Scottish Renewables' Heat Summit 2023 Programme

Tea and coffee

A credible policy solution for the decarbonisation of heat in homes and buildings cannot ignore building fabric and energy efficiency upgrades.  

While both the UK and Scottish Governments have heard that rapidly-deployed insulation and energy efficiency upgrades to properties would be a great economy-boosting and cost-of-living-support measure, neither have done enough. Heat pump take-up remains low, but the technology will be a significant part of any plan to drive down emissions from heating. 

What’s going wrong and how do we really shift the dial on heat?  An examination of where we are now - and where we want to be - will set the scene for today’s event.  

Chair & Welcome Remarks   

Claire Mack, Chief Executive, Scottish Renewables

Ministerial Address

Patrick Harvie MSP, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights 

The Scottish Government is talking in terms of a Wellbeing Economy, and lower energy usage and better, warmer homes should be easy wins in delivering these aims.  

A fabric-first approach could enable us to reduce energy use overall as well as getting our homes and buildings fit for a new, renewables-led energy system. This session, led by BE-ST, will cover the big benefits as well as some of the smart and innovative thinking around updating and upgrading Scotland’s housing stock and built environment.  

Chair

Stephen Good, Chief Executive, BE-ST

Speakers

Colin Reid, Energy, Carbon & Sustainability Manager, Wheatley Group
Chris Morgan, Director / Architect, John Gilbert Architects Ltd
Hanna Lundström, Sustainability & Climate Change Officer, East Lothian Council & BE-Changemaker
Christina Gaiger, Associate, Architype
Sara Thiam, Chief Executive, SCDI
Stefanie O'Gorman, Director of Sustainable Economics, Ramboll

Join a tour of the BE-ST Innovation Factory that has been supporting construction related businesses to collaborate and innovate. The tour covers the role of BE-ST and how their four core programmes intend to support industry to accelerate the built environments transition to zero carbon. 

To register for a space on the tour, please fill out this form. Please note, you also need to have registered to attend the event.

Heat pumps have an image problem, and it’s one which requires fixing, fast. Compelling consumer options for installation – largely delivered by energy companies - have helped, but don’t provide the electrifying offer needed to speed up the widespread roll out of a technology which is central to driving down emissions and costs for buildings and households. 

So just how do we create the right conditions in which heat pumps can start to do the heavy lifting on reducing heat emissions? We ask a panel of experts, from policy to procurement, to talk to us about the key policy actions required - and for their predictions of what can realistically happen in the next three, five and ten years to turn the UK into a nation of heat pump advocates. 

Chair

Sarah-Jane MacArthur, Partner, Brodies

Speakers

Mark Wilkins, Technologies and Training Director, Vaillant UK
Evelyn McDowall, Associate Director, Turner & Townsend
Fabrice Leveque, Climate & Energy Policy Manager, WWF
Gareth Fenney, Head of Heat in Buildings Future Delivery Unit, The Scottish Government
Iain Carr, Director of Sales, Kensa Contracting

The day’s final session will bring together our conversations and solidify insights into the key next moves needed to kick-start Scotland’s heat transition.  

As the industry body, Scottish Renewables must identify a credible action plan which could be driven by industry, Government and the third sector to help set policy that will deliver and ultimately increase the scale and rate of deployment of renewable heat solutions to work in tandem with Scotland’s abundant renewable energy resources. 

This session will attempt to do just that. 

Chair

Nick Sharpe, Director of Communications & Strategy, Scottish Renewables 

Speakers

Neil Kitching, Specialist, Green Heat and Water Technologies, Scottish Enterprise 
David Linsley-Hood, Consultancy Director, Locogen