STA Scotland is aiming to become the leading voice for solar in Scotland, advising and developing policy with the Scottish Government and raising awareness of the benefits of solar. The new trade association has been backed by a number of prominent figures in the energy industry, including Scotland’s Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing MSP.
Scotland is already a strong advocate of solar power. The country has 35,000 homes and 600 businesses currently benefitting from solar technology. Forster Energy, a member of the Scottish STA, was involved in the development of the 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village, which boasts over 700 homes with installed solar energy systems, enabling the residents to enjoy reduced energy bills.
“The launch of STA Scotland provides a valuable asset for Scotland as we work towards meeting our 2020 renewable energy target” Mr Ewing said. “STA Scotland will undoubtedly contribute to the Scottish Government’s target to generate the equivalent of 100 percent of Scotland’s electricity demand from renewable sources by 2020. Supporting solar energy is hugely important as it supports our economic strategy to work towards further social equality and the reduction in fuel poverty for the people of Scotland.”
The STA estimates that there are 25,000 hectares of south-facing commercial rooftops in Scotland that could be used for the generation of clean, home-grown energy. The trade association has carried out a lot of work to promote solar across the UK, showing how solar could by 2030 produce enough energy to power the equivalent of 18 million homes and support almost 50,000 jobs across the British solar supply chain. STA analysis has shown that solar panels in Glasgow generate over 90 percent of the energy the same number of panels would produce in London, showing how strong the case for solar is here in Scotland.
The Chairman of Forster Energy, John Forster, has been appointed as the Chair of the new body, with a vision to create a stable and sustainable future for domestic and business energy consumers in Scotland by advancing the availability of solar technologies.
“I am thrilled to be leading STA Scotland” Mr Forster said. “I currently sit on the STA UK Board and I am an active member of STA’s New Build Working Group. Striving towards a more sustainable, green and energy efficient Scotland has been a passion of mine for a long time and I am delighted to be in a position to help make this happen.”
STA CEO Paul Barwell helped to launch the new body in Edinburgh at its first meeting. Other companies in attendance at the launch were AES Solar, Lark Energy, Lightsource, McDonald Engineers, Solar Kingdom and Sunamp.
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