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Micro-renewables Technologies
A debate on motion
S2M-3320, in the name of Sarah Boyack, on promoting energy saving using
micro and small-scale
renewables technology.
The
Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion
S2M-3320, in the name of Sarah Boyack, on promoting energy saving using
micro and small-scale renewables technology. The debate will be concluded
without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament believes that micro and small-scale renewables
technology offers huge opportunities to tackle both fuel poverty and the
causes of climate change; notes the Scottish Executive's target of achieving
a 20% improvement in energy efficiency on 2000 levels by 2010; believes
that, to help achieve this target, building standards should be amended to
include micro-renewables technology as permitted developments and should
require generation capacity to be included in all new developments;
particularly notes examples of good practice in Edinburgh Central such as
Dunedin Canmore Housing Association's European award-nominated Slateford
Green Development; believes that local authorities should be required to
consider the role that micro-generation targets could deliver in achieving
sustainable energy and to set appropriate targets accordingly; notes the
Energy Savings Trust's proposal of a flat rate reduction on council tax or
its replacement for houses which incorporate certified energy efficiency or
micro-renewables technology, and believes that fiscal measures such as these
should be actively considered.
Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab):
We have now moved from talking about small-scale renewables as a future
possibility, to talking about the micro-renewables option. I have also been
working with my colleague Mark Lazarowicz, who has been working on the issue
in the United Kingdom Parliament. I am pleased to report that he managed to
get more than 100 of his colleagues to stay in London on a Friday to vote
his bill through the first stage of the private member's bill process. That
is not something that happens every day of the week in the House of Commons.
The
era of cheap domestic power is now over. Energywatch reports that gas
prices have gone up by 30 per cent, and electricity prices have risen by
20 per cent in the past two years. We know from the Scottish house
condition survey that every 5 per cent increase in fuel costs drags
30,000 Scots back into fuel poverty. Barnado's estimates that 46,000
children live in fuel poverty. That must end, and this is an opportunity
to bring it to an end.
It is no coincidence that Scotland's social housing providers are
leading the way in making use of the Scottish community and householder
renewables initiative. Canmore Housing Association in my constituency
has several projects that use micro-renewables, energy efficiency and
management technologies. The Slateford Green project has won awards at
European-level, but there are others. There are families in my
constituency who are already living with lower fuel bills and warm
homes. I would like all my constituents have the same opportunity.
We
have to encourage and incentivise people to add the new technologies to
their existing housing and buildings — we should not deal only with new
buildings. By installing the new technologies we will create a mass
market; we will bring down costs; we will stimulate manufacturing in
Scotland; and, crucially, we will create a pool of skilled installers
who know how to fit the technology.
We also need to raise awareness and make it easier for people to install
renewable energy in their homes, as it is far too difficult at the
moment. It can be done, but it requires a huge amount of personal
research and commitment. We should reward everybody for using
environmentally friendly heat and power technology.
The
Deputy Presiding Officer:
I have a considerable
list of members who wish to speak in the debate. I will start with
speeches at four minutes, and that limit must be observed. I may have to
reduce the time for members who speak later, but I will advise them
then.
Dr
Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab):
I know that Allan
Wilson has visited
Fintry in my constituency to see what is happening there. A community
group was set up to consider how it could work with a developer — West
Coast Energy Ltd — to own a turbine. There are 15 wind turbines in the
field — it is relatively small — and Fintry will own one of them. The
process has not been easy; many discussions were needed along the way,
including discussions with RSPB Scotland when hen harriers were
discovered on the site, but the community group has worked very well. It
is now moving on to take a more
holistic approach to micro and small-scale renewables technologies so
that it can go that one step further. It is important that the Executive
should also take an holistic approach, although I am sure that it does
so through its sustainable development strategy and its
cross-departmental working. We must consider all the different ways in
which we can support such ventures.
The
Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Allan Wilson):
I, too, congratulate Sarah Boyack on bringing the debate to the chamber.
I have known her for many more years than either of us would probably
care to remember. Her interest in, and commitment to, the subject goes
back way beyond her joining me in the Parliament to her time in the
Edinburgh district Labour Party and beyond.
The debate has been very interesting. The broad consensus in the chamber
on micro-renewables is to be welcomed, even if we disagree on
macro-energy generation. The obvious place to debate that is in the
context of the forthcoming UK energy review. I think that ascribing
motives or opinions to the Prime Minister in advance of that debate is a
fairly futile exercise.
Certainly, as the Executive has made clear, we have a commitment to
renewable energy and to improving energy efficiency. As members well
know, we have not only set ambitious renewables targets, but are
spending money on
targeting energy conservation in the public and domestic sectors across
Scotland. We are also working to bring about a culture change by raising
awareness of energy use more generally, as a number of members
mentioned.
Clearly, micro and small-scale renewables have an important role to play
in ensuring that we meet all our energy needs. "Think globally, act
locally" is the key tenet of the sustainable development movement and it
is one to which we subscribe. We can all make a difference locally in
our communities and we should all be encouraged to do so.
Our Scottish community and householder renewables initiative provides
advice and grant support for communities and individuals to install
small-scale renewables. I think that everyone agrees that the initiative
has been remarkably successful since it started in 2002. So far, it has
allocated more than £5 million to around 700 projects. For example, in
addition to the project that Sarah Boyack mentioned at Slateford Green,
SCHRI has supported 17 housing association projects, including Partick
Housing Association's new development and Berwickshire Housing
Association's new build at Whitsome.
A review of the SCHRI was completed recently. We are now looking at the
ways in which the scheme can continue to deliver best value to
householders and communities. That is an important aspect of the way in
which we will take forward our commitment to micro-renewable generation.
Mr Ruskell:
May I rather wearily ask the minister about Breadalbane Academy in the
context of PPP schools and biomass? Will the revised SCHRI deal with the
problem of the high capital cost of installation in those private
finance initiative projects?
Allan Wilson:
I think that Mark Ruskell would probably agree with me that the problem
of creating a market for micro-renewables or biomass plant is not solely
related to PPP projects — indeed, I do not think that he is suggesting
that for one minute. He has a specific interest in the outcome of the
review of the SCHRI in that regard. As many members have said, we need
to create a market for micro-renewables or biomass generation more
generally. Our most important task is to create that virtuous circle. We
have to create a market in a market economy; it is not possible to do so
through a process of continuous subsidy. Public subsidy has a role to
play in kick-starting the market, but ultimately we are looking to
create market conditions in which micro-renewables are as common as
satellite dishes, as Maureen Macmillan said. Of course, satellite dishes
are not subsidised from the public purse; the growth in their use was
created by market demand. That is where we want to get to with
micro-renewable generation. Mark Ruskell will just have to wait for the
announcement on the SCHRI to see how that funding applies to the
situation in Perth.
We have been following closely the work that colleagues elsewhere in the
UK are doing on micro-renewable generation. I am thinking in particular
of another old friend and colleague of mine, Mark Lazarowicz, and his
bill at Westminster — Sarah Boyack mentioned him, too. Clearly, it is
important that we take the right steps in driving forward
micro-renewable generation in Scotland. The Executive is considering the
issues, many of which were helpfully raised by members in the debate.
We are also looking at the promotion of micro-renewables as part of the
current review of our national planning policy guidelines on renewable
energy development. We are preparing an annex to the current planning
advice note on renewable energy technologies to support the growing
interest in micro-renewables. Sarah Boyack has a particular interest and
expertise in the issue, given her background in planning. A review of
the energy standards in Scottish building regulations is also under way.
It is likely that future regulations will make the inclusion of
building-integrated micro-renewables more attractive to developers.
On the important issue of affordability and addressing fuel poverty, we
have invested more than £200 million in the central heating programme
and the warm deal. As Sylvia Jackson, Sarah Boyack and other members
mentioned, central heating systems have been put into more than 56,000
homes and insulation has been provided for more than 218,000 homes. Fuel
poverty has more than halved since 1996, from 35 per cent of the
population to 13 per cent, but there is more still to be done.
Making homes more expensive is not part of that process. We must ensure
that our social and economic policies are joined up, so that the
problems facing those whose health or general well-being may be at risk
from cold and damp housing can be addressed. Micro-renewables have a
part to play in that, as do thermal insulation standards.
Maureen Macmillan:
Will the minister
look specifically at the situation in the islands, where oil-fired
central heating that has been installed for old people is now becoming
too expensive, because of the transport costs of the oil? Will he
consider whether new central heating systems could use micro-renewables
instead?
The Deputy
Presiding Officer:
Do that very quickly, minister, as it is not strictly relevant.
Allan Wilson:
The rise in the
price of oil and in the related price of gas creates the market
conditions that we now see, and we will incentivise a drive for
renewables.
Energy efficiency is also a key element of our climate change programme,
not only contributing to a reduction in carbon emissions, but helping to
tackle fuel poverty, improve business profitability and reduce the cost
of delivering public services. As we announced last year, we are
developing the first energy efficiency strategy for Scotland, which we
expect to publish in the spring. That will cover all Executive-funded
initiatives and strategies that have a significant impact on energy
efficiency; it will produce a more joined-up approach and get the supply
and demand sides of the equation into correct balance.
I welcome members' contributions to today's important debate. I look
forward to working with Sarah Boyack and other members in realising the
huge potential that micro and small-scale renewables technology brings
to all our communities and in introducing legislation to that effect.
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