Question reference: S6W-19606
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 30 June 2023
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Current status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 28 July 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it approved the decision to change the funding criteria so that applications for solar PV and/or energy storage systems would no longer be considered unless they were part of a package together with a heat pump or high heat retention storage heaters, through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan and Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan schemes.
Answer
The Home Energy Scotland funding schemes are delivered under contract by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) on behalf of Scottish Government. Although delivered by EST, decisions around the design of the schemes are the sole responsibility of Scottish Government.
The purpose of the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme is to decarbonise heat in homes through installation of zero emissions heating systems, and reduce heat demand through energy efficiency measures, in line with the Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy.
Recently we have seen a substantial increase in the number of applications received to the scheme. Much of this rise has been driven by a surge in applications for solar PV and energy storage systems, the majority of which are not installed alongside a zero emissions heating system and therefore do not contribute directly to decarbonisation of heat in homes.
So we have reviewed funding to ensure that we are focusing finite public funding in the ways which best support the Heat in Buildings strategy aims.
Solar PV and energy storage systems will continue to be funded through the scheme, but only where installed alongside a certified renewable heating measure (such as a heat pump), or where there is already one in place. As such, funding is being targeted at measures which will have the biggest impact on reducing emissions from heating homes.
Measures and funding offered through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme are currently under review, but in the meantime, the conditions under which solar PV and energy storage are offered loan funding have been aligned with the HES Grant and Loan scheme.