The answer
Should every project include all three technologies?
A CARES project does not become better by including every technology. The heating need and current fund rules should establish the core project; solar and storage need their own technical and financial justification for that building.
01 / 02
Design the energy flows
A heat pump changes electricity demand, especially in colder months. Solar generation is seasonal and follows daylight; a battery can shift electricity between hours but cannot make winter solar cover a large heating load. Use bills, opening hours and a monthly energy model to see where the technologies genuinely overlap.
02 / 02
Keep the grant boundary clear
Check each proposed measure against the current CARES guidance and document its role in reducing energy costs and emissions. A technically useful option may still have funding conditions or need stronger evidence. Do not assume that because heat, solar and battery appear in one quote, all three are eligible for the same grant treatment.
Where this guidance comes from
Check the original guidance.
These primary sources support the technical or scheme points above. Rules can change; follow the current source before making a commitment.
Apply this to your property
Build one sensible CARES project.
FLO can survey the building's heating, roof and electrical use together, then define a project scope to check with Local Energy Scotland.