(S3O-10921) Microgeneration (Corporate Residential Properties)

9. Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take action to promote the use of microgeneration technology in corporate residential properties such as care homes. (S3O-10921)

The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):

Section 71 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 requires the Scottish ministers to make provision for permitted development rights for microgeneration in non-domestic buildings by 1 April 2011.

Mike Pringle: New-build corporate residential properties often include microgenerative measures in their construction. That technology not only helps supply power to the properties concerned, but has the potential to allow them to sell power back to the National Grid through the clean energy cashback scheme, to help with upkeep and running costs. However, existing corporate residential properties do not benefit from any assistance that the Scottish Government offers homeowners in installing microgenerative technology. Instead, they often have to rely on commercial loans which, in the words of Friends of the Earth, make

"the rates of return much less attractive".

That has led Friends of the Earth to warn that the green energy cashback scheme will "not be effective".

Does the minister agree that existing corporate residential properties have the potential to be a huge part of the renewables sector? Will he commit to examining that matter further to improve corporate access to the clean energy cashback scheme?


Stewart Stevenson: The property sector, in both its commercial and domestic parts, is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the Government is undertaking a range of interventions to ensure that we address that issue. In particular, for both commercial and domestic properties, reductions in rates are available when investments are made in a range of energy efficiency or energy-generating investments in buildings. We will continue to look for opportunities. I have listened very carefully to what the member has said.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): The minister will recognise the importance of managing demand in order to reduce costs and carbon emissions in residential homes, as well as of promoting microgeneration. Will ministers consider supporting measures to improve the efficiency of boilers and heating systems in properties of that kind?

Stewart Stevenson: The member will know of our interest in the subject of boilers in the domestic circumstance. We are very interested in ensuring that people understand their energy usage. We are working with energy companies. Intelligent metering is coming along and, of course, there are interesting examples in other countries of giving people access to information from other, similar properties that have intelligent meters, thus enabling them to realise what they can do better. Those are all subjects that we will continue to monitor. We will continue to work with the power industry and property owners.