Potential of Solar Energy in Scotland

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the potential for households, businesses, farms and communities in East Lothian and across Scotland to benefit from solar photovoltaics combined with battery storage at domestic, commercial, community and utility scales; considers that locally generated and stored electricity can help to reduce consumer energy costs, limit exposure to volatile fossil fuel prices and support the electrification of heat, transport and industry; notes the approach in England and Wales, where new homes and non-domestic buildings will be required to include on-site renewable electricity generation from 2027; further notes that solar-ready building standards are increasingly being adopted internationally, with requirements phased according to building type, suitability and feasibility; recognises the opportunity to incorporate solar at the construction stage to lower running costs and enable low-carbon heating and electric-vehicle charging; understands that Solar Energy Scotland estimates that 5.4GW of ground-mounted solar, as part of a 9GW solar ambition for 2035, would occupy around 0.1% of Scotland’s land area; acknowledges that appropriately sited, designed and managed solar farms can contribute to biodiversity enhancement, nature networks and agricultural uses, such as grazing, and welcomes the contribution that it believes solar and battery storage can make to affordable, secure and clean electricity in Scotland.