our work isn't a domestic boiler swap — it's a community hall on the west coast trying to drop its oil consumption, a kirk in Caithness scoping a heat pump retrofit, a charity wondering whether solar makes sense on the roof of their HQ, or an SME working out what the SME Loan + Cashback can actually cover.
These projects look different from a domestic install. They are funding-led rather than budget-led, they run on volunteer or trustee time, and they often need a contractor that can write a credible technical case as much as one that can install the kit. We do both, and we tell you honestly during a first conversation which route fits your organisation.
How we design
Most properties aren't one-technology problems. We regularly design and install combinations — a heat pump driving underfloor heating and radiators, air conditioning for rooms that need cooling or fast heat, solar PV and battery to power it, biomass where it suits — engineered around the specific property and how the customer actually lives.
Sectors we work in
Different building types, different funding routes — but the same design philosophy: retain what works, replace what doesn't, size to actual use.
Village halls, community trusts and shared spaces — typically oil-heated, heavily used in winter, run on volunteer time. Strong fit for CARES funding.
Listed and unlisted churches, kirks, chapels and worship halls. Heat pump retrofits, solar where the roof and planning permit, sensitive integration with the building fabric.
Registered charities, social enterprises, and community-led organisations running buildings on tight budgets. Funding-led project planning.
Small and medium businesses across Scotland — workshops, offices, retail and light industrial. SME Loan + Cashback is usually the right starting point.
Primary and secondary schools, nurseries, GP surgeries, small NHS estates and council buildings. Comfortable working under Public Sector Energy Efficiency Loans.
Hotels, B&Bs, self-catering, holiday lets and visitor centres. High variable demand, year-round hot water, often off-gas — natural fit for heat pumps and solar.
Farms, estates, country houses and rural businesses with mixed heat and power needs. Larger ground source loads and on-site solar generation.
Council and housing association retrofits, individually and at scale. Comfortable integrating into existing contractor frameworks and tenant liaison processes.
Funding we help navigate
Most Scottish commercial and community installs are part-funded. The four routes below cover the vast majority of projects. We'll tell you honestly during a first conversation which one fits.
Community and Renewable Energy Scheme
Scottish Government funding for community-led renewables — capital grants and development loans for charities, community groups, halls and faith buildings. We've delivered CARES-funded installations across Scotland: we help you scope an eligible project and provide the technical documentation the bid needs, while the application itself is lodged by your organisation.
Who it's for
Charities · Community groups · Halls · Faith buildings
Interest-free loan plus cashback grant — up to £30,000
For Scottish small and medium businesses: an interest-free loan covers the project, a cashback grant of up to £30,000 reduces the total cost, and the balance repays over up to ten years. Works for solar PV, heat pumps, battery storage and fabric upgrades — often the most straightforward route for a private SME.
Who it's for
Small and medium Scottish businesses
Free independent advice and energy audits
A free Scottish Government service delivered by Energy Saving Trust: an independent energy audit, a business case for the upgrades, and a route to whichever funding scheme fits. Usually the right first step — we coordinate with the BES adviser as part of the survey rather than rushing you into a quote.
Who it's for
Any Scottish business considering an energy upgrade
Interest-free loans for councils, schools, NHS and other public bodies
Interest-free Scottish Government loans for public bodies decarbonising their estates — fabric upgrades, low-carbon heat, on-site generation and storage. We work alongside in-house estates teams and framework contractors, and fold the design work into existing procurement.
Who it's for
Councils · Schools · NHS sites · Other public bodies
Amounts, eligibility and what we handle for each scheme: the full grants & funding guide →
Selected community installations
A selection of community-led projects we've delivered. Happy to put you in touch with a comparable site if you want to see a real installation before committing.
Loch Ness, Scotland
CARES-funded Vaillant 7 kW heat pump and solar PV install on a working tourism site, commissioned March 2021. Battery storage and an Easee EV charger added on a return visit.
Acharacle, Lochaber
Community-led renewable upgrade for a remote west-coast village hall — CARES-funded.
Lyth, Caithness
Renewable heat for a rural arts venue in Caithness — bridging the gap between programme and building services.
How we work with commercial clients
Commercial and community projects work to different rhythms than domestic installs. Decisions go through trustees, finance committees, estates teams or boards. Funding windows open and close on the Scottish Government calendar. Building access has to be programmed around term times, service patterns, opening hours or seasonal use. We plan for that rather than pretend the timelines are the same as a home swap.
Most commercial cycles take 4 to 9 months from first conversation to commissioning, and the work itself often concentrates in late winter and early spring as funding confirms and access opens up. We'll tell you at the first conversation what the realistic milestones look like for your scheme, and what the critical path is — so you can plan your end of it without surprises.
On larger sites we work alongside existing M&E consultants, framework contractors and in-house estates teams. We are comfortable with CDM, with public-sector procurement, and with the level of documentation that public funding requires.
What we deliver
A fully hands-off project on the technical side — system design, planning, DNO requests and approvals, installation, commissioning and detailed handover. One in-house team, one accountability line, from first survey through to switch-on.
What the customer owns
The one part we can't do for you in most cases is secure the funding itself. Grant and CARES funding generally has to be applied for by the organisation directly. We guide you on what's available and support your application with the technical documentation it needs.
What we install
Air-to-water heat pumps for halls, faith buildings and SMEs running on oil, LPG or ageing gas.
Read more →
For larger commercial loads and rural estates where peak demand justifies the borehole investment.
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Roof-mounted solar for sites with high daytime usage — schools, offices, community facilities.
Read more →
Peak shaving and smart-tariff arbitrage. Pairs naturally with on-site generation.
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Multi-zone systems for offices, retail, hospitality and healthcare. F-Gas-certified. Charged at standard VAT — commercial AC does not qualify for the 0% domestic energy-saving relief.
Read more →
Frequently asked
Start with a conversation. We will tell you within fifteen minutes which routes are realistic for your organisation type, building, and timescale. If Business Energy Scotland is the right first step, we will say so — they offer free audits and we are happy to coordinate.
You do — the application is completed, submitted and owned by your organisation. What we supply is the technical evidence it asks for: system specifications, heat loss data, energy modelling, expected savings and our quote. Many of our community clients are running on volunteer time, so we make sure everything we supply arrives in a form you can drop straight into the application.
For private SME work: 6–10 weeks from quote to commissioning, depending on equipment lead times and scaffolding. For community and public-sector projects with funding applications: usually 4–9 months including the application cycle. We will tell you the realistic timeline at survey.
Yes. On larger commercial sites we frequently work alongside in-house estates teams, M&E consultants, and main contractors. We are happy to integrate into existing CDM and procurement frameworks.
Yes. We can put you in touch with previous commercial and community clients of a similar type and scale. Several of them are happy to receive a site visit if you want to see a comparable install before committing.
Independently listed
Verify our Local Energy Scotland supplier registration at localenergy.scot/supplier/mcinnes-group-ltd .
Get in touch
We'll be in touch within one working day. No call-out fee, no obligation.
Thanks
If it's urgent, call us on 01463 231 423 — Monday–Friday, 08:00–17:00.
Prefer to talk? Call 01463 231 423 or email info@mcinnesgroup.co.uk.
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