Bid lodged for funds to improve energy efficiency
A funding application has been made that could see more than £500,000 put towards reducing carbon emissions from public buildings and promoting access to more community-based district heating schemes.
The Shetland Partnership – an alliance of various public sector organisations – has set out its commitment to promoting energy efficiency. As part of that Shetland Islands Council has applied for £545,136 from a new Scottish government scheme – the Scottish Energy Efficiency Programme (Seep).
It has sought bids specifically from local authorities which promote innovative ways of reducing heating costs, aims to address energy efficiency in commercial premises. If successful, the SIC bid would allow funding for a number of council buildings to be fitted with improved mechanical controls to reduce their heat demand.
The council would also install trial solar panels to heat water at the Edward Thomason and Taing House care homes, which could reduce the energy demand from the district heating network. This would free up capacity within the scheme, allowing more householders to take advantage of cheaper heating costs.
Grants would also be available for householders who are already connected to the district heating scheme to help them reduce their own demand for heat. This would also free up capacity within the scheme.
Partnership chairman and SIC political leader Gary Robinson said tackling fuel poverty in the isles was a priority.
He added: “If this bid is successful the council could assist more residents to reduce their fuel bills and improve their energy efficiency, making their homes healthier, more affordable and warmer.”
Steven Jarmson
We already subsidise the Lerwick district heating sheme. Now the council want to give grants to those already on it!!!
So, we are going to be paying the same people twice, whilst the rest of us get nothing.
Sounds like the SIC to me.
How about giving a little help to those outside of Lerwick?
That would be madness though. That would encourage people to live in rural areas.
I wonder if the SIC hadn’t consulted on the school closures how much money there would be for these energy efficiency savings? Would they even a need a Scottish Government grant?
John Tulloch
Indeed, Steven. And it can’t be about fuel poverty or the energy saving measures would be going to people with electric heating which is a third to a half dearer than the district heating and twice the price of oil-fired.
What is needed is the gas pipeline to SSE’s proposed new power station to proceed immediately, allowing it to be extended into Lerwick and other communities along the way to supply homes and other buildings directly with gas.
A small gas bottling/distribution plant could also be installed to supply bottled and bulk supply gas – at the same price as pipeline gas – to parts of Shetland inaccessible to the pipeline.
A ‘back of fag packet’ calculation suggests this could be done for a price of about 4-5p/kWh, perhaps, less and such a project, suitable for a joint venture between SSE and the charitable trust, could provide a secure, reliable income for the trust’s beneficiaries for many decades to come – a worthy replacement for Viking Energy which looks dead in the water.
And a major reduction in fuel poverty.
Surely worthy of further investigation?