Heat Seminar: driving strategic heat decarbonisation Programme

More than half of Scotland’s energy consumption is used for heating. To meet the Scottish Government’s commitment to decarbonise heat by 2045, it is critically important that we change how we heat our buildings.

With the Heat in Buildings Bill soon to make its way through parliament, change is afoot in the political landscape. But with the Heat Network (Scotland) Act 2021 still not fully implemented and more government action needed, there is still much to be done.

In this session, hear industry experts share their views on the expected impact of the changing policy landscape and what this means for Scotland’s low-carbon heat industry.

You'll learn:

• What the experts are saying about the changing political landscape and what this means for your business
• The lessons that can be learned from cities already delivering heat on a regional scale to accelerate progress in Scotland
• Where heat fits into the evolving plans for the UK energy system and the impact this could have on heat decarbonisation

Welcome & Opening Remarks
Helen Melone, Head of Heat & Solar, Scottish Renewables

Speakers
Stewart Reid, Head of Future Networks, Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks
Stuart Hallett, Urban Energy North Lead, Arup

Despite widespread recognition of the urgent need to decarbonise heat, costs remain the most significant barrier to widespread adoption. The disparity in the price between electricity and gas continues to dominate, but a solution has yet to emerge. This combined with high capital costs, heat networks not being considered as essential utilities and the need to attract significant private investment creates a tenacious knot of barriers to deployment.

With the new UK government bringing renewed focus and momentum to decarbonising the country’s energy use, this session will explore the policy levers they can pull to make low-carbon heat an attractive proposition for consumers, developers and investors.

In this session, you will learn:

• The policy interventions needed to unlock investment in city-wide heat networks in Scotland
• The options open to the government for addressing the cost differential between electricity and gas
• Alternative solutions to pricing and how these could accelerate deployment

Speakers
Kate Mulvany, Principal Consultant, Cornwall Insight
Dr Victoria Loughlan, Head of Climate Change Policy, National Wealth Fund