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The election results signal a pivotal moment for our country, particularly concerning climate action and the imperative of achieving net zero. With Labour now in government, it’s crucial it prioritises climate policy to ensure we don’t continue to fall short of our targets.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has highlighted that global clean energy plans remain insufficient to meet renewable goals by 2030. This stark reality is a wake-up call for the UK. Our nation, despite its ambitious targets, has frequently missed the mark. Scotland and the wider UK have experienced well-documented failures in meeting climate targets yet achieving net zero by 2050 remains within reach – provided we act decisively and immediately.
In 2023, global electricity production from fossil fuels reached an all-time high. While the proportion of electricity generated through renewable energy also increased, emissions are not falling. This paradox underscores the urgency of the situation.
Global temperatures are already perilously close to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and we risk surpassing this threshold.
Affordability is often cited as a barrier to the net zero transition. Many people are reluctant to bear the costs of decarbonising the economy. However, this perspective overlooks the long-term economic benefits and cost savings associated with renewable energy.
Investing in clean technologies will create jobs, stimulate economic growth and reduce energy costs over time. The new Labour Government must prioritise funding and incentives for renewable projects to make the transition more accessible and affordable for businesses and households.
The only solution is faster decarbonisation and greater investment in renewable electricity generation. The Government must accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources, such as solar, and investment in storage and smart grid technologies to enhance efficiency and reliability.
Significant action is required by 2030 to ensure we stay on track to meet the 2050 net zero targets. The current approach to renewable energy policy is alarmingly inadequate, failing to address the growing urgency of the climate crisis, and lacks the input of the necessary experts and organisations that can drive meaningful change.
In this context, the creation of BlackRock’s new climate and decarbonisation stewardship guidelines offers a promising tool. These guidelines can help support decarbonisation by promoting responsible investment practices and encouraging companies to align their operations with climate goals. By integrating such principles, the new Government can foster a more sustainable and resilient economic framework.
Meaningful engagement is crucial. Without it, we risk continuing down a path of insufficient action and missed opportunities. The new Labour Government must establish a framework that not only sets ambitious targets but provides a clear, actionable roadmap.
The UK has the potential to be a renewables leader and the election has recalibrated our approach to realising a sustainable, prosperous future.
Looking ahead, it’s clear that achieving our renewable energy goals is not only necessary but entirely possible. With the right policies, investment and collaboration, we can turn ambition into reality. Keir Starmer’s new Government must lead the way.
John Forster is chair of Forster Group
Scottish Gas is partnering with Forster Group to enable solar power and battery storage installations in Scotland.
· Households can save between 75 per cent and 90 per cent off the cost of their electricity bill by installing solar panels and batteries.
· The partnership is the latest step in Scottish Gas’ commitment to helping customers decarbonise their homes and save money on their energy bills.
Scottish Gas is partnering with Forster Group, one of the largest solar panel installers in Scotland, to enable installation of the technology in Scotland and meet the growing demand for solar panel and battery storage technology from homeowners.
The new partnership with Brechin-based Forster Group will enable Scottish Gas to install solar power and battery technology to any eligible customer in Scotland, England and Wales for the first time, accelerating the nation’s transition towards renewable energy sources. Forster Group already provides solar services to one in five of all new homes in Scotland and has offices in Brechin, Angus, and Livingston.
Customers can currently benefit from a free consultation for solar panel installation tailored to their energy usage and home layout. A survey will give estimated costs, savings and installation options without any commitment.
Households could save between 75 and 90 per cent off the cost of their electricity bill by installing solar panels1, and latest industry figures show more than 183,000ii installations were carried out across the UK last year2.
Research in the British Gas Homes Index revealed that more than two fifths (42%) of people said they were considering installing solar panels in the next two years to tackle climate change and save on bills.
Susan Wells, Low Carbon Homes Director at Scottish Gas, said: “We are committed to delivering the right products and solutions to help people cut carbon in their homes and save money on their bills in a way that works for them.
“We’re seeing our customers get more engaged with the benefits of solar energy, which is why we are extending our capabilities and partnering with Forster Group. Forster’s impressive track record in Scotland will allow us to meet the growing demand for solar and provide customers with expert advice and installations.”
Welcoming the partnership announcement, John Forster, Chair and Founder at Forster Group, said: “This partnership with Scottish Gas is a fantastic milestone on the Forster Group’s journey and will enable us to provide solar and battery storage installations to even more customers across Scotland. We are seeing solar power and battery technology playing an essential role in the country’s transition to Net Zero and with consumer appetite growing, more people now have the ability to take control of their own energy usage and make huge savings generating their own power.
“For over 30 years Forster Group has provided industry-leading solar and roofing solutions with a passion for innovation and the highest quality of customer service. We are excited to join forces with Scottish Gas and share their vision for a more sustainable energy future.”
· Scottish Gas is partnering with Forster Group to enable solar power and battery storage installations in Scotland.
· Households can save between 75 per cent and 90 per cent off the cost of their electricity bill by installing solar panels and batteries.
· The partnership is the latest step in Scottish Gas’ commitment to helping customers decarbonise their homes and save money on their energy bills.
Scottish Gas is partnering with Forster Group, one of the largest solar panel installers in Scotland, to enable installation of the technology in Scotland and meet the growing demand for solar panel and battery storage technology from homeowners.
The new partnership with Brechin-based Forster Group will enable Scottish Gas to install solar power and battery technology to any eligible customer in Scotland, England and Wales for the first time, accelerating the nation’s transition towards renewable energy sources. Forster Group already provides solar services to one in five of all new homes in Scotland and has offices in Brechin, Angus, and Livingston.
Customers can currently benefit from a free consultation for solar panel installation tailored to their energy usage and home layout. A survey will give estimated costs, savings and installation options without any commitment.
Households could save between 75 and 90 per cent off the cost of their electricity bill by installing solar panels1, and latest industry figures show more than 183,000ii installations were carried out across the UK last year2.
Research in the British Gas Homes Index revealed that more than two fifths (42%) of people said they were considering installing solar panels in the next two years to tackle climate change and save on bills.
Susan Wells, Low Carbon Homes Director at Scottish Gas, said: “We are committed to delivering the right products and solutions to help people cut carbon in their homes and save money on their bills in a way that works for them.
“We’re seeing our customers get more engaged with the benefits of solar energy, which is why we are extending our capabilities and partnering with Forster Group. Forster’s impressive track record in Scotland will allow us to meet the growing demand for solar and provide customers with expert advice and installations.”
Welcoming the partnership announcement, John Forster, Chair and Founder at Forster Group, said: "This partnership with Scottish Gas is a fantastic milestone on the Forster Group’s journey and will enable us to provide solar and battery storage installations to even more customers across Scotland. We are seeing solar power and battery technology playing an essential role in the country's transition to Net Zero and with consumer appetite growing, more people now have the ability to take control of their own energy usage and make huge savings generating their own power.
"For over 30 years Forster Group has provided industry-leading solar and roofing solutions with a passion for innovation and the highest quality of customer service. We are excited to join forces with Scottish Gas and share their vision for a more sustainable energy future."
Eighty per cent of homes in 2045 will be the homes we live in today and therein lies a dilemma: How do we achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045/50 when most of these homes and some of the of 23,000 new builds typically completed each year still do not feature the essential, integrated, flexible renewable energy technologies which will help us get there affordably?
Our energy future is going to be predominantly electric. Energy generation and storage will be dominated by heat pumps, EV charging, solar PV and batteries. But these must be delivered through their deployment as a smart, flexible, integrated, affordable, renewable resource. Internationally accepted by the IPCC as the cheapest and lowest carbon solution, Solar PV is one of the most flexible and easily integrated sources of power available for homes, with the promise of lower carbon emissions and reduced energy bills. And, although solar installations are increasing, the speed of adoption is just not fast enough.
There are about 130,000 residential solar PV installations in Scotland, around a million in the UK, and although there has been an explosion in the deployment of solar on new builds, trebling year-on-year, it is small beer against the Committee for Climate Change claim that 28 million homes in the UK require retrofitting to meet net zero targets. To put that into a more local context, Scotland has approximately 2.6 million households, and with that level of demand the prospect of comprehensive retrofitting seems light years rather than decades away.
Social housing serves as a good illustration of the enormity of the challenge – in Scotland roughly 24 per cent of housing stock is managed by local authorities and housing associations. These organisations face many of the same issues as owner-occupiers, but the challenges they face in transitioning to net zero are somewhat more complex: they have to balance net zero targets with the delivery of affordable housing, reduce fuel poverty and meet the minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C (band B by 2032), but with homes becoming increasingly electrified, the ever increasing cost of electricity will increasingly headline as the affordability challenge of the future.
And there is the financial cost of building and retrofitting these properties: an Inside Housing survey of housing associations puts the average cost of retrofitting each social home in the UK to zero carbon standards at £20,742 per property, but zero carbon doesn’t mean zero bills.
Pre-pandemic research shows that installation of solar panels typically reduces energy bills by £320 per annum, a saving that continues to grow year-on-year. Over the last ten years, the cost of solar installation has fallen by about 60 per cent, with a typical solar system now costing in the region of £4,000. Furthermore, the period over which the investment is expected to pay for itself – as a result of energy savings and the sale of surplus energy to the national grid through the Export Guarantee scheme, is eght-ten years. But smart, integrated, flexible solutions have the potential to bring even better answers to the affordability challenge of the emerging era of electrification, for owner-occupiers, businesses, landlords and tenants.
Solar and home storage are truly the cornerstone of electrification, delivering benefits now and multiplying those benefits in the future. A true enabler: without it, we can forget about harnessing the financial and environmental benefits of heat pumps and EV charging – other means of generating electricity are just too expensive, in cost and carbon.
Yes, we need investment in net zero retrofits and new builds, but we also need to bring harmony to our carbon reduction and energy efficiency standards so that they help us chart a direct transition to an integrated electric future. One where making energy affordable and flexible is a clear goal.
John Forster is Chair and Founder of Forster Group.
Tel: 01356628560
Email: enquiries@forstergroup.co.uk
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