Power of the people Public awareness and involvement in renewable energy in Scotland The renewables scene in Scotland is dynamic, with new projects, funding and other support packages being announced at an ever increasing rate. :,-I: :: “_ ‘.‘:,‘,f, .:k.:3;:l~‘- , Environmental Consultant and

z.,. ..i, Development Manager of the Scottish Renewables Forum look at developments from the perspective of public aware- ness and how improving understanding, and providing informa- tion and opportunities for more local involvement can facilitate development of projects large and small. They provide selected examples of projects and initiatives that are working towards improving public awareness of renewable energy in Scotland.

Scotland has vast renewable energy require resolving technical issues related to

resources - some of the best in Europe and grid capacity and stability, as well as better

the world, and should easily surpass its cur- public understanding and involvement in

rent 18 percent renewables target by 2010, projects large and small. Scotland currently

and longer-term ambitions of 30 percent generates around 13 percent of its electrici-

and beyond. Meeting these targets will ty from renewable sources: 11 percent from

hydropower, and around 2 percent from

other renewables. Much of the country’s

hydropower capacity was built between the

1920s and 1960s with development of the

‘newer’ renewables from the 1930s onwards

with government support from the Scottish

Renewables Obligation. These new renew-

ables comprise mainly windfarms, landfill

gas power stations and small hydro

schemes. There is also a chicken litter plant,

the world’s first commercial wave power

plant, and a number of individual or com-

munity based schemes. The country is also

poised to further develop offshore wind and

wave projects.

The UK’s energy policy is under review

and consultation, with the Government’s

statement on its future approach due

towards the end of this year. Renewables

are expected to make a substantial and

accelerated contribution, with Scotland

capable of meeting up to 75 percent of the

UK’s total needs due to its very large

resource. A more balanced approach in

future should also see a wider range of

renewables technologies and projects large

and small.

Public opinion and attitude surveys The predominance of large-scale, develop-

er-led projects to date has contributed to

difficulties associated with local accep-

tance. Early large scale hydropower

projects were subject to much controversy

and opposition from local communities,

landowners, and special interest groups -

much as large scale windpower develop-

ments are today - however they have

over time come to be widely accepted

and it is expected rhat the ‘new’ renewables

will too.

26 September/October 2002 REF C&:5 www.re-focus.net

FEATURE - POWER OF THE PEOPLE

Surveys conducted by organisations such

as RoyaI Society for the Protecrion of Birds

(RSPB) and Greenpeace show high levels of

support for renewable energy develop-

ments, with acceptance levels for technolo-

gies such as windpower and hydro much

higher than for coal and nuclear generation.

Public artitudes to windfarms have been

widely documented over a decade and con-

sistently show a clear majority in f&our of

wind energy. Yet while there may be agree-

ment with wind energy in principle,

NIMBY-ism (Not In My Backyard) can

sometimes prevail at a local level. A recent

Scottish Executive research study carried

around four Scottish windfarms supported

the findings of previous studies, and also

concluded that the majority of residents did

not experience any problems and the prob-

lems they anticipated did not materialise in

the vast majority of cases.

Industry commenrators generally note

that Scotland has a grearer understanding of

the benefits of renewable energy than other

parts of the UK. There is an appreciation of

the environmental benefits, and with major

Scottish companies now involved in manu-

facturing and development, an increasing

realisation that there are substantial jobs to

be had from renewable energy. The support

of Highlands and Islands Enterprise is

indicative of how Scotland is moving to

capitalise on renewables to bring new man-

ufacturing jobs. Support for Vestas-Celtic to

set up its assembly plant in Campbeltown,

development of the Marine Energy Test

Centre in the Orkney Islands, and the tak-

ing on of the lease of Arnish fabrication

yard on the Isle of Lewis so that the yard can

bid for wind and wave development work,

shows the commitment of the agency to act

as a catalyst to this growing industry.

Such targeted support builds on a 2001

study Highlands and Islands Enterprise

commissioned from ERM Energy and

ETSU. This showed that renewable energy

could bring up to 3,800 direct jobs and

4,400 indirect jobs, t500million of inward

investment and between E28 and f129 mil-

lion of electricity revenues.

Tourism and recreation Scotland is renowned for its landscape and

scenery, and tourism and recreation, which

depend on precisely these features, are

important to local economies in many

areas. Concerns have been expressed that

renewables projects will adversely affect

tourism, yet it is people living in these often

remote communities who stand to benefit

Enrthship Eye. A demonstration and community education faciliy which aims to tzrise awawties and he& tackle

many oftbe social and institutional barriers facing the implementution of sustainable building and renewable ” _ energy technologies at this scale

most from the significant opportunities for

economic regeneration that these projects

bring. Opinions are divided and there is lit-

tle evidence to support the view that renew-

able energy projects adversely affect tourism

and recreational activities. Rather, evidence

on the ground shows that tourists respond

positively to renewable energy, and Scottish

projects are increasing people’s positive

views of local areas and Scotland as a whole.

Developer-led projects Most reputable developers incorporate pub-

lic consultation and exhibitions into the

project development and environmental

assessment process. This process of local

consultation allows people to learn about

renewable energy technologies and their

benefits, and to have their views and local

knowledge influence the project design.

Opinion surveys taken during public exhi-

bitions at proposed windfarm sites reflect

the findings of other independent surveys,

with very high proportions of exhibition

visitors supporting renewable energy

development as well as local projects.

ScottishPower proposals for two large wind-

farms close to the central belt of Scotland,

where the majority of the country’s popula-

tion is concentrated, provide examples of

this approach, and also include pIans for

visitor and recreation facilities. Whitelee

Windfarm will include a visitor centre pro-

viding information and displays on renew-

able energy and sustainable development,

and greater public access through provision

of footpaths and cycle-ways. The outline

plans show the centre will have a caf6 and

meeting facilities, changing rooms for run-

ners and cyclists, and an electric tour bus.

Black Law Windfarm will restore a large

area of abandoned open-cast coal mine,

improve the local environment, and provide

an educational visitor centre and bird

reserve at the site.

Community and island-based projects Local community schemes, the exception

rather than the norm in Scotland and the

UK to date, are seen as important in raising

awareness and creating further economic

and employment benefits as well as tackling

social issues such as fuel poverty. The

remote highIands and islands of Scotland

with their excellent wind and wave

resources, but in many areas no grid con-

nection or insufficient capacity, provide sig-

nificant opportunities for such schemes.

Many @grid Scottish islands can benefit fi-om renewables

September/October 2002 REFOCUS www.re-focus.net 27

FEATURE - POWER

lslay renewable and hydrogen power supply The island of Islay off the west coast of

Scotland supports a population of around

3,000. Electricity demand is supplied by a

sea-cable connection to the mainland grid

via a nearby Island, a 6.2MW standby diesel

generator and the world’s first commercial

wave power station - Wavegen’s 500 kW

LIMPET oscillating water column device.

Plans are now being developed to meet all of

the island’s needs from renewables within

five years - including the energy intensive

whiskey distilling industry. The overall

scheme will incorporate wind, wave and

tidal power and energy crops. It will also

include hydrogen production and fuel cell

technology to power everything from elec-

tric vehicles to public and residential build-

ings. The project provides an excellent

opportunity to demonstrate a hydrogen

future and how a range of renewables and

associated technologies can be matched to

variety of needs. The pOWhtd for

replication on other European islands will

also be investigated.

Two 26kW turbines on Muck (courtesy of Ingenco Ltd)

OF THE PEOPLE

Aerial view of Murk

Isle of Muck wind diesel system The 38 islanders on Muck, a small island off

the west coast, have no grid connection and

prior to installation of their new wind-diesel

power system in 1999, relied on diesel gen-

erators for all their electricity needs. The

new system, comprising two 26kW turbines

with a back-up diesel generator, supplies 19

homes, the local primary school and other

island buildings. Householders are notified

by telemetry of excess capacity and have the

option of heating storage heaters. The

scheme has improved conditions for the

islanders and reduced their electricity costs

from 14 to 4 pence/kWh. There are a num-

ber of remote Scottish islands and mainland

communities that could benefit from

autonomous schemes such as this.

Earthships and community education The Earthship Fife Project is a demonstra-

tion and community education facility

which aims to raise awareness and help tack-

le many of the social and institutional barri-

ers facing the implementation of sustainable

building and renewable energy technologies

at this scale. The Earthship concept is a very

low impact building, which incorporates

passive solar design, renewable energy sys-

tems, rainwater catchment and sustainable

sewage treatment systems. Its most innova-

tive feature is the use of used car tyres to

form high thermal mass exterior walls.

Over 2000 earthships have been built in the

USA and worldwide and effectively provide

comfortable and low costs homes in areas

remote from mains services. Earthship Fife,

the first earthship in Scotland and the UK,

is currently under construction and due for

completion later this year. Its hybrid renew-

able system incorporates wind, hydro, solar

PV and hot water. The building and its sys-

tems will provide an educational resource

for visitors from across Scotland including

community groups, students, teachers,

architects, builders and planners. It will also

be available to research institutions and stu-

dents for project and monitoring studies.

The Scottish Communities Renewables Initiative Many more of these kind of projects and

increasing public awareness are likely to be

realised under an expanding range of gov-

ernment support and funding packages for

small scale and community based renew-

ables projects. This includes grants for solar

PV, wind and bioenergy schemes. The new

Scottish Community Renewables Initiative

is currently being set up to bring help and

advice closer to communities and to let peo-

ple know what grants are available and how

they can access support. It will work

through an extended network of advice cen-

tres and development workers across the

country to encourage and support commu-

nity organisations to develop renewables

projects in villages, community centres,

schools, hospitals, offices, and farms.

It will expand the role of the existing

Energy Efficiency Advice Centres to form a

network of sustainable energy advice centres

across Scotland. These centres have to date

focused on providing mainly energy saving

advice and information, but without a par-

ticular remit for, or expertise to respond to,

the significant number of renewable energy

enquiries now received. The South West

Scotland Energy Efficiency Advice Centre

(SWSEEAC) has been particularly pro-active

in its three years’ of operation. It has hosted a

Renewables Roadshow and has been promot-

ing national funding schemes such as the PV

Demonstration Programme and the Scottish

Clean Energy Demonstration Scheme, and

has liaised with the local enterprise company

to offer grants for rural businesses to install

small-scale wind, hydro, and PV systems.

28 September/October 2002 REF www.re-focus.net

FEATURE - POWER OF THE PEOPLE

Scottish Forum

Renewables

The Scottish Renewables Forum (SRF) has

been active since 1996 working across all

sectors to promote the economic environ-

mental and social benefits of using

Scotland’s renewables resource. SRF is

now Scotland’s leading renewables organi-

sation, with members ranging from indi-

vidual developers to plcs. It also has mem-

bers from the different renewables tech-

nologies, so is able to speak on behalf of all

current and emerging renewables technolo-

gies. In its life, SRF has been closely

involved in the development of the Scottish

renewables industry, putting the views of

industry to Government and supporting

work to make Scotland the prime area for

development of renewables in the UK.

According to Dr Richard Yemm, Chairman

of SRF, and the Director of leading wave

company Ocean Power Delivery, “The

work of SRF shows that all renewables can

be supported in a complementary way, and

the success of the Forum reflects the

strength of the Scottish renewables sector

at the moment. While south of the border

there is doubt about how UK targets are

being met, in Scotland companies are busy

getting on with meeting the Scottish objec-

tive for 18 percent by 2010”.

SRF runs regular events and seminars and

publishes consultations, briefings and

newsletters, and is developing information

services for the wider public through its sis-

ter organization - ReNEW Scotland. In

November SRF will be hosting “Renewable

Communities” - a conference especially for

community groups and planned to coincide

with the launching of the Scottish

Communities Renewables Initiative. The

conference aim is to assist communities in

developing projects for themselves, and to

encourage better links and joint-working

with commercial renewable directors. As

Richard Yemm notes, “Involvement of

communities is crucial if we are to see small,

medium as well as large projects being

developed in Scotland. Communities can

benefit through new income, jobs and

diversification, and our event plans to take

them through the steps they need to take to

make projects actually happen.”

Conclusions This is a dynamic and exciting time for

renewables in Scotland, and despite some

local opposition and NIMBY-ism, there

is a high level of support and increasing

interest in project development. The

selected case studies and initiatives

South West Scotland Renewable Energy Advice Centre launch

(Photo courtesy of South West Scotland Energy Eficienry Advice Ceztre)

outlined here provide examples of innova-

tion and good practice and illustrate the

progress being made towards co-ordinated

awareness raising across Scotland.

Information provision to the general

public in the past has been fragmented

and often inconsistent - even misleading

or biased in the case of earlier windfarm

developments. It is essential that informa-

tion on renewables in general, and on spe-

cific support and funding packages is dis-

seminated widely and consistently to

inform opinion and facilitate positive

action.

References Born, F., Bronsdon, C., Johnstone, C.M.

(Scottish Energy and Environment

Foundation), Armstrong, B. (Scottish

Enterprise), Beveridge, J., MacRae, M. (Islay

Development Company), Clarke, J.A.,

McDonald, J. (University of Strathclyde):

Strategy and Technology Deployment for

Achieving 100% Renewable Energy Supply

for the Island of Islay.

ERM Energy (2001) Renewable Energy:

The Potential Benefits to the Highlands and

Islands.

Hill, A (2001) Trends in public opinion,

BWEA23 October 2001

System Three Social Research for the

Scottish Executive Central Research

Unit Development Department (2000):

Research Programme Research Findings

No.93 Public Attitudes Towards Wind

Farms in Scotland

Contacts Janice McLaughlin, Freelance

Environmental Consultant and writer, 22

Keith Street, Kincardine on Forth, Fife,

FKlO 4ND, United Kingdom. Tel. +44 (0)

1259 731711; Fax. +44 (0) 1259 731711;

E-mail:Janice.McLaughlin@on-edie.net

Maf Smith, Development Manager,

Scottish Renewables Forum, The e-Centre,

Cooperage Way, Alloa, FKlO 3LP, United

Kingdom. Tel. +44 (0) 1259 272117; Fax.

+44 (0) 1259 272118; E-mail:

maf.smith@scottishrenewables.com; Web

site: wwwscottishrenewablescom

Orkney

Fife

Map of Scotland illustrating locations of renewable energy

projects referred to in this article

September/October 2002 REFOCUS www.re-focus.net 29