Scottish Government

Increase renewable electricity production

DESCRIPTION:

The indicator equates to the amount of renewable electricity generated in Scotland as a percentage of Scottish gross electricity consumption, where consumption is the amount of electricity generated minus net exports (but including losses).

SOURCE:

Data is collected and published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Data are published annually in the December issue of Energy Trends in late December. Revisions for the previous year are published alongside the latest year. This is a National Statistics publication.

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/trends/trends.aspx

Data including revisions over the whole time series (since 2000) are published on the Scottish Government website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Environment/seso/Q/TID/18

The indicator is the amount of electricity generated from renewables sources, expressed as a percentage of gross electricity consumption in Scotland.

Indicator = electricity generated by renewable sources/(total electricity generated - electricity exported + electricity imported) multiplied by 100.

DEFINITIONS:

Electricity generated in Scotland is electricity generated in Scotland by both those producing electricity to sell to others and autogenerators (companies producing electricity mainly for their own use). Scottish gross electricity consumption is the amount of electricity consumed which is computed as total electricity generated less exports plus imports.

Renewable sources of electricity include on and offshore wind, wave and tidal, hydroelectricity, solar energy, solid renewable sources and gaseous renewables. Solid renewable energy sources include wood, straw, short rotation coppice, other biomass and the biodegradable fraction of wastes. Gaseous renewables consist of landfill gas and sewage gas, as well as synthetic gas produced using the biodegradable portion of mixed wastes. Non-biodegradable wastes are not counted as a renewable source. Electricity generated from hydro pumped storage is not counted as a renewable source.

BASELINE AND PAST TRENDS:

The baseline year is 2006 - the 2006 baseline figure is 16.9%.

Electricity generated by renewables as a percentage of gross consumption:

p = provisional figures

CRITERIA FOR RECENT CHANGE ARROW:

This evaluation is based on: any difference within +/- 1.5 percentage points of last year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change. An increase of 1.5 percentage points or more suggests the position is improving; whereas a decrease of 1.5 percentage points or more suggests the position is worsening.

For information on general methodological approach, please click here.

FUTURE ISSUES OR REVIEWS:

No issues.

ASSOCIATED TARGET:

Scotland's national target for the production of electricity from renewable sources is to generate the equivalent of 100 per cent of electricity consumption by 2020, with a 31 per cent interim target for 2011. End point: 2020 data point (2011 data point for the interim target).

The renewable electricity target is one of a suite of energy targets related to renewable energy, as set out in the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/08/04110353/3