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Micro-Renewables
44. Micro-renewables can make a valuable contribution towards achieving a low carbon economy, tackling the problems of climate change and fuel poverty and ensuring a reliable energy supply for the future. The Scottish Executive will publish its first Energy Efficiency Strategy for Scotland later this year. Linked to the strategy, and reflecting a holistic approach, the Executive will set out a range of measures to help cut energy-related emissions arising from the heating and lighting of buildings. These measures will also include promoting an increased uptake of micro-renewables.
45. Advice on the development of on-site renewable energy generation is provided in the Annex to PAN 45. This includes advice on the issues to be taken into account when considering the installation of micro-renewables on existing buildings. It is likely that most proposals for micro-wind turbines will require planning permission although other technologies, such as solar panels and biomass, may be exempt depending on the circumstances of the case. An important part of the Executive's modernising planning agenda is to consider whether existing permitted development rights for minor developments, including micro-renewables, are appropriate. A general review of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 is currently underway. The Executive is positively considering how we use permitted development rights for micro-renewables. In the meantime, development plan policies should encourage and support micro-renewables proposals that satisfactorily address broad criteria, including appropriate environmental safeguards.
46. The Executive wants development plan policy to recognise the importance of micro-renewables. For new developments, policies should recognise the importance of ensuring that developers fully consider options for micro-renewable technologies as part of a range of energy efficiency measures to be included in new residential, commercial or industrial developments. Development plan policies should ensure that any requirement to generate on-site renewable energy to reduce predicted annual CO2 emissions - whether electricity or in, for example, the form of local heat - is applied to developments where the installation of renewable energy generation equipment is viable given the type of development proposed, its location, and design.
Consultation question: The Scottish Executive is minded to require planning authorities to ensure that certain new developments include on-site renewable energy equipment which will reduce predicted annual CO2 emissions by a given percentage. We would welcome views on adopting 10% as a minimum policy standard; on the developments it should apply to; and the manner of its implementation.
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