By Emanuel Howell
Welcome news came earlier this month in Scotland when figures released by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) showed that there has been a 34% increase in heat pumps installed this year compared to last, with more than 5,000 MCS-certified heat pumps so far in 2024.
While that is something to be celebrated, it is vital that to truly achieve the targets set out for renewable energy, we continue to educate both home and business owners to ensure they have the information they need so we don’t miss the milestones in place.
Just last month, Cornwall Insight said that Northern Ireland and Ireland will miss their 2030 renewable energy targets by at least two years.
It said that 70% of the grid will be using renewable sources by 2030, rather than the 80% goal both countries have set.
In Scotland, by 2030, that target is 50% and across the UK it’s between 30 and 45%. That applies to all energy demand across electricity, heat and transport.
This is a stark reminder of the ambitious targets we need to meet and the possibility that they might just be missed without the right strategies in place across our residential and commercial sectors.
For businesses operating in Scotland, the rest of the UK and Ireland, the challenge of how best to make steps towards a net-zero target can be completely overwhelming.
There is so much information out there and with a quick Google of what an organisation can do to support the renewable energy transition, residents and business owners are met with a raft of information.
This results in total overwhelm, meaning most decision-makers experience decision paralysis, don’t know how to progress in their net-zero journey and so, do nothing.
That’s where knowledge is power and with the right people in place, debunking the information and making informed decisions is easy.
However, we are finding a common theme amongst businesses in non-energy related sectors that they are offering the role of leading a sustainability function to existing members of staff or teams – when it should be regarded as a specialism that requires experience and knowledge to provide a net-zero strategy.
Unfortunately, we do recognise that most organisations and businesses don’t have the budget to bring experts in – that’s where consultancies play their part.
Usually when an organisation is committed to its net-zero journey – but perhaps hasn’t fully understood its own energy usage – they jump to installing solar panels to generate energy and become self-sufficient. However, while solar panels are a fantastic enabler within this space, they aren’t always the right solution.
It’s about understanding where the emissions are coming from and where energy costs are higher and addressing those two things with an renewables-based solution.
Complexities and decision-making factors also relate directly to budget and operations. If we take hospitality as an example here; restaurants, bars and hotels simply cannot afford to shut down for a full renewable energy installation that means causing disruption and missing out on business.
And, if there is a limited budget for any implementation, it’s about finding the best bang for buck and choosing an option that will see a return on investment through cutting energy costs.
While all of these solutions and good intentions are well-placed, our sector continues to face a reputation issue. Over the years, ‘cowboys’ have caused an uprise in distrust from renewable energy providers.
In the early days, we were seeing many organisations ‘cashing in’ on Government incentives and providing below-par service and product that makes little to no impact on the energy efficiency of a home or business.
Genuine consultancy businesses with their expertise rooted in knowledge are working hard to turn the tide, but it’s an uphill battle.
We’re at a crossroad. Homeowners and business owners accept responsibility in playing their part in the ambition to adopt renewable energy but aren’t necessarily equipped with the right information or choices to do that effectively.
What we can all agree on, is there are ambitious targets in place with a complex roadmap on how we get there.
Everyone has a responsibility to play their part – however big or small – and when it comes to the route to get us there, we need to remember that there are multiple roads to take.
