LAND USE AND ENVIRONMENT Incentives for renewable heat
The SRPBA has responded to the UK Government Consultation on the Proposed Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Financial Support Scheme. The RHI will provide financial support for those who install renewable heat systems. The UK Government proposes that the scheme should support a range of different technologies, support heating at all scales and tariff levels should be calculated to bridge the financial gap between conventional and renewable heating systems. Some of the points raised in our response included: ◆ The 15 July 2009 cut-off date for allowing access to RHI support discriminates against early renewable heat pioneers. ◆ Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation should not be required for installers and installations below 45kW. The system of certification of installers and equipment is complicated and
Run-of-river hydropower consultation
expensive, acting as a restriction to the installation of new equipment. ◆ For small-scale installations, the tariff entitlement should be deemed by multiplying the proposed tariff per kWh with a deemed heat requirement. This method would encourage the efficient use of heat generated and would be more cost- effective than installing a meter. ◆ For large-scale installations, where heat is metered for the purpose of paying an incentive under the RHI,
the genuine heat requirement should firstly be assessed by an independent assessor. This could be used as an upper limit to RHI payments for metered heat. ◆ Ofgem should play a leading role by registering all renewable heat technology owners, monitoring and enforcing the scheme, and making payments to owners.
To view the full response, log on to the SRPBA’s website.
SRPBA gives evidence to climate change inquiry
The SRPBA submitted written evidence on 7 May to the Royal Society of Edinburgh inquiry into facing up to climate change (RSE). The SRPBA also gave oral evidence to the inquiry on 20 May. The RSE posed a wide range of questions relating to climate change and the rural sector. Some of the key points raised by the SRPBA included: ◆ Land managers in Scotland will have to adapt to climatic changes in the future and these changes will vary regionally. They will also have to prepare for increasingly frequent extreme weather events such as flash floods. ◆ Land managers should be informed about “win-win” situations, for example, practise precision fertiliser application and not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also save money. ◆ Some of the main barriers to installing renewable energy include the initial cost, caution of
investing in something relatively new and unproven, planning restrictions and costs, complexities of tenancy arrangements and the difficulty in keeping up to date with new financial incentives. ◆ In order to meet renewable heat targets for 2020, all new builds should install renewable heat technologies during construction. It is much easier and more
LANDBUSINESS ISSUE 36 JUNE-JULY 2010
cost-effective to incorporate renewable energy into a building while it is being constructed rather than retro-fitting. ◆ The SRPBA has been actively looking into the potential of developing environmental markets in Scotland. The principle of these markets is that land managers would be paid to provide public goods and services, for example maintain or restore peatlands, or plant trees in order to sequester carbon, maintain water quality and mitigate flood events. The public would benefit through the reduction in carbon emissions and the land manager would also benefit financially. Work in this area is ongoing and the SRPBA is hopeful that these externalities will be valued by the market in the future.
To view our written evidence, log on to the SRPBA’s website.
In our response to the SEPA Guidance for Developers of Run-of-River Hydropower Schemes Consultation, the SRPBA stressed the importance of striking the correct balance between protecting the water environment (in terms of biology, hydromorphology and physico-chemical quality) and permitting renewable energy developments. In its current form, the guidance is very complicated and fails to adopt a positive “can-do” attitude towards run-of-river schemes. The SRPBA called for the guidance to be made more straightforward to follow and to actively promote the installation of run-of-river schemes.
To view the full consultation response, log on to the SRPBA’s website.
Woodland grazing grants
A new woodland grazing grant was unveiled on 27 April by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
It is available to land managers through the Scottish Rural Development Programme. The grant aims to encourage land managers to put cattle back into woodlands to graze them. The payment on offer is
£87 per hectare (£35.21 per acre) per year for five years.
In addition, land managers can also apply for additional woodland improvement grant funding.
For further information, contact Douglas Wright (FCS) on 0131 314 6481 or e-mail douglas.
wright@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
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