Solar Energy Scotland has raised concerns about the new energy efficiency standard for buildings proposed by the Scottish Government.
Last week, the Scottish Government opened a consultation on implementation rules inspired by the international Passivhaus standard. The original, or ‘classic’ passive house was conceived when renewable energy sources were rare and expensive, thus confirming that buildings have very high levels of insulation and airtightness, leading to low energy demand.
Passivhaus Classic has been replaced by ‘Plus’ and ‘Premium’ forms, which call for mandating the installation of renewable energy in domestic and non-domestic buildings, including solar thermal systems for hot water production.
In early 2023, the Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill proposed by Member of the Scottish Parliament Alex Rowley gave rise to the plan to implement the Passivhaus Standard. The consultation document states: “There is increasing recognition and uptake of the standard, which contributes positively to the overall energy and net zero targets.”
However, the consultation is based on Passivhaus Classic, which Solar Energy Scotland says would be outdated before it ever comes into force. The move would also put Scotland well behind the EU, which makes solar panels mandatory for all new-build homes, while England is expected to do the same.
In fact, the consultation makes no mention of solar energy at all.
Josh King, chairman of Solar Energy Scotland and director of sustainable energy services company Gensource, said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s intentions to improve dust and comfort standards and improve quality assurance for new-build homes.
“However, we caution against the use of outdated energy calculations that underestimate on-site generation, such as solar energy, and the enormous potential of battery energy storage and smart home energy management. We would encourage the Scottish Government to join the EU and the rest of Britain in rooftop solar.”
The Scottish solar industry
According to Solar Energy Scotland, the Passivhaus consultation repeats the mistakes made with the New Build Heat Standard (NBHS): the Scottish Government’s proposals only specify a standard for energy supplied, rather than produced, by buildings.
The NBHS bans the burning of fuel for heat, intended to lead to mass adoption of heat pumps; however, it does not mandate that rooftop solar be installed next to a heat pump. Previous regulatory changes had led to the vast majority of new Scottish homes installing photovoltaic panels, reducing both emissions and energy bills.
Last year the government committed to increasing solar capacity in Scotland to 4 to 6 GW by 2030. Since then, the Labor government has shown great interest in the technology.
Scotland is a controversial area when it comes to solar energy, with Scottish net-zero minister Mairi McAllan announcing on April 18 that the Scottish Government would miss its 2030 emissions target.
Despite the country scrapping its interest-free solar home loan scheme in June 2023, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) revealed in January 2024 that small-scale solar installations in Scotland increased by 174% in 2023 compared to 2020, with almost 26,000 installations. solar panels installed.
