The Scottish Government has confirmed that it is designating energy efficiency as a National Infrastructure Priority as part of its Heat Policy Statement which aims to decarbonise the nation’s heat sector.
The nation will use Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) to drive energy efficiency improvements to all buildings in Scotland, both domestic and non-domestic.
The new Heat Policy will use the £76 million made available by the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme to “provide tailored project development support” for low carbon infrastructure projects from private, community or public sectors.
The Heat Policy also retains Scotland’s ambition to source 1.5TWh of the nation’s heat demand from district or communal heating projects.
Commenting on the new policy, energy minister, Fergus Ewing said: “This concise Heat Policy Statement sets out Scottish Government’s framework for achieving a resilient heat system which transitions to affordable low carbon heat and seizes the economic opportunities that this transformation offers.
“Heat is estimated to account for over half of Scotland’s total energy use and responsible for nearly half of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions, so the imperative to take action is very clear. We have already made significant progress and will continue to work together with energy experts, businesses and communities to move towards a largely decarbonised heat system by 2050.”
Niall Stuart, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, welcomed the development, stating: “Heating our homes and businesses accounts for more than half of Scotland’s energy use, and most of our carbon emissions. We need to totally change the way we produce heat if we are going to get anywhere near our climate change targets, and that is going to be a long, difficult and complex transition. Heating is also the main element of our energy bills and the key driver of fuel poverty, so there are many ways in which change here can benefit the country.
Commenting specifically on the need for energy efficiency investment Stuart said: “The government’s analysis suggests that around £100 billion will be spent replacing and installing heating and energy efficiency measures from now to 2050 anyway, so the challenge is to put in place incentives and policies to ensure that this is invested in sustainable technologies, and as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
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