The Scottish Government

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11. Research and analysis

Evidence base and monitoring progress:

Objectives:

• To establish a commonly agreed statistical and research evidence base for the renewable energy sector in Scotland. Scope to include analysis of resource potential by renewable sector and supply chain issues.
• To develop a measurement framework to monitor progress against sectoral targets and carbon abatement from the growth in renewable energy.

Current Status:

• Currently, there is a lack of robust employment and corporate data on the renewable energy sector in Scotland / UK as a whole. This is due to renewables not being classified as a standalone sector within the standard industrial classification system which is the basis of national data collections.
• There is a large body of evidence independently commissioned by different organisations covering a range renewable energy issues. There is often competing evidence due to differences in underlying assumptions, inherent uncertainty, and pace of development.
• There is reliable official data on renewable electricity installed capacity and output. However there is a lack of official data on renewable heat installed capacity and output in Scotland and a standard statistical approach to capture this data.

Forward work plan:

The Scottish Government:

• are working with Scottish Enterprise on a Renewable Energy Baseline Study to provide accurate estimates of employment and economic value of the renewable energy sector in Scotland. The study will also assess Scotland's comparative advantages in renewable energy including a review of strengths in research and development;
• will continue to work jointly with Scottish Enterprise to take forward a study on the renewable energy supply chain in Scotland which will consider in detail the potential economic value and employment potential from clean energy developments over the next decade. The analysis will provide information on potential job creation trajectories, sectoral breakdowns and the nature of employment. In addition, it will consider the range of constraints on energy industry development in Scotland - including regulatory and supply chain issues - which need to be addressed to ensure employment opportunities can be fully exploited;
• will commission research to provide an updated assessment of Scotland's renewable resource across each sector identified in the Renewables Action Plan;
• will commission research on the potential for energy storage in Scotland as a means of supporting renewable energy deployment. The work will consider the available technologies and timescales for development;
• will prepare a measurement framework for tracking progress against targets and measuring carbon abatement from renewable energy development in Scotland.

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