Scotland urged to lift solar planning obstacles

• Trade body SES has actually elevated problems concerning the draft National Planning Framework

The solar industry in Scotland has today urged the Scottish Government to sweep away heritage planning barriers to solar developments, huge as well as tiny.

This call comes as the closing date for the National Planning Framework 4 appointment draws near.

Solar Energy Scotland, the trade association for the sector, has actually elevated concerns about the draft National Planning Framework.

It called on the government to prioritise projects that reduce climate emissions as well as a recognition that clean energy generation is needed to fulfill other purposes on housing, transport, warm, as well as power.

There are currently 687MW of utility-scale solar projects already in the Scottish planning system, with a further 1388MW of capacity in various other stages of development.

If all these projects are authorized, Scotland might take advantage of greater than 2.5 GW of solar capacity, not including brand-new rooftop-scale solar projects: this would be above the capacity of every one of Scotland's hydropower plants combined.

The industry has actually also made the instance that rooftop-scale solar need to be given the right growth standing as well as get rid of unneeded obstacles to solar development from preparing policy.

Thomas McMillan, chairman of Solar Energy Scotland, stated: "With the appropriate policy atmosphere, Scotland's rapidly-growing solar field has the potential to help meet numerous of the Scottish Government's objectives, not simply decarbonisation.

" The intense pressure on domestic energy expenses can not be dealt with as long as we stay so dependent on gas, as well as protection of supply is currently appropriately even higher on everybody's agenda.

" We can not pay for to delay. It is completely feasible for our industry to add 4-6 gigawatts of solar projects throughout Scotland by 2030, however to get there we will need Ministers to identify that prospective, as well as to make these small adjustments to preparing policy."