Trade association Scottish Renewables has called on the Government to reinstate solar and energy storage in the Home Energy Scotland (HES) grant and loan program to support the country’s sustainability goals.
The Energy Saving Trust recently announced that solar PV and energy storage systems will no longer be included in the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland (HES) grant and loan scheme. Scottish Renewables argues that this undermines Scotland’s solar sector and removes any incentive for households to invest in solar energy.
This move is even more questionable when you consider the country’s solar targets. The government plans to increase solar energy deployment from 0.5 GW of capacity to between 4 and 6 GW by 2030.
Scottish Renewables has urged the government to make several changes to undo the potential harm that the lack of solar and energy storage in the HES program could have.
Firstly, the government must increase the funding available in the HES grant and loan program by £20 million, reintroducing solar and energy storage systems.
The government should also continue to expand the size and scale of interest-free loans and grant programs for energy efficiency measures, including solar and heat pump installations, especially for smaller properties and households in rural and fuel-poor islands.
Helen Melone, head of heat and solar at Scottish Renewables, said: “The Scottish Government’s decision to remove residential rooftop solar from the HES grant and loan scheme is a blow to the future of Scotland’s solar energy sector.
“The HES grant and loan scheme is popular with the Scottish solar supply chain and has helped deliver the extensive pipeline of projects it is currently working on.”
Melone concluded: “Domestic solar is hugely popular in Scotland, and there is a long waiting list for installations. However, without an incentive for residential rooftop solar, this work will inevitably dry up, leaving these businesses with an uncertain future.”
