The government intends to increase solar deployment from 0.5GW of capacity to between 4GW-6GW by 2030. Image: Kingspan Energy.

Trade association Scottish Renewables has called on the government to reinstate solar PV and energy storage in the Home Energy Scotland (HES) grant and loan scheme to support the country’s renewable goals.

The Energy Saving Trust recently announced that solar PV and energy storage systems would no longer be included in the Scottish government’s Home Energy Scotland (HES) grant and loan scheme. Scottish Renewables argues that this undermines Scotland’s solar sector and removes any incentive for householders to invest in solar PV.

This move is even more questionable when considering the country’s solar targets. The government intends to increase solar deployment from 0.5GW of capacity to between 4GW-6GW by 2030.

Scottish Renewables has urged the government to make several changes to reverse the potential damage solar PV and energy storage’s absence from the HES scheme could have.

First, the government should increase the funding available in the HES grant and loan scheme by £20 million, reinstating solar PV and energy storage systems in the process.

The government should also continue to expand the size and scale of interest-free loans and grant programmes for energy efficiency measures, including solar energy and heat pump installations, particularly for smaller properties and rural and island fuel-poor households.

Helen Melone, head of heat and solar at Scottish Renewables, said: “The Scottish government’s decision to remove domestic rooftop solar from the HES grant and loan scheme strikes a blow to the future of Scotland’s solar sector.

“The HES grant and loan scheme has been popular with Scotland’s solar supply chain helping to deliver the extensive pipeline of projects it is currently working through.”

Melone concluded: “Domestic solar is hugely popular in Scotland, and there is a long waiting list for installations. However, with no incentive for domestic rooftop solar, this work will inevitably dry up and leave these companies with uncertain futures.”