Consultation Response – Heat in Buildings Bill

This consultation seeks views on the Scottish Government’s new Heat In Buildings Bill, which proposes to make new laws around the energy efficiency of homes and buildings and the way those buildings are heated. These include plans to:

• Reconfirm that the use of polluting heating systems will be prohibited after 2045

• As a pathway to 2045, require those purchasing a home or business premises to end their use of polluting heating systems within a fixed period following completion of the sale

• Introduce a new law that will require homeowners to make sure that their homes meet a reasonable minimum energy efficiency standard by 2033

• Require private landlords to meet this minimum energy efficiency standard by 2028

The implementation of this proposal, which Solar Energy Scotland largely welcomes, provides long-term, stable policy commitment not only for private homeowners, landlords and tenants, but also for industry to invest in the significant scaling up required to decarbonise the nation and meet our net zero commitments. Likewise, where this bill provides certainty to the industry required to scale up to meet demand for Zero Direct Emission Heating (ZDEH) systems, it has the potential to go further still; by including details of the benefits of onsite generation and storage, and how these technologies can play a key role in the journey to net zero buildings, at low cost. 

Indeed, there is no mention of solar and storage technologies that, when used in conjunction with clean heating solutions like heat pumps and heat networks, result in the more rapid delivery of home decarbonisation targets and a swifter transition away from polluting heating systems. Solar thermal, solar PV, and battery systems immediately make home energy production and usage more efficient.

Download pdf