R ENEWABLE ENERGY IN S COTLAND By Eilidh, Caireen, Louisa and Eva

T HE F ACTS Scotland has 25% of Europe’s renewable energy potential. There are eight different types of renewable energy: Bio fuel, biomass, Geothermal, Hydroelectricity, Solar energy, Tidal power, Wave power and Wind power. Scotland has a variety of renewable energy sources to draw on such as Tidal, Wave, Hydro and Wind power

W HY RENEWABLE ENERGY ? The earth's fossil fuel supplies (oil, gas, coal) are limited and will be depleted over time. As this process continues, remaining reserves will become increasingly difficult to access. It is also widely held that the gases released when fossil fuels are burned to produce energy are contributing towards changes in our climate and rises in global temperatures. By using increasing amounts of renewable energy (as well as by conserving as much energy as possible), we are acting sustainably and helping to protect our environment. Renewable energy can also creates opportunities for economic growth

W HAT ARE OUR GOVERNMENT DOING ? The SNP Government has an impressive target of generating enough renewable energy to meet 100% of Scottish electricity demand by But as well as scaling up our renewable, we could set a practical example to the rest of Europe and: use 100% renewable electricity to power our cars and heat our homes, instead of oil and gas: if home heating and transport are electrified in line with our recommendations, we could decarbonise 50% of our total energy use by 2030, and make our overall 'triple fuel' bills cheaper than in conventional scenarios. invest in energy efficiency: As well as creating warm homes this would save on people's fuel bills while providing thousands of jobs in the building and construction industries.

C ARBON C APTURE AND STORAGE The fossil fuel industry is keen to publicise new coal as 'clean coal'. What this means is slightly more efficient energy plants, and the use of a new technology called carbon capture and storage (CCS). Carbon capture and storage - a process which sees emissions from plants captured and stored deep underground - has yet to be proven technically or financially feasible on a commercial scale. However, if this technology were to be proven to work, it could reduce emissions from coal plants by up to 90%. While we don't need coal power in Scotland, CCS technology may potentially prove helpful in stemming emissions from industries like steel and cement, and from existing power stations around the world.

W ORKING IN RENEWABLE ENERGY IN S COTLAND With the support of the Scottish Government, the links between universities and private companies, and the ideal environmental conditions available in Scotland, the renewable energy sector in this country will continue to grow. Scotland has a growing number of companies in the renewable energy industry, from well-established operations to university spin-outs. These include: Siemens Natural Power Lunar Energy AWS Ocean Energy Scottish Power Wind hoist Wavegen Peak Scientific Pelamis Wave Power

S COTLAND ' S STRENGTHS IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY The world's biggest wave power farm is in development to be built off the coast of Orkney — the £10m scheme is also the first commercial wave farm in the UK Over £13m in grants have been awarded for marine energy projects in Scottish waters A multi-million pound plant built by The Oran Group producing clean biomass energy from animal by- products Glendoe Hydro Scheme, Scotland’s newest hydro electric station, generated 12.7GWh of electricity in January 2009 — enough to supply the annual needs of over 3,500 homes