Interest in small scale renewables continues to grow

1,500 people interested in alternative energy sources for heating and power descended on the Auchincruive College campus near Ayr for the second renewable energy fair organised by the Energy Agency.

Visitors to the Fair, the most recent of a series held across the South of Scotland highlighting small scale renewables, received information and advice from the 26 standholders representing manufacturers and installers of heat pump systems, wood-fired heating and solar water heating systems, wind and hydro turbines, wood fuel suppliers and a process to enable vehicles to run reliably on used cooking oil. They also listened to talks by ten of the companies represented and some watched the film about climate change, ‘An Inconvenient Truth’.

The Provost of Ayr, Winifred Sloan, after taking in one of the talks and touring the stands, said “This really is an eye-opener. The equipment you can now get to help reduce your energy costs and your carbon footprint is clearly very well developed and accessible. The companies here today aren’t from hundreds of miles away but almost all Scottish and many have agents in Ayrshire.”

Liz Marquis, Director of the Energy Agency, said “When the Scottish Executive launched its Renewables Initiative in 2002 there were seven companies offering services in Scotland. Today that number has risen to over eighty plus a large number of sub-contractors working with them. It is a spectacular increase which was much needed and it is now easy to get alternative quotes for solar, heatpump or wood pellet systems, for example.”

The event also marked the launch of a new local enterprise, Scottish Woodfuels Group, a co-operative of mostly Ayrshire-based businesses all with an interest in supplying wood, in the form of chips, logs or pellets to any customers, from secondary schools down to individual households. Simon Craufurd, one of the founder members said “The purpose of Scottish Woodfuels is to give confidence to any potential customer, be they a Local Authority, a business or a householder, that if they invest in an environment-friendly wood-fired heating system, the quality and reliability of their local fuel supply will be backed by the whole Scottish Woodfuels network with its quality assurance and supply back up systems.”

Ayr MSP John Scott and a number of Councillors joined those keeping the standholders talking and the Farm Shop also did a roaring trade. Joe Fergusson, Renewables Development Officer with the Energy Agency, said “The 30% grants offered by the Scottish Executive for installing renewable energy systems along with the installer accreditation scheme have been successful in boosting the market. Hundreds of householders in South West Scotland have taken advantage. With the oil price having just reached a new high, we expect this to continue.”

Nick Sparks from Scottish Agricultural College was delighted with the increased interest in the Green Technology courses offered at the Ayr campus.