An e learning pack for senior school pupils and Modern Apprentices produced by LDB for SDS
This is your personal e learning package designed to help you to enjoy learning about why we need to reduce carbon emissions and save energy and how we can do this. It can be accessed on pcs, iPads, tablets and smart phones or on your college VLE. In the pack you will cover:
When you have completed the pack successfully you will be awarded a certificate which you can print off or file in your e learning portfolio and show to parents, teachers and employers.
The pack uses the landscape of Scotland to illustrate the low carbon and energy saving measures that the Scottish Government, Business, Community and You can and are taking to make Scotland a richer, healthier and happier country and to keep Scotland with a supply of low carbon electricity.
NOTE: The low carbon technologies and sectors located throughout the map May Not show a true representative of actual locations associated to the low carbon technologies/sectors.
Young Scot code: CW3ZWE
Ocean Waves extract energy from the wind
The accumulated energy is stored in the motion of the wave
Because water is roughly 800 times more dense than air, the energy in the wave becomes more concentrated and could when captured effectively be an ideal energy source
For many years scientists have been trying different ways of capturing wave energy but it is only now that some of these are near to becoming commercially viable
Young Scot code: 1J3TGT
Machines and devices created to harness wave energy face many challenges
They have to be capable of withstanding not just the power of reasonably sized waves but also the power of waves arising from storm conditions
The machines are subject to forces coming from constantly changing directions
Salt water corrodes machinery
It is difficult to create a lasting cable connect ion to a moving offshore device
The following are some examples of wave development:
Salter’s Duck
Salter’s Duck (the Edinburgh Duck) was an early device developed in the 1970s at a time of high oil prices by Professor Salter of Edinburgh University. It was proven to work efficiently to turn the most wave energy into power but funding for the project was withdrawn after the oil glut and resulting cheaper oil prices and so it was never tested in the ocean. However it is being tried again in Scotland because of the new concentration on renewable energy
With the Edinburgh Duck, the wave impact induces the rotation of gyroscopes located inside the pear shaped “duck” and an electrical generator converts the rotation into electricity
The Pelamis Deep Water System
Pelamis Wave Power is a Scottish company. The Pelamis 1 machine consists of a series of semi-submerged cylindrical sections liked by hinged joints. As waves pass along the length of the machine, the sections move relative to one another. This motion is resisted by hydraulic cylinders which pump high pressure oil through hydraulic motors via smoothing hydraulic accumulators. The hydraulic motors drive electrical generators to produce electricity. Pelamis Wave Power first tested and connected a Pelamis machine to the grid in 2004 at the European Marine Energy Centre on Orkney. The company has since tested an additional 5 machines in Portugal and has been testing a Pelamis 2 machine off Orkney since 2010
The Limpet Device
Developed by Wavegen this is a near shore technology. The oscillating water column arrangement is exposed to the sea at one end and forces air through a Wells turbine at the other end of the column. As the water level rises on the incoming wave peak, air is forced out. As the water level falls on the wave trough, air is drawn back into the column. The Wells turbine generates power irrespective of the direction of air movement. The first two prototype devices were developed by Queens University off Islay from 1985 to 1989 but ware decommissioned in 1999. The team used a natural gully but for the second prototypes a “designer “ gully was excavated, The devices have provided most of Islay’s electricity since 2000.
Wind Wells Turbine
This is a low pressure turbine which keeps its sense of direction in spite of the changing direction of the wind stream. Its blades feature a symmetrical airfoil with its plane of symmetry in the plane of rotation and perpendicular to the air stream. Its efficiency is less than that of a turbine with constant airstream direction and asymmetrical airfoil. One reason for this is that symmetric air foils have a higher drag coefficient than asymmetric ones even under optimum conditions. Some energy is lost because the generator has to be used as a motor, thus consuming energy.
It was first developed by Professor Alan Arthur Wells of Queens University Belfast for use in oscillating water column wave power plants in the late 70s in order to avoid the need to rectify the airstream through the use of delicate and expensive valves.
Oyster Wave Energy Converter
Aqua Marine Power Ltd was founded in 2005 to develop the Oyster. This device captures the energy found in near shore waves to produce electricity. The system consists of a hinged mechanical flap connected to the sea bed at about a depth of 10m. Each passing wave moves the flap which drives hydraulic pistons to deliver high pressure water via pipeline to an onshore turbine which generates electricity. In November 2009 the first full scale demonstrator Oyster began producing power when it was launched at the European marine Energy Centre on Orkney.
Scotland is potentially rich in wave power to generate electricity because of the geographical features of its coastline and its almost constant winds
Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves and the capture of that energy for useful purpose such as generating electricity.
Different system are currently being piloted being in Orkney and elsewhere in the world such as Portugal, France, California, Oregon, the Gulf of Mexico and India
Waves are the result of the frictional effect of wind on the surface of a body of water
The size of the wave grows over huge distances in open water and eventually it reaches its maximum force, moving at, or thereabouts, the speed of the wind. By then the movement of the wave in respect to the air is zero, so the drag force is also zero and no further energy is transferred to the wave
Living organisms need energy to stay alive – plants get energy from the sun, humans get energy from food, along with the oxygen needed to metabolize it
Civilisation needs energy in the form of electric power and transport fuel to function – energy sources such as fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) were the first energy sources to be used
But fossil fuels are finite, eventually they will be used up and they are harmful to the environment by releasing carbon dioxide and other green house gases which together with deforestation are thought to be the main cause of climate change and global warming
The answer is to use renewable energy which releases little or no carbon into the atmosphere to generate electricity - on and offshore wind power, wave and tidal power, hydro electric power, geothermal power and anaerobic digestion, biomass and hydrogen to produce fuels such as biodiesel
Biomass can also be used for heating systems and for electricity generation, although it does release some carbon into the atmosphere
Nuclear Energy does not create carbon emissions, however it does create radio active waste. More information on Nuclear Energy can be found: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandshistory/20thand21stcenturies/nuclearpower/index.asp
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is the national skills body supporting the people and businesses of Scotland to develop and apply their skills.
SDS was formed in 2008 as a non-departmental public body, bringing together careers, skills, training and funding services.
SDS plays a key role in driving the success of Scotland's economic future, working with partners to:
Support individuals to reach their potential Help make skills work for employers Improve the skills and learning system.
SDS is preparing Scotland's workforce to maximise opportunities in today's dynamic world.
Young Scot code: SA1TPS
Together with partners SDS drives the Skills Planning Model, improving the skills and learning system to make sure that:
It responds to the needs of industry
People have the best possible chance of succeeding in the world of work.
Government policy is a primary driver of what Skills Development Scotland
(SDS) does. A series of skills and economic strategies interlink to shape SDS's work, making sure that services and partnership activity are meeting the needs of customers and effectively contributing to economic growth ambitions for Scotland.
In support of youth employment, SDS is one of the delivery partners for the Scottish Government's guaranteed offer of a place in education or training for all 16 to 19-year-olds through Opportunities for All.
We have a management statement and associated financial memorandum which has been drawn up by the Scottish Government's Employability, Skills & Lifelong
Learning Directorate. This statement sets out the broad framework within
which we operate and the memorandum sets out some aspects of the financial framework in detail.
At the start of each business year Scottish Ministers issue a Letter of Guidance to SDS setting out key targets, objectives and priorities for the year ahead. Scottish Ministers also issue a Grant in Aid letter to SDS setting out our annual budget and financial requirements and priorities.
Building Career Management Skills (CMS) through Scotland's all-age career information, advice and guidance service My World of Work - the SDS web service which offers the people of Scotland a unique mix of tools, features and job information to help them discover more about themselves and the future world of work Modern Apprenticeships - providing a way for businesses to train new entrants and existing employees to industry-recognised standards Our Skillsforce.
Support for employers to recruit, develop and plan a skilled workforce through a dedicated employer team and a skills web service Leading delivery of PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) support for those dealing with redundancy Supporting individuals to secure and sustain employment through the development of employability and vocational skills through a local delivery model - the Employability Fund Individual Learning Accounts - providing financial support for individual learning.
Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Renewables, LDB, SEPA, RES, Zero Waste Scotland, ESP, ETP, EST, CITB, Young Scot, 2020 Climate Group, Education Scotland, Scottish Hydrogen Centre, SCCS, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Young Scot
Young Scot is the national youth information and citizenship charity providing young people, aged 11 - 26, with a mixture of information, ideas and incentives to help them become confident, informed and active citizens.
Did you know?
There are over 500,000 Young Scot NEC cardholders across Scotland, with this figure expected to rise further over the coming years. The Young Scot NEC card gives young people access to special offers and discounts in over 1,500 shops and services across Scotland and a further 80,000 across Europe. The Young Scot magazine has an estimated readership of over 1m. The Young Scot Outreach Team works with an average of 25,000 young people each year and covers an average of 20,000 miles (the distance from Edinburgh to Australia and back again)!!
Young Scot in partnership with the Scottish Government has developed an exciting new project aimed at encouraging young people to make choices to reduce their carbon footprint and move towards a carbon free economy.
The project aims to develop a specific strand of Young Scot Rewards aimed at encouraging young people to be more informed about climate change. The benefits are:
Skills Development Scotland’s annual Sustainability Report sets out the organisation’s
Sustainability performance over the last 12 months.
The report contains detailed information about the SDS carbon footprint, sustainable procurement and the SDS contribution to Scotland’s transfer to a low carbon economy
The Scottish government representing the Scottish people is opposed to any new build of nuclear power stations in Scotland. The existing stations will be phased out in Scotland over time, with no new nuclear build taking place in Scotland. The Scottish Government, however, has consistently stated that, “subject to the relevant safety cases being approved by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, we do not see that this precludes extending the operating life of Scotland's existing nuclear stations to help maintain security of supply over the next decade while the transition to renewables and cleaner thermal generation takes place. As such, we did not oppose the life extension of Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station to 2023 announced by EDF Energy in December 2012”.
Taken From Low carbon meeting our emissions targets......... http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/06/6387/6
As water flows down from above sea level its potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. This energy can be harnessed to generate electricity by turning a turbine. The potential energy is equal to the weight of water times the height above base level. Scotland has many hydro electric schemes some of which have been operating since the early 20th century.
How a hydroelectricity scheme is developed
A geographical catchment area is surveyed to find a significant meeting point for rainwater flowing down to sea level. Where there are existing natural barriers such as mountains, a dam is erected to form a containment system to hold the water back in a reservoir. The water builds up behind the dam and is released when ever electricity is required. More water can also be channelled by diverting other nearby streams and rivers to flow in to the reservoir. The turbine can be at the base of the damn or alternatively water can be piped to a generator situated lower down.
Young Scot code: UDWGEV
Turbines can be attached to the sea bed to generate energy from undersea currents
Undersea turbines are similar to wind turbines except for the smaller size of the blades (only 1/800 of the blade area is needed to extract the same amount of energy from the water as from the air) and the greater strength they have to be because undersea forces are much greater.
Tidal power has been used since Roman times through the construction of tidal mills to generate mechanical power.. Modern methods are based on three systems.
Tidal Stream Generators - These make use of the kinetic energy of moving water to power turbines, similar to the way that wind turbines work. Some tidal generators can be built into existing bridge structures thus causing no aesthetic problems
Tidal Barrages – these make use of the potential energy in the difference in height between high and low tides. When the sea level rises as the tide comes in, the temporary increase in power is channelled into a large basin behind a dam, holding a large amount of potential energy. With the receding tide, this energy is converted into mechanical energy as the water is released through large turbines that create electrical power by using generators. Barrages are really large dams across the full width of a tidal estuary
Dynamic tidal power – this is a largely untried system that exploits an interaction between potential and kinetic energy. It proposes building very long dams up to 30 miles straight out to sea without enclosing an area. Tidal phase differences are introduced across the damn leading to a significant difference in water levels in shallow coastal seas featuring strong coast parallel oscillating tidal currents such as those found in the UK
Pros
Cons
Young Scot code: CXBA1T
Tidal Power, or Tidal Energy is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into electricity
Tides are the periodic rise and fall of the sea level caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon on earth
Tidal patterns are complex because the sun and moon do not drag the seas from the same direction – the forces vary throughout a calendar year, hence “Spring Tides” for example
Tidal availability is always there and can be predicted accurately, hence “tidal tables” so tidal power has great potential as a source of Renewable Energy
The tidal variation in mid-ocean is approximately 1m and the period is about 12 hours
Unlike surface waves, tides result in the bulk movement of water
Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP) – CSP systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam; PV systems use the photovoltaic effect
PV was used initially and is still used to power small and medium applications from charging calculators to supplying power to off-grid homes
Solar power is also increasingly being used in grid connected systems and in commercial solar power plants – the first was built in 1980
In PV systems, solar cells produce direct current (DC) power which fluctuates with the sun’s intensity – DC power has to be converted into alternating current (AC) through the use of inverters
Most residential systems are connected to the grid and householders are paid for the energy that they feed in to the grid – in this case the storage of electricity by the household system is not necessary as the grid effectively stores the surplus electricity. In systems not connected to the grid, surplus electricity produced in daylight hours is stored in batteries for ud in the night
Young Scot code: 4IYGMT
Energy is produced deep within the sun as a by-product of nuclear fusion and is released as photons of electromagnetic radiation (packets of radiation). This radiation can be converted directly to electricity by exploiting the photoelectric effect in semiconductor junctions
The photoelectric effect is the result of a photon colliding with the semiconductor material, releasing a an electron and leaving a hole
The electron can move around the external circuit and contribute to the flow of current
The electrical field that exists in the depletion region is what keeps the electron and hole from combining immediately and forces the electron round the external circuit
Solar Cells: the most common type of PV material is crystalline silicon
Monocrystalline silicon: a large crystal of silicon sawn into thin slices and doped to form the junction
Polycrystalline silicon: this can be used instead to reduce costs: small grains of pure silicon instead of a crystal but this is not as efficient
Gallium arsenide: this can be used instead of silicon; this will absorb all the incident light with a much thinner junction depth, hence less material is required
Thin film PV: amorphous silicon solar cells can be made from very thin films of this form of silicon in which the atoms are much less ordered than in crystalline forms.
Solar energy is environmentally friendly and constantly renewable and after the initial set up of equipment no other resources are needed to run a system, although start up costs are relatively high
The only carbon emissions associated with solar panels is in their manufacture and transport
Solar power systems can be fitted directly to roofs and are ideal for remote locations far from pylons and cables and more and more homes are turning to them to reduce utility costs, any surplus electricity can be sold on to the Grid - The sun produces more heat in one hour than humans use in a year
Many new buildings are designed to benefit from passive solar energy in the placing of windows and using heat absorbing materials in walls and floors to capture and store heat during the day and release it at night – not just a modern idea but used by the ancient Greeks and Chinese - Einstein was awarded a Physics Nobel Prize for his work on the photo voltaic effect that eventually led to the technology of solar panels whilst Leonardo predicted solar industrialisation
Solar power has been used to fuel unmanned aerial vehicles and prototype solar powered cars are being developed
All plants are “solar powered” as they absorb energy through sunlight during the photosynthesis process
Plug-in, battery electric and hybrid vehicles – Transport Scotland published “Switched on Scotland” a roadmap to the widespread adoption of plug-in vehicles, setting out a vision that by 2050 Scottish cities, towns and villages would be free from petrol and diesel fumes – plug in vehicles need access to power points for charging, the Charge Place Scotland Map lists the location of public charge points
Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles , due to be launched by most manufacturers in 2015, have great potential for reducing transport emissions, their only tail pipe emissions are water vapour – significant developments to infrastructure will be needed to support their use
Other alternative fuels will help reduce the carbon footprint of petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles, biofuels produced from waste vegetable oils are already in use but others involve relatively new technologies to produce synthetic fuels
Biofuels can be produced from a wide range of organic material including food and organic waste. Many biofuels are produced from specially grown crops.
The main biofuels grown currently in use in Scotland are biodiesel and bioethanol which are blended into most standard fuels in small amounts
Aviation is estimated to account for 2% of all global CO² emissions and 6% of UK emissions – unchecked these will grow and major changes in technology are needed to stop the growth of aviation emissions and reduce them to former levels
Carbon Trading is a system of emission credits that allows a company or country that reduces its carbon emissions below its target level to sell the extra reduction as a credit to a company or country that has not met the targets - the aviation sector has had to participate in carbon trading because of its growing carbon emissions
Research & development is taking place into the manufacture of more fuel efficient and lower carbon aero engines with the Technology Strategy Board backing new partnerships between Rolls- Royce and various British Universities in the SILOET programme – the programme is researching lightweight structures, high temperature materials & technology, lean-burn systems, virtual engineering tools & advanced components
New low carbon fuels are being developed e.g. a partnership between Virgin Atlantic and LanzaTech is developing low carbon fuel by recycling waste gasses from steel production that would otherwise be burnt into the atmosphere as CO² - the technology was piloted in New Zealand and the first commercial operation is to take place in China in 2014 – LanzaTech estimate that its process could apply to 65% of the world’s steel mills but could also be applied to metals processing and chemical industries
Shipping is a large & growing source of carbon emissions - the EU wants a global approach taken and as a first step towards cutting emissions it proposed that by 2018 owners of large ships using EU ports should report their verified emissions
Emissions from the global shipping industry amount to 3% of the world’s total emissions and 4% of the EU’s total emissions
Without action the shipping emissions are expected to double by 2050 and this is not compatible with the internationally agreed goal of keeping global warming below 2°C, which requires worldwide emissions to be at least halved from 1990 levels by 2050
Young Scot code: KWGMNH
Passenger rail, buses and coaches together share the provision of public transport and all these sub-sectors are being encouraged and supported by the Scottish Government to reduce their carbon emissions.
It is vital that the public is encouraged to use public transport instead of private cars in order to reduce overall carbon emissions and save energy for the sake of the environment. For this to happen , the public transport must exist in the first place and must be convenient.
The provision of the new Borders Railway will link the Scottish Borders with Midlothian and Edinburgh and will encourage commuters and tourists away from the roads.
To help reduce emissions from the road freight sector the Scottish Government offers grants to enable hauliers to shift freight from road to rail and water. Freight trains can now be seen regularly on the rail line that runs north , parallel to the A9, and in 2013 a trial was introduced where Scotch Whisky was transported from Speyside to Grangemouth by rail instead of by road
Car clubs, car sharing and eco driving are things that the general public can participate in to reduce carbon emissions
Walking and cycling are sustainable, health-giving and enjoyable modes of transport and they can replace journeys by motorised transport – 34% of all car journeys in Scotland are less than 2 miles
Having more people walking and cycling will help to ease congestion, reduce noise pollution, cut exhaust emissions, improve health and save money
For businesses developing a cycling and walking culture can help lower transport costs, reduce the need for parking spaces and increase productivity through having healthier and happier staff
The Cycling Action Plan for Scotland published in 2010 and updated in 2013 establishes a shared vision that by 2020 10% of all everyday journeys in Scotland will be by bike.
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 includes a target of an 80% reduction in CO² emissions by 2050.
The transport sector accounted for 25% of total Scottish emissions in 2011, the latest year for which figures are available. While all other sectors have seen a reduction in emissions since 1990 transport`s emissions levels have only very slightly reduced.
The Scottish Government`s long term ambition is that by 2050 Scotland will have a largely decarbonised transport sector, with significant progress towards this by 2050.
Although many aspects of transport are currently controlled by UK or EU legislation, Scotland has powers over infrastructure and local speed limits; smart measures to encourage more fuel efficient eco driving; road space reallocation to favour sustainable modes; prioritising integrated public transport and maximising active travel; influencing the location of new development through the planning system.
Buildings that leak heat and waste energy account for 38% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
The Green Deal was launched on 28.01.2013 in England & Wales and on 25.02.2013 in Scotland and is a UK Government initiative, designed to support home owners and businesses who wish to install energy efficiency measures with little or no upfront capital costs. The cost of these measures, are paid for over time through savings on their energy bills. The consumer has the option to choose an assessor and installer of their choice. All participants in the Green Deal (assessors, installers and providers) are registered through the Green Deal Oversight and Registration Body and must sign up to a code of practice. The Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland advice centre can provide advice on the Green Deal.
The Green Deal should benefit circa 230,000 UK low income households each year through heating and insulation measures. By 2020 the Green Deal could reduce UK household and business carbon emissions by 4.5 million tonnes per year.
The Skills Development Scotland Low Carbon Skills Fund 2012-2013 supported around 80% of Green Deal Domestic training and PAS 2030 related training.
The Green Deal programme will support the creation of up to 60,000 jobs in the insulation sector alone by 2015.
Businesses installing energy efficiency measures through the Green Deal initiative, must pay for industry accreditation by having training from an accredited trainer for their workers. Due to the increased costs of non-domestic Green Deal training, subsidised training should kick start uptake in Scotland
Young Scot code: T2PXVT
Geothermal Energy is the clean and sustainable heat from the earth
Geothermal resources range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock lying a few miles down from earth’s surface and even deeper to the high temperature molten rock (magma)
Almost everywhere the top 3m of the earth’s surface maintains a steady temperature of between 10° and 16°
Geothermal heat pumps tap into this resource to heat and cool buildings
A geothermal heat pump system consists of a heat pump, an air delivery system (ductwork) and a heat exchanger – a system of pipes buried in shallow ground near the building. In the winter the heat pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and pumps into the indoor air delivery system. In the summer the system is reversed with the heat pump moving heat from the indoor air into the heat exchanger – this heat can be used to provide a free source of hot water
In countries where there are geothermal resources of hot water, wells are drilled into underground reservoirs in order to generate electricity
Some geothermal power plants use the steam from the reservoir to power a turbine/generator while others use the hot water to boil a working fluid that vaporises and then turns a turbine
Hot dry rock resources occur at depths of 3 to 5 miles everywhere but in some places at lesser depths. Creating access to these involves injecting cold water down one well and drawing off hot water from another well – no commercial use of this technology has happened to date.
Young Scot code: Q5W3KN
Hydrogen is an extremely simple chemical element – an atom of hydrogen contains only 1 proton and 1 electron – and is the most plentiful element in the universe but it does not occur naturally as a gas on the earth; it is always combined with other elements e.g. water, a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O)
Hydrogen is also contained in the hydrocarbons that make up fossil fuels
Hydrogen can be separated from hydro carbons with the application of heat and most hydrogen is made this way from natural gas
An electrical current can also be used to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen – the process is called electrolysis
Hydrogen is high in energy but an engine burning hydrogen as fuel produces hardly any pollution – NASA uses liquid hydrogen to propel the space shuttle and other rocket systems into space; hydrogen fuel cells power the crafts electrical systems, producing clean water which the crews drink
A fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat and water
Fuel cells can be compared with batteries as both use the energy produced by a chemical reaction to produce usable electric power
Young Scot code: ADBQGK
Fuel cells are a promising technology as a source of heat and electricity for buildings and as a source of electric power for propelling vehicles
Fuel cells work best on pure hydrogen but natural gas, can be reformed to produce the necessary hydrogen and some fuel cells can be fuelled directly with methane
In the future hydrogen could join electricity as an important energy carrier – an energy carrier moves and delivers energy in a usable form to consumers
Renewable energy resources like the sun and the wind cannot produce electricity all the time but they could produce electric energy and hydrogen which can be stored until it is needed.
Hydrogen can also be transported (like electricity ) to locations where it is needed
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a low carbon technology which captures carbon dioxide from the burning of fossils fuels e.g. coal and gas for power generation and from the manufacturing of steel, cement and other products
The carbon dioxide is then transported by either pipeline or ship for safe and permanent underground storage, preventing it from entering the atmosphere and contributing to climate change
CCS is a potential means of mitigating the contribution of fossil fuels emissions to global warming and ocean acidification
The UK Government has awarded a FEED (Front End Engineering Design) contract to the Peterhead gas-CCS project in Scotland
Although it is targeted that an equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s electricity will be generated form renewable resources, there will still be a need for CCS with respect to fossil fuel generation including wood burning plants and heating plants using other fossil fuels as well as industrial manufacturing plants
Young Scot code: EYHGQZ
Energy created by burning biomass is also called dendrothermal energy and the process is particularly suitable for countries where fuel wood grows quickly or where there is a large amount of felled timber and forest waste
Using a biomass heating system is a cost effective and practical way to provide space heating, hot water and process heating from a low carbon source either through individual house or district schemes
Using biomass for heating is more cost effective than using it to produce electricity and transport fuels
Biomass heating systems can significantly reduce an individual’s, family’s or organisation’s carbon footprints
Biomass fuel usually takes the form of wood chips, pellets or briquettes but can be logs or straw bales.
Fuel must be delivered into a designated or purpose built fuel store and then must be delivered to the combustion grate of the boiler by physical or mechanical means
Fuel should be as dry as possible as water does not contribute to the stored energy of the fuel but makes it bulkier and heavier and therefore more costly to store and transport
Heat is produced by the simple process of burning (combustion)
Combustion is a complex sequence of exothermic (heat generating) chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant
Combustion takes place in 3 interacting phases
Preheating phase – moisture is driven off and the fuel is heated up to its flash point and then its fire point
Gaseous phase – flammable gasses are driven off (volatised) and are ignited, energy is transferred from chemical energy into heat and light (flames)
Solid phase – the release rate of flammable gases is too low to keep a flame going and the charred fuel glows and the smoulders
Young Scot code: Y6SE7H
Using mixed biomass as a fuel produces air pollution in the form of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds and other pollutants at levels above those from traditional sources such as coal
However using wood biomass as a fuel in total closed combustion can produce lower particulates than open burning – black carbon, created by incomplete combustion is thought to be a significant in global warming
It is thought that using biomass might reduce any further increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide acts as a greenhouse gas by trapping heat thus leading to a rise in global warming
Biomass can be considered a neutral source of energy because the carbon dioxide released into the air by burning biomass is recovered again by the growth of new biomass
Biomass is all biologically produced material based in carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
Biomass for heating and fuel generation is usually sourced from plants, though human, animal and food waste is another form of biomass which is usually used in anaerobic digestion plants
As an energy source biomass can be used directly via combustion to produce heat or indirectly after converting it to various forms of biofuel by thermal, chemical or biochemical methods
Wood, ground into wood chips, is the largest source of biomass material including forest and harvest residues and specially grown crops e.g. willow and poplar: these are generally used for domestic (wood chip burning stoves) and district (biomass industrial plants) heat
Plant biomass can also be degraded from cellulose to glucose through chemical treatments and this can be used as first generation biofuel
Biomass can also be converted to other usable forms of energy such as methane gas or transport fuels like ethanol and biodiesel
Research is currently being done into algae derived biomass which can be produced up to 10 times faster than when using land based agriculture – once the algae is harvested it can be fermented to produce biofuels like ethanol, butanol, methane, biodiesel and hydrogen
Climate change, largely caused by greenhouse gasses including CO², causes a major threat to the planet; this means that Scots and other nations will have to create low carbon economies. A low carbon economy will use less energy and fewer resources at home, at work and on the move – more of the energy we do use will come from clean, renewable sources such as water, wind, wave, tidal and solar power thus reducing carbon emissions significantly and we will be less dependent on transport fuels derived from fossil fuels.
Scots will have to be better at saving energy at home, in the workplace, for travel and at leisure; fortunately Scotland is rich in natural resources, water and wind and even sun that can be harnessed to produce clean renewable energy and lessen our dependence on fossil fuels: Scotland has 25% of Europe’s wind and wave resource, 10% of Europe’s tidal potential, a heritage of engineering skills on which to build and a huge potential for carbon storage.
The best way of saving energy and reducing carbon emissions is firstly by using less energy: implementing energy efficiency measures [for example: well insulated buildings] and using energy we have more efficiently [for example: through district heating networks]. The next best thing is to replace power generated by fossil fuels with power generated by renewable energy technology such as wind power, hydro electric, ground source pumps or solar PV – all technologies that are widely available and are described under individual icons.
Scotland has a target of the equivalent of 100% Scotland’s gross annual electricity consumption - all electricity to be produced by renewables by 2020 and carbon emissions to be reduced by 80% by 2050, with an interim target of 42% by 2020. Moving to a low carbon, greener economy supported by sectors like the renewable industry will create new jobs and grow the economy.
Young Scot code: ECIG64
Heating: Energy Efficiency not only cuts carbon emissions but it saves money; over 5O% of the cost of fuel bills goes on heating & hot water – having an efficient heating system is vital to save costs and is a major step in reducing household , workplace and public building carbon emissions
Loft & Roof Insulation: In an uninsulated building, a quarter of the heat is lost through the roof – insulating the loft or attic is a simple way to save that wasted energy: loft insulation is effective for at least 40 years and in that time will pay for itself over and over again
Wall Insulation: Around a third of the heat in an uninsulated building is lost through the walls; heat always flows from a warm area to a cold one – the colder the air outside the faster the heat from the home will escape
Floor Insulation: In traditional buildings, insulating under the floorboards on the ground floor will save energy, money and carbon; sealing the gaps between floors and skirting boards will also do this. There is no need to insulate upper floors if the rooms are above heated spaces. Rugs and carpets will also help to keep the building warmer, thus saving energy
Draught-proofing: this is one of the cheapest, simplest, and most efficient ways of saving energy
Windows: All properties lose heat through windows but energy efficient glazing keeps the building warmer and quieter as well as saving energy and reducing bills – this might mean double or triple glazing, secondary glazing or just heavier curtains which are closed at night. In conservation areas or where the property is a listed building, there may be restrictions on replacing windows
Doors: Can be insulated and draught-proofed to prevent heat escaping; new external doors generally contain integrated insulation to reduce heat loss and to comply with building regulations
Energy certificates: All domestic and commercial buildings in Scotland that are available for purchase or rent must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): when private homes are for sale the EPC and an energy report provided by an approved Energy Performance Assessor goes along with the Home Report produced by a charted surveyor (often the same person)
Heat is not generally bought and sold as a commodity in Scotland, unlike some other European countries. Instead we buy electricity or fuels such as gas, oil or solid fuels, including biomass and peat, and use on-site appliances such as boilers, kilns, furnaces, electric heaters and ventilation systems to provide heating or cooling.
Currently gas and electricity are the primary sources of heat for the majority of households. Gas currently accounts for 76% of primary heating systems followed by electricity accounting for 15%. Oil accounted for 6% of household primary heating system, with solid fuel and communal heating covering the majority of the remainder.
Where a home has a boiler, the boiler may be a combi (combination) boiler which heats the water as it is needed - otherwise the boiler heats the water to be used in a cylinder; replacing the old boiler with a new, efficient condensing boiler is an excellent way to save energy especially if combined with better controls for space and water heating and an anti-corrosion chemical inhibitor to maintain the system’s efficiency, however a condensing boiler will not work with a solar water heating system.
Modelling carried out for the Scottish Government by Arup indicates that over 40 years between 2010 and 2050, heat equipment worth over £100 billion in today’s prices will be replaced. Going forward, if we are to meet our climate change targets, these installations will increasingly need to be low carbon installations, achieved through a mixture of increasing energy efficiency such as better controls, insulation, district heating and heat recovery, delivering renewables such as geothermal and biomass and, as we decarbonise the electricity grid, resistive heating, ground or air source heat pumps.
To save energy the householder or building’s owner or tenant can undertake a number of measures including installing new, more controllable heaters, fit thermostats and controls to make the system more efficient or install installation and draught-proofing systems.
The Scottish Government published its District Heating Action Plan in 2013.
District heating is the supply of heat by hot water to a number of buildings through a heat network of underground pipes and is an effective way of making the most of our heat resources, reducing the carbon intensity of heat and reducing fuel costs. A large-scale heat network may take heat from several sources including gasfired Combined Heat & Power (CHP) plants, renewable energy such as geothermal, solar and biomass, stored heat from intermittent renewable electricity generation and heat recovered from industrial processes.
The Scottish Government’s Draft Heat Generation Policy Statement (HGPS) sets out how low carbon heat can reach more householders, business and communities and a clear framework for investment in the future of heat in Scotland. It discusses how Scotland might reduce the amount of energy used for heat, diversify sources of heat, provide increased security of heat supply, greater local control and reduce the pressure on household energy bills.
The most common form of insulation is mineral wool which needs a depth of 270mm - if the loft is used for living space, the roof can be insulated by fixing rigid insulation boards between rafters then covering them with plasterboard or better still insulated plasterboard
If the loft is hard to insulate you can have blown insulation installed made of cellulose fibre or mineral wool: if the loft is irregular or has lots of obstructions, loose-fill insulation can be laid – this consists of cork granules, vermiculite. Mineral wool or cellulose fibre
A flat roof is best insulated from above: a layer of rigid insulation board is added to the roof’s weatherproof layer or directly on top of the timber roof surface with a new waterproof layer on top
Insulating between the joists of the loft will keep the building warmer but the roof space cold so pipes and water tanks will need to be insulated; the loft hatch should also be insulated to prevent cold draughts coming down from the roof space
Most houses and other buildings built from 1990 onwards were built with insulation in the walls but older buildings may not have wall insulation: any building with cavity walls can be insulated - if the building was built before 1919, the walls are usually solid and in Scotland are usually built of stone
Cavity wall insulation is usually blown in from the outside – if there are any damp patches on internal walls they should not be insulated until the damp problem is fixed
Cavity wall insulation is usually made of mineral wool, beads or granules or foamed insulates
Solid wall insulation can be insulated either from the outside or the inside
Internal wall insulation is done by fitting rigid insulation boards to the wall or by fitting a stud wall filled in with mineral fibre
If a solid wall is insulated it has to comply with Building Regulations
Draught-proofing is one of the cheapest, simplest, and most efficient ways of saving energy
Draughts are a bit like ventilation, letting fresh air into the building except that ventilation is controlled to perform the essential tasks of reducing condensation and damp whilst draughts let in to much cold air, wasting heat
Draughts are found in any accidental gaps in the construction of the building e.g. round windows and doors including keyholes and letterboxes; loft hatches; electrical fittings; suspended floorboards; pipework leading outside; ceiling to wall joints – most of these should be blocked whilst taking care to maintain sufficient ventilation, especially where there are open fires or flues and in kitchens and bathrooms where a lot of moisture is produced
All properties lose heat through windows but energy efficient glazing keeps the building warmer and quieter as well as saving energy and reducing bills – this might mean double or triple glazing, secondary glazing or just heavier curtains which are closed at night
The most energy and carbon saving glass for double glazing is low emissivity glass which lets in light and heat but cuts the amount of heat that can get out because it has an unnoticeable coating of metal oxide normally on one of the internal panes next to the gap; very efficient windows might uses gases such as argon, xenon or krypton between the sheets of glass
Warm edge spacers between the sheets of glass, containing no metal are the most efficient
For all frame materials there are windows available in all energy ratings: uPVC frames are long-lived and can be recycled; wooden frames, often used in conservation areas, have lower environmental impact but require maintenance; aluminium or steel frames are long lasting and can be recycled; composite frames have an inner timber frame covered with aluminium or plastic which keeps the frame weatherproof and reduces the need for maintenance
Some window manufacturers use an energy rating scheme A-G like the one used for electrical appliances: replacement windows will be more airtight than the old ones and it can be sensible to choose windows with trickle vents to let in a small amount of controlled ventilation
In conservation areas or where the property is a listed building, there may be restrictions on replacing windows
Non-intrusive window insulation options available for historic buildings such as heavy lined curtains, shutters, secondary glazing and sealed blinds
There are areas of special architectural or historic interest e.g. the two world heritage sites in Edinburgh, the New Town and the Old Town where any work carried out on the home must preserve or enhance the character of the area; this can mean that the property owner may not replace windows but not necessarily so, as replacement windows can be made to look like the originals – in these cases the local council’s conservation officer should be consulted
Sash windows are common features of period properties and are often a design feature; they consist of 2 vertically sliding frames but are often badly fitting as well as being made of single pane glass so have poor insulating qualities; an increasing number of double glazing companies offer double glazing in period buildings, although the replacement windows can be expensive so secondary glazing might be the most cost effective option to save energy.
Doors can be insulated and draught-proofed to prevent heat escaping; new external doors generally contain integrated insulation to reduce heat loss and to comply with building regulations
A properly fitted external door should include an effective draught-proofing system; existing doors can be improved by fitting draught-proofing strips round the seals and the letterbox
Conservatories: even the best quality glazing loses heat more quickly even than an uninsulated cavity wall – conservatories are not thermally efficient and therefore should not be heated but kept for summer; provided that they are never heated and the doors between the conservatory and the heated building’s interior are kept shut in cold weather, they can actually reduce heat loss by acting as an extra insulating area; installing a sealed sliding door and sealed blinds or heavy lined curtains will make the most of this insulation factor.
All domestic and commercial buildings in Scotland that are available for purchase or rent must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): when private homes are for sale the EPC and an energy report provided by an approved Energy Performance Assessor goes along with the Home Report produced by a charted surveyor (often the same person
EPCs are valid for 10 years, tell the purchaser and owner how energy efficient a building is and give it a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient)
The EPC will also state how the energy efficiency rating could be improved and highlight cost-effective ways to achieve a better rating e.g. switching to more energy efficient light bulbs
Lighting accounts for 7% of a typical household’s energy bill: cutting the lighting bill is a very easy and effective way of saving energy and money
Replacing bulbs - houses use a mixture of standard light fitting and down-lighters or spotlights: energy saving bulbs are available for all these fittings: there are 2 main types of energy saving bulbs – Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs); LEDs are the more expensive but are the more efficient and will save more energy and more money over the lifetime of the bulb
Turning lights off – changing how lights are used by implementing controls and changing behaviour will save energy and money
Always turn lights off when leaving a room even when returning shortly
Be aware of how many lights are on and whether they are really needed
Position light switches where they are convenient to turn on and off
Use a sensor and timer on external lights to keep their use to a minimum
Use appropriate lighting e.g. a low background light when watching TV and a bright concentrated light for reading
Similar but larger scale practices should be adopted in the workplace and in public buildings
Energy ratings are generally given to products based on size categories so that similarly sized products can be compared: 2 differently sized appliances with the same energy rating may use quite different amounts of electricity therefore it is best to look for the best energy rating for the size of product you require
On average Scottish households spends between £45 - £80 a year each on powering appliances left on standby mode: a considerable waste of money and a waste of energy
Companies and public buildings waste much more energy commensurate with their size
Smart Meters are the next generation of gas and electricity metres that can provide real time information on how much gas an electricity is using, allowing the householder to have visible up to date figures on use and spend
As well as switching appliances off when not being used, individuals should think about the way they use appliances e.g. only boiling the amount of water needed instead of boiling a whole kettle full will save both money and energy over a year and drying clothes outside instead of using the tumbler dryer will save a great deal of energy
The manufacture of electrical items uses a lot of energy and valuable materials including precious metals and should be recycled where possible to save energy and lower carbon emissions; electrical equipment can also contain dangerous chemicals so their safe disposal is paramount in a way that lets the hazardous substances removed
and other parts can be recycled rather than being sent to landfill
Much of the energy needed to make the things we use and consume is wasted when the products are thrown out
Scotland is working to become one of the worlds Zero Waste nations and Zero Waste Scotland works to help Scotland’s people to cut waste
Recycling glass, and plastic paper will save energy by reusing the recycled material to make new products
Householders and even companies can reuse and recycle items and materials by choosing products that are second hand, made from recycled materials or contain used parts
A great deal of food is wasted; an average Scottish household throws away £430 of wasted food: householders can remedy this by only buying what is needed and can be used and using up leftovers
Over 30% of an average household bin can be composited saving energy and reducing the amount of bought-in compost
Choosing items with less packaging, buying concentrates and using refillable products will reduce the amount of packaging that is wasted
In traditional buildings, insulating under the floorboards on the ground floor will save energy, money and carbon; sealing the gaps between floors and skirting boards will also do this but the building’s occupants must be careful not to block underfloor air bricks installed for ventilation purposes
Newer buildings will usually have a ground floor made of solid concrete – this can be insulated if it needs to be replaced or can have rigid insulation laid on top
There is no need to insulate upper floors if the rooms are above heated spaces but it would be beneficial to insulate the floors of upper rooms if they are above unheated spaces e.g. garages
Rugs and carpets will also help to keep the building warmer, thus saving energy
The purpose of the Scottish Government is to focus government and public services on creating a more successful country with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish through increasing sustainable growth
Making the transition to a low carbon Scotland, through the achievement of our ambitious climate change targets, will place Scotland in an advantageous position within the global economy
The longer action is delayed, the higher annual emission targets need to be thereafter in order to keep CO² concentrations in the atmosphere below a dangerous level (such as the 800ppm by 2100 used in the World Bank analysis
A low carbon Scotland will capitalise on both our natural resources and the talents and skills of our people. It will make better use of our resources both at home and abroad
It will reduce the amount of energy people need to use in their homes, schools, workplaces and public buildings and in doing so help to reduce levels of fuel poverty
It will improve our public places and improve public health by reducing traffic pollution, increasing active travel and increasing woodland cover, particularly in and around urban areas – tree planting, peat-land restoration and increasingly sustainable land use will also benefit our biodiversity
A low carbon Scotland will also provide us with greater resilience to volatile energy and commodity prices – it will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels subject to geo-political forces outside our control
Simply put a low carbon Scotland is a better Scotland
We regard it as an investment in our economy and our environment and it is essential for the benefit of future generations
Scottish Enterprise defines Low Carbon as :
"Low carbon covers support for the development, provision and adoption of products, services and infrastructure that reduce carbon emissions; low carbon products and services include renewable energy, environmental and clean technologies and support for resource efficiency (energy, water, raw materials or waste); the activity may directly reduce carbon emissions or can reduce carbon intensity (per £ of GVA or turnover) relative to its predecessors or competitors"
Young Scot code: YZIQ4R
Renewables electricity generation has required and will require more substantial investment in new capacity, technology development and innovation to accommodate renewable resources
There is scope for significant innovation in the way that energy is delivered to end customers
There will also be an important role for storage technologies to cater for more intermittent supplies
Heat networks may emerge as a critical new infrastructure requirement and there may be implications for the role of gas in the future energy mix together with investment in gas storage
By 2050 Scotland will be meeting an 80% reduction in carbon emissions whilst maintaining a sufficient supply of energy
It is necessary to understand the costs and performance of the energy infrastructure that will carry energy from where it is generated to where it is consumed
Scotland already feeds energy into the UK national grid but it may also be able to sell energy to Europe
Large scale offshore renewable including wind, tidal stream and wave energy systems will have an increasingly important role in supplying Scotland’s power and in reducing carbon emissions
Challenges to be faced are the:
In addition to the offshore challenges, the existing onshore transmission and distribution system to cope with widespread changes in generation patterns and their changing performance characteristics
The increase in renewable energy sources will have a major impact on the volume and location of power flows through the distribution network
Young Scot code: SKPJQH
Renewable sources to generate the equivalent of 100 per cent of Scotland's gross annual electricity consumption by 2020.
The first section of the new Beauly to Denny power line went live in 2013 – building on the next sections are continuing in order to transmit energy from renewable sources to the south of Scotland and beyond
After an official enquiry because of public concerns over the height of the new pylons, in 2010 Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) was given permission to install a 400,000 volt, 220 kilometre overhead transmission line to replace the existing line
600 new pylons are being built with some towers reaching a height of 65m
It is a complex engineering job over rough terrain requiring a high level of skill and care and it has required close cooperation between SSE and Scottish Power and will be completed by 2015 with the connection of up to 1.2GW of renewable energy
Our geographical location means that the wind passing over the UK contains about 40% of the energy of all the winds crossing Europe. Harnessing that energy depends on the local conditions on which wind turbines are sited. The power of the wind is most often converted by rotating turbines which power electrical generators Very small turbines (300W- 3kW) are a way of capturing free wind energy but are costly in relation to their output and are often inefficient. Sizes of turbines up to medium range are classified as shown below .
Young Scot code: 43Q4HX
Anaerobic Digestion is a collection of processes by which micro-organisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen.
Insoluble organic polymers e.g. carbohydrates are broken down by bacteria to soluble derivatives that are then available to other bacteria that convert the sugars and amino acids into acids that are finally converted into methane and carbon dioxide
The process is used for industrial or domestic purposes to manage waste, clean water and sewage systems and/or to produce compost and fuels
If used in an integrated waste management system it reduces the emission of landfill gasses
Anaerobic digesters can also be fed with purpose bred crops such as maize to produce biogas that can be used as a fuel in heat and power gas engines or upgraded into something like natural gas. The digestate left at the end of the process is rich in nutrients and used as an agricultural fertiliser
The UK, Germany and Denmark are leading the world in the use of anaerobic digestion in large industrial plants as a form of renewable energy
Anaerobic digesters can be designed to use a batch or continuous system working at different temperatures with high or low solids in a single stage or multistage process
Young Scot code: 8MLX8X
Reducing the emission of Greenhouse gasses by:
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Life Sciences Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in that industry or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy. There is a quiz at the end of the unit so that you can check what you have learned.
Industry Strategy & Definition
The Scottish Life Sciences Strategy, “Creating Health, Promoting Wealth” was approved by the Life Sciences Advisory Board (LISAB) in 2011; the strategy has a target to double turnover to £6.2bn by 2020; the strategy also identifies sustainability as an area of further exploration e.g. the promotion of industrial biotechnologies such as synthetic biology to develop greener sources of base chemicals
The Scottish Life Sciences Sector is diverse with a supply chain across several life sciences areas; industry strengths include medical technology (diagnostics & medical devices and pharma services (trial, testing and manufacture of pharmaceuticals); however the strategy acknowledges that life sciences diversifies beyond human health; there are new opportunities in assisted living, stratified medicine, health wellbeing and technologies that enhance environmental sustainability; Scotland also has research strengths and a growing cluster of companies in animal health & agriculture
There are no readily available statistics on the environmental impact of life sciences in the UK; the nearest proxy is the NHS England Carbon Footprinting report (2008) which estimated that the NHS was responsible for 21million tonnes (mt) of CO² emissions in 2004; 4.6mt (22%) was from the purchase of pharmaceuticals and a further 1.88mt from the purchase of medical instruments & equipment; together these are 1.1% of UK’s emissions (564mt in 2009)
California estimated its emissions from pharmaceuticals were 2.74mt CO² emissions of which 1.92mt were emitted within California and 0.82mt from outside to support the state’s pharmaceutical manufacturing operations - 0.6% of California’s net Green House Gas (GHG) emissions
Most pharmaceutical manufacturers have eliminated the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - however, these GHG & ozone destroying chemicals have often been replaced by hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) which still have a GHG effect. GSK has replaced CFCs in inhalers with HF134a, reducing emissions from 24mt of CO² emissions in 1998 to 5mt, though this is still a significant source of emissions; dry powder inhalers can eliminate this but some patients find these difficult to use; Astra Zenica estimate that HCFCs from inhalers account for 35% of their global impact (1.19mt in 2011 or 35t per $m sales)
In academic terms Life Sciences comprises the fields of science that involve the study of living organisms; technological advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have led to the growth of specialisations and scientific interdisciplinary activity that in turn have led to applications in agriculture, health care. Medicine, pharmaceuticals, marine technology, food and drink production, biofuel production and waste management; Industrial Biotechnology, central to the Life Sciences Sector, is the use of biological substances, systems & processes to produce products such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, materials & energy, cost effectively and with minimal adverse environmental impact; Industrial biotechnology has huge benefits whether it is turning waste into energy, or improving the way food, drink, vaccines and antibiotics are manufactured; Sustainability and environmental policies have moved to the forefront of Life Sciences.
The Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise & Highlands & Islands Enterprise funded the new Innovation for Industrial Biotechnology Centre at Strathclyde University (but involving all 13 of Scotland’s HE institutions interested in industrial and medical biotechnology and the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation) which is forecast to increase IB related turnover to up to £3billion by 2030, create 1500 jobs in 5 years and put Scotland at the forefront of global transformation of the industry; The centre is a key element of Scotland’s “National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology – Towards a Greener, Cleaner 2025” which is aligned to the UK strategy, “IB 2025 – Maximising UK Opportunities from Industrial Biotechnology in a Low Carbon Economy” and the EU strategy, “Innovating for Sustainable Growth; A Bioeconomy for Europe.”
The Life Sciences Sector is striving to play its part in meeting Scotland’s targets 2020 targets of
Life Sciences is one of 4 sector based Enterprise Areas designated by the Scottish Government to support Scotland’s most dynamic industries to create new employment opportunities, stimulate private investment and boost growth through incentives available at each location; the other 3 areas are Low Carbon/Renewables North, Low Carbon/Renewables East & General Manufacturing/Growth Sectors
The Life Sciences Advisory Board is the focus for collaborative engagement between the public sector and industry; Interactions include the Scottish Academic Health Sciences Collaboration, the Edinburgh BioQuarter Development, the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine, the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research, the Technology Strategy Board, Stem Cells for Safer Medicine and the Highland Diabetes Institute
Scotland has the most comprehensive national life sciences strategy in the world and Life Sciences Scotland, an active, collaborative community of members with interests in life sciences, is one of the fastest growing groups in Europe
Scotland’s Life Sciences sector stands to benefit from unparalleled opportunities in the low carbon & technology market by improving the efficiency of existing operations, using Scotland’s extensive biotechnology knowledge to develop “greener” products and increasing the use of heat or transport fuels that use fewer carbon resources; opportunities exist across a wide range of the sector such as biofuels, biomedical technology, telemedicine, and industrial biotechnology e.g. telehealth and telecare can deliver transport efficiencies and reduce costs and emissions
Environmental policy: Every Scottish Life Sciences business has a written environmental policy to state its environmental objectives and all staff are trained in the relevant aspects of implementing this policy
Transport: Every Scottish Life Sciences business attempts to reduce dependency on fossil fuelled transport, supports eco driving and the development of alternatively powered vehicles
Energy efficiency: Every Scottish Life Sciences business tries to buy A rated appliances and maintain them to run efficiently; use energy efficient light bulbs; insulate, draught-proof and double-glaze premises and attempts to low energy heating and ventilation systems
Water efficiency: Every Scottish Life Sciences business attempts to cut down on the consumption of water to save money and at the same time reduce CO° emissions from the energy needed to collect, treat, pump and heat water
Packaging: Every Scottish Life science business considers how best to cut down on the use of packaging
Waste: Every Scottish Life Sciences business tries to minimise waste: reduce, reuse, recycle, compost or use anaerobic digesters
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Chemicals Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in that industry or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy. There is a quiz at the end of the unit so that you can check what you have learned.
Terminology: Scottish Enterprise's 2011-2012 report "Environmental & Clean Technology Opportunities for the Scottish Chemical Sciences Sector" defines "green" chemistry as being the minimisation of environmental impacts and hazards and the reduction of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions from making and using chemical products; "sustainable chemistry" is the application of green chemistry to processes but the two terms are used interchangeably; ECT refers to the term environmental & clean technologies.
Benefits: there can be positive benefits from sustainable chemistry – as well as the environmental benefits there are cost benefits from resource efficiency & the elimination of toxic hazards; many chemical products can help to reduce CO² emissions elsewhere in the economy.
The Scottish government's Climate Change Act uses the same principle as the Kyoto Treaty – to reduce emissions produced within a country but the Government also aims to have doubled exports by 2015 which is likely to increase emissions fro the manufacturing sectors, in particular the chemicals sector
Scottish manufacturers who have high energy demands are encouraged to save energy through various regulatory drivers but any legislation that imposes tighter restraints on energy consumption and carbon emissions might lead to the offshoring of manufacturing which is likely to increase global GHG emissions.
Chemical manufacturing is resource intensive but its products act as enablers across other industries and society which can have both beneficial & adverse impacts – however research for the ICCA industry body concluded that every tonne of CO2 emitted by the chemical industry enabled 2.1 to 2.6 tonnes to be saved elsewhere in the economy; the most significant savings arise from the use of insulation materials, fertilisers & crop protection, advanced lighting, light-weighting components for transport, low temperature detergents, biofuels & improving solar efficiency; without chemicals these reductions could not be achieved or would be achieved by using more GHG intensive techniques.
Scottish emissions could be reduced by closing Scottish plants and importing the same products from overseas but the Scottish chemical industry is far more carbon & energy efficient than most of its competitors, particularly those from developing countries and so this would actually drive global emissions up.
A life cycle approach is fundamental to all ECT chemical opportunities – greenhouse gas emissions & other environmental impacts should be considered from cradle to grave, including the extraction of raw materials, transport, manufacture, waste from manufacture, use of products and disposal: a good example of a life cycle approach to bio-based v petrochemical based products was undertaken by the Environment Agency – various techniques have been developed to calculate lifecycle emissions including the CCalC tool (Carbon Calculations over the Lifecycle of Industrial Activities)
As well as the Scottish Climate Change Act, there are many policy & compliance drivers for ECT: large chemical firms are incentivised to save energy through the Climate Change Levy, European Emissions Trading Scheme, Climate Change Agreements, the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme & the Carbon Price Floor for electricity; the Renewable Heat Incentive subsidises heat & power plants, anaerobic digestion & the burning of waste for heat; the Zero Waste Plan & the Land Tax escalator are driving waste reduction; packaging waste targets and bans on certain materials to landfill are increasing the demand for recyclable products; the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation is increasing the demand for biofuels; significant savings can arise from resource efficiency – the European Resource Efficiency Roadmap highlights resource concerns and there are concerns about the supply of rare earth minerals, petrochemicals and platinum; legislation e.g. the Reach Directive requires all chemicals to be tested for impact on health & the environment; the Water Framework Directive is tightening discharge consents; many chemical companies have corporate environmental strategies.
The Chemical Sciences Sector is striving to play its part in meeting Scotland’s targets 2020 targets of the equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s electricity being derived from renewables by 2020, 11% of Scotland’s heat demand being delivered by renewables in 2020 & a 42% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
Process improvements: petrochemical inputs can be substituted by bio-feedstocks which can be less hazardous & more easily recyclable, though this can cause land use conflict in developing nations where land is required to grow food; chemicals can be used as catalysts to capture CO2 from power stations and once carbon capture technology is widely available, used to capture CO2 from the chemicals industry, the CO2 can then be used as feedstock; improvements in manufacturing chemicals can be reached through lowering the temperature at which chemical reactions take place, designing catalysts which are more efficient or by utilising new input raw materials; microwave technology can induce faster chemical reactions; the Centre Of Crystallisation & Continuous Manufacturing with partner NiTech is developing a mixing technology that enables batch processing to be replaced by more efficient continuous processing; traditional cement manufacturing emits 1 tonne of CO2 per tonne of product (60% from calcination & 40% from heating – using magnesium oxide to replace calcium carbonate allows reactions to take place at lower temperatures with the added benefit that the reactions absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
Although it is still resource intensive, the UK chemicals industry has improved its energy efficiency by 35% over the last 20 years; a 2008 SE report extrapolated data from North East England to identify 10–20% of savings that could be made at no cost with a further 10-20% by adopting best practice: the Carbon Trust States that the greatest savings are in process controls, furnaces and boilers, heat exchangers, steam leaks, insulation, variable speed drive motors, compressed air, process operations & refrigeration.
Resource Efficiency Hierarchy |
Examples |
Reduce (best option) |
Energy efficiency, process intensification |
Reuse |
Industrial symbiosis, use of waste heat |
Recycle |
Waste, water, critical raw materials |
Waste |
Energy from waste, industrial symbiosis |
Critical Raw Materials: there is concern about the future availability of elements that are currently essential to build a wide range of ECT products e.g. solar panels, catalysts & batteries for electric cars; this includes rare earth elements but most of these elements are infinitely recyclable as long as a comprehensive recycling infrastructure is established
Sustainable energy: the biggest potential is from burning biomass from waste or new materials; some Scottish chemical plants are pursuing the idea of producing renewable electricity on site by biomass, wind turbines or tidal power or a combination of these and colocation can provide the opportunity for companies to share these new resources
Transport; the chemicals sector impacts on transport through its use of HGVs & container ships – transport costs and carbon emissions can be saved through more efficient logistics & producing and transporting chemicals in concentrated form
Products; ECT products to mitigate carbon emissions include low rolling resistant tyres to save fuel, fibre based materials for construction, bioplastics, biolubricants, biodiesel and health and pharmaceutical products in a biotechnology area where Life Sciences and Chemical Sciences coexist & cooperate
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Tourism & Hospitality Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in that industry or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy.
The Tourism & Hospitality industry is a vital contributor to Scotland’s economy worth £4.3bn in direct expenditure from overnight visitors (2012) , a further £6.2bn from day visitors and providing employment to185,900 within the tourism growth sector (2011). As well as the economy, tourism impacts on many other aspects of Scottish life including health and environment, the 2 National Parks and industry sectors such as food & drink, construction, transport, retail, hairdressing & beauty therapy, sports, creative industries
Scotland attracts 16m visitors annually
The industry-led National Tourism Strategy “Tourism Scotland 2020 “ was launched in 2012 by the Scottish Tourism Alliance, supported by the public sector – a key point in the strategy is to maximise operational efficiency and environmental performance, learning from examples like the M&S Plan A and the Scotch Whisky Industry’s Environmental Plan
Visit Scotland is the Scottish national tourism organisation with a primary role to maximise, in a sustainable way, the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland - Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands support business growth in the sector, whilst Skills Development Scotland supports up-skilling in the sector
Sustainability and environmental policies have moved to the forefront of hospitality & tourism development & management projects - many hotel chains are now involved in eco-friendly or environmental projects such as the Marriot “Spirit to Preserve”
Sustainable tourism and hospitality is that which is committed to generating a low impact on the surrounding environment and community whilst generating income for the local economy and thus aiding social cohesion
Greener Transport: Sustainable tourism and hospitality encourages greener transport by encouraging visitors to use local transport and innovations in cleaner forms of transport will help
Seasonal and geographical pressures; Encouraging a more even spread of visitors reduces pressure on natural and built environments and on communities whilst maximising the economic benefits – remaining open for a longer season will help
Understanding the impacts; working with partners to measure the social end environmental impacts of tourism will provide information that will help the industry to minimise those impacts
Greener Accommodation: a sustainable tourism industry will be one in which all accommodation providers minimise their waste and their use of energy and water. There are 800 Scottish members of the Green Tourism Business Scheme which encourages members to reduce their environmental impact
Zero Waste Scotland offers advice and support to reduce, reuse and recycle waste; Energy Saving Trust (Scotland) provides impartial advice on how to reduce Carbon emissions and save energy and thus money; Carbon Trust provide advice and support for larger businesses with an annual energy spend of over £30,000; Scotland Food & Drink buyers guide helps with sourcing local products as does www.scottishfarmersmarkets.co.uk; www.soilassociation.org/scotland helps with sourcing organic products and www.goodfisfguide.co.uk can help with sourcing fish and sea food from sustainable sources
The sector is striving to play its part in meeting Scotland’s targets 2020 targets of
Environmental policy: Every Tourism & Hospitality business should have a written environmental policy to state its environmental objectives and all staff should be trained in the relevant aspects of implementing this policy
Transport: Every Tourism & Hospitality businesses should reduce dependency on fossil fuelled cars, and encourage guests to travel by public transport or practise eco driving
Energy efficiency: Every Tourism & Hospitality business should buy A rated appliances and maintain them to run efficiently; use energy efficient light bulbs; fit motion sensors in public rooms to switch lights off when rooms are empty; have thermostatic controls on each radiator maintain day temperatures at 19° and night temperatures at 16 °; insulate, draught-proof and double-glaze
Water efficiency: cutting down on the consumption of water saves money at the same time as reducing CO° emissions from the energy needed to collect, treat, pump and heat water; fit flush adjusters in pre-1991 toilets or replace with dual flush toilets; use tap aerators, install flow restrictors or switch to self-closing or electronic sensor taps, place an aerator in shower heads
Minimising waste: reduce, reuse, recycle, compost or use anaerobic digesters
Microgeneration is the small–scale generation of heat and electric power by householders, small businesses and small communities to meet their own needs, as alternatives or supplements to traditional centralised grid-connected power
This may be motivated by practical considerations such as unreliable grid power or long distances from the grid or to ultimately cut costs over a period, (perhaps by selling surplus electricity to the grid), or by environmentally inspired motives to cut carbon footprints
Microgeneration includes small scale wind turbines, micro hydroelectric plants, photovoltaic solar systems, ground source heat pumps, plant microbial fuel cells, ground source heat pumps and micro combined heat and power systems (MicroCHP)
In addition to the electricity power plant (wind turbine, solar panel etc.) infrastructure for energy storage, power conversion and a hook-up to the grid are usually needed – the hook-up offsets installation costs by allowing financial compensation schemes in selling surplus electricity to the grid
The Scottish Government has an ambitious target to reduce final energy consumption by 12% in 2020 against a baseline averaged over 20015-2007.
In off-grid wind and solar systems power is often needed when the wind is calm or the sun is not shining
The solution to this problem is usually a series of deep cycle stationary or sealed maintenance free batteries but can be hydrogen fuel cells, flywheel energy storage, pumped-storage hydro electricity or compressed air tanks – a charge controller is needed with these storage systems and an inverter for changing DC battery power into AC (used by household and most appliances)
With wind turbine systems and hydroelectric plants, the extra equipment needed is roughly the same as with solar systems
A new wind energy technology called Vibro-Wind can use winds of less strength than normal wind turbines and can be placed in almost any location.
The conversion from mechanical to electrical energy is done using a piezoelectric transducer, a device made of ceramic or polymer that emits electrons when stressed
Solar water heating systems use free heat from the sun to warm domestic hot water – a conventional boiler or immersion heater can be used to make the water hotter or provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable
Sunlight is free so once the initial installation is paid for, hot water costs will be reduced but it will be necessary to heat the water further during the winter
Solar hot water systems use solar panels, collectors, which are fitted to the roof to collect heat from the sun to heat water which is stored in a hot water cylinder
There are 2 types of solar water heating panels – evacuated tubes and flat plate collectors (either panels or roof tiles)
For successful operation, about 5 square metres of roof space which faces east to west through south and receives direct sunlight for most of the day is needed
The panels do not necessarily have to be mounted on a roof; they can be fixed to a frame on a flat roof or hanging from a wall
A solar hot water system is not compatible with a combi boiler as the solar system needs a hot water tank
Young Scot code: BL6NXH
In off-grid wind and solar systems power is often needed when the wind is calm or the sun is not shining
The solution to this problem is usually a series of deep cycle stationary or sealed maintenance free batteries but can be hydrogen fuel cells, flywheel energy storage, pumped-storage hydro electricity or compressed air tanks – a charge controller is needed with these storage systems and an inverter for changing DC battery power into AC (used by household and most appliances)
With wind turbine systems and hydroelectric plants, the extra equipment needed is roughly the same as with solar systems
A new wind energy technology called Vibro-Wind can use winds of less strength than normal wind turbines and can be placed in almost any location.
The conversion from mechanical to electrical energy is done using a piezoelectric transducer, a device made of ceramic or polymer that emits electrons when stressed
Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) use pipes which are buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground – this heat can then be used to heat radiators, under floor or warm air heating systems and hot water
A ground source heat pump circulates a mixture of water and anti-freeze around a loop of pipe – the ground loop buried in the garden – heat from the ground is absorbed into the fluid and then passed through a heat exchanger into the heat pump
The ground stays at a fairly constant temperature all year under the surface so the heat pump can be used throughout the year
The length of the ground loop depends on the size of the home to be heated and the amount of heat needed
Longer loops can draw more heat from the ground but need more space to be buried in – if garden space is limited a vertical bore hole can be dug instead
Benefits of GSHPs are similar to those of ASHPs - both need well insulated homes to work efficiently in
Air source heat pumps (ASHPs) absorb heat from the outside air – this heat can then be used to heat radiators, underfloor heating systems or arm air convectors and hot water in the home extracts heat from it’s inside
An air source heat pump extracts heat from the outside air in the same way that a fridge – it can get heat from the air even when the temperature is as low as -15°C
Heat from the air is absorbed at low temperature into a fluid which passes through a compressor where the temperature is increased and transfers its higher temperature heat to the heating & hot water circuits
An air to water system distributes heat via the wet central heating system; an air to air system produces warm air which is circulated by fans but is unlikely to be able to heat water
Heat pumps have some environmental impact as they need electricity to run but the heat they extract from the ground, air or water is constantly being renewed naturally
Air source heat pumps can lower fuel bills especially if they are replacing conventional electric heating and can lower carbon emissions depending on which fuel you are replacing
They need little maintenance – they are called fit and forget technology
They can be easier to fit than ground source heat pumps
Unlike gas and oil boilers heat pumps deliver heat at lower temperatures over much longer periods and may need to be on all the time during the winter
Micro-CHP technology generates heat and electricity simultaneously from the same energy sources in individual homes and buildings
The main output of a micro-CHP system is heat, with some electricity generated at a ratio of about 6:1 for domestic appliances
A typical domestic system will generate up to 1kW of electricity – the amount generated over a year depends on how long the system is run and any surplus can be sold back into the grid
Domestic micro-CHP systems are currently powered by gas or LPG in thee future they may be run by biofuels
Although gas and LPG are fossil fuels, the technology is considered to low carbon because it can be more efficient than just burning fossil fuel and getting electricity from the grid
Micro-CHP systems are the same size as domestic boilers and like them can be wall hung or free standing
Unlike an ordinary boiler they can generate electricity whilst heating water
There are 3 main micro-CHP systems with the differences being the way they generate electricity: Stirling Engine micro-CHP 9most used, internal combustion engine CHP (larger and noisier though more efficient at generation)and fuel cell CHP (still at the experimentation stage
Wood fuelled, (biomass), heating systems burn wood pellets, chips or logs to provide warmth in a single room or to power central heating systems and hot water boilers
A stoveburns logs or pellets to heat a single room and may be fitted with a back boiler to provide hot water and hot water heating as well
A boilerburns logs, pellets or chips and is connected to a central heating and hot water system
A low-carbon option – biomass is considered to be a green renewable technology because the CO² emitted when wood is burned is the same amount that was absorbed by the plant when it was growing
The process is sustainable as long as new plants are grown to replace those that are burned – there are some emissions from the cultivation, manufacture and transportation of the fuel but as long as the fuel is sourced locally, these are much lower than the emissions from fossil fuels
Like grey water harvesting, rain water harvesting is not really part of mircogeneration but is labelled as such because of its sustainability
Rainwater harvesting is the collection, storage and reuse of rainwater for the home and garden that would otherwise flow down gutters into the drain – in this way it lessens the pressure on local authority drainage systems and an help to lessen the risk of flooding
Rain water can be saved in butts as it has been for centuries but in modern systems it is saved in underground tanks, keeping it free of bacterial and organic growth after being filtered to clear it of debris e.g. leaves – however it is still not potable
Rainwater can be used for all outside tasks, including watering the garden and with plumbing alterations, it can be used inside the house to flush toilets and feed washing machines
Each person in Scotland uses an average of 150 litres of drinking quality water a day but around 50% of this water need not be of drinking water quality – this means that this 50% has unnecessarily gone through an expensive energy and carbon intensive process and being pumped long distances just to flush toilets and water lawns etc.
Although not really a part of microgeneration, grey water harvesting is often linked as it saves water resources and is therefore part of sustainability
Grey water is the water left over from showering and bathing that can be cleaned and recycled to flush the toilet and water the garden, clean windows, cars and patios etc.
Black water – that from the toilet can never be recycled other than through sewage plants
If the recycled grey water also includes that from the dishwasher and washing machine it should not be used to water the garden as it contains harsh chemicals that will damage vegetation
Cleaned and recycled domestic grey water is never fit for drinking and cooking purposes
For existing Scottish homes it is probably more cost effective to save water than to clean and recycle water, although grey water recycling systems can be incorporated more easily into new build homes
Heat reclamation – devices are currently available that can reclaim heat from grey water – rather than flowing directly into a heating device, incoming cold water flows first through a heat exchanger where it is pre-warmed by heat from grey water flowing out from dishwashing, showering etc. – 60% of the heat that would normally go to waste can be recovered
Ecology – Because grey water use, especially domestically, reduces demand on conventional water supplies and pressure on sewage systems, its use is very beneficial to local waterways
Grey water use in gardens or toilet systems helps to achieve some of the goals of ecologically sustainable development
40% of all European wind energy blows over the UK so typical domestic wind turbine in an exposed site can easily generate more power than a household’s lights and electrical appliances use
Wind is free so once the initial installation has been paid for, electricity bills are reduced significantly
Through feed-in-tariffs the house holder gets paid for the electricity generated even if he or she uses it – any surplus can be sold to the local grid
The house holders carbon footprint is cut because wind electricity is green renewable energy and does not release any CO² or other pollutants
If the home owner doesn’t have a grid connection, electricity can be stored
Building-mounted 1kW systems are the cheapest to install, a 2.5kW pole-mounted system the next cheapest and a 6kW pole mounted system the most expensive
Maintenance checks are necessary every few years and a well-maintained system can last more than 20 years , though the inverter may have to be replaced earlier
For off-grid systems storage batteries will have to be replaced every 6 to 10 years
A well-sited 6kW turbine can generate around 10,000kWh a year and save the equivalent of 5.2 tonnes of CO² a year
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Logistics Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in that industry or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy.
Approximately 163,000 people work in the Scottish Logistics Sector, comprising 9% of Scottish GVA. Additionally, 42,000 work in the maritime sector accounting for 2% of GDP
Efficient logistics is a key determinant in competitiveness & profitability, especially for Scotland which is on the periphery of the European market
Scotland generates more freight per capita than the rest of the UK, mainly due to North Sea pipelines but road freight tonnage was also 12% above the UK average in 2009
In 2010 only 0.3% of road freight originating in Scotland was distributed directly overseas; largely due to the dominance of whisky exports, Scotland directly exports 2 tonnes by HGV for every 1 tonne imported – most exports are channelled through warehouses in England making the last leg a domestic UK haul
Scotland has no direct deep-sea container services ; there are ro-ro services to Northern Ireland & lo-lo feeder links from Grangemouth & Greenock to deep-sea ports in the South Of England & the Continent
Shipping dominates exports & imports carrying 95% by weight with 4.5% on the Channel Tunnel
Rail & water are primarily used for the transport of bulk commodity products with HGVs carrying consumer products
Scottish Logistics includes all modes of freight transport (HGV, rail, air freight & shipping) and includes domestic freight & international freight to , from & within Scotland; sustainable logistics is defined as finding less environmentally damaging methods of delivering products to the consumer through the business supply chain – usually this focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from freight transport but can include “Smart Mobility” in which energy, informatics and transport overlap e.g. centralised depots, local manufacturing and processing, home delivery & digitisation
Until relatively recently logistics decisions have been based on cost & reliability with speed being important for perishable goods – however, the strong correlation between fuel burn, pollution & cost is now taken into consideration and distribution tenders often require the tendering firm to show evidence of having an effective low carbon management policy
The Scottish Government’s Freight Action Plan (2006) outlines aims to improve journey times, improve quality, accessibility & affordability & to reduce emissions
The Roadmap to Widespread Adoption of Plug-in Vehicles (2013) describes the Government’s aim to reduce the nose, air pollution and climate change impact from transport;
The Government’s aim for 2030 is for the wholesale adoption of electric cars & conversion to hybrid or alternatively fuelled HGVs & buses as well as significant steps to decarbonise rail & maritime transport
Greenhouse gases: 8% of energy related global CO² emissions arise from freight transport – this would equate with 3.2 million tonnes for Scotland
Other environmental impacts:
Measures to produce a greater carbon efficiency include:
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Forestry & Timber Technologies Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in Forestry & Timber or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy.
Range: the Scottish Forestry & Timber Technologies sector includes:
Key facts:
Carbon Impact:
Resource Efficiency:
Low carbon opportunities:
Energy Applications:
Cellulose Applications:
Policy, compliance & legislation are major drivers of supply & adoption of low carbon technologies, products & processes.
Scottish policy objectives:
Construction: 80% of new homes in Scotland are timber framed, in the rest of the UK it is only 15% - Scotland has over 500 companies which can address the UK timber construction market
Carbon sequestration: growing trees removes carbon from the atmosphere and tree planting will increase as more people and organisations seek to tackle climate change
Energy – demand for wood fuel is expanding
Healthy living – forest tourism: many forests encourage walking, cycling, mountain biking, riding & fishing
Challenges include:
New markets & supply:
The sector is naturally low carbon and plays an important role in the construction, renewable energy & tourism industries; The sector also offers opportunities for carbon off-setting, optimising resource efficiency & new market opportunities which offer alternatives to hydro-carbon based plastics and alternatives for the packaging, food & drink, textiles, life sciences & construction industries
Solid-Wood based applications – when a tree is harvested & turned into construction products, the carbon that was stored in the tree is “fixed” for as long as it takes the timber to decompose or be burnt when the carbon will be released; This fixing of CO² in timber products is part of global carbon management strategies and supports the rationale for the maximum use of timber in construction
Cross Laminated Timber (Crosslam)is a revolutionary building system that can substitute for concrete, masonry and steel and is 6 times lighter than concrete, cost competitive with steel & concrete, reduces construction time, creates space by being 33% thinner than concrete & is ideal for walls, floors 7 roofs
Glulam is the fastest growing timber structural material in the UK and has similar abilities to those of Crosslam
Brettstapel is a solid timber construction system fabricated from soft wood timber posts connected with hardwood timber dowels: Specific heat capacity is 5 times that of timber frame & twice that of brick construction; Prefabricated Brettstapel panels achieve low thermal bridging values and good u-values; Excess internal moisture can pass through the walls; Exceptional air-tightness can be achieved; The reduced energy demand plus the shorter & less labour intensive construction period saves costs during the lifecycle of the building; Prefabricating buildings off-site and erecting them quickly has practical & cost advantages
Crosslam, Glulam & Brettstapel all have exceptional fire resistance
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the ICT & Enabling Technologies Sectors and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in the industry or simply want to know more about the Sectors’ role in Scotland’s low carbon economy.
Careers in ICT & Enabling Technologies in a low carbon economy are based on STEM skills
STEM is an acronym for the curriculum subjects science, technology, engineering & mathematics, all essential to the engineering industry
STEM subjects are integral to a successful economy in Scotland and the UK – the UK makes up only 1% of the world’s population but produces 10% of the world’s top scientific research
STEM graduates can earn the highest salaries of all new recruits but employers are finding it difficult to recruit STEM-skilled staff.
All young people , whatever their eventual occupation need STEM knowledge and skills to be informed citizens in an increasingly technological society as outlined in Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence
STEM ambassadors from education and industry support schools & colleges in ensuing that students make the link between STEM subjects and work and understand the range of STEM careers open to them
Lowering Carbon Emissions Directly
A desktop computer & monitor will consume about 920 kWh of electricity if left on all year but only 198 kWh if switched off at the end of each working day; this equates to a saving of about £90 & 387 kg CO²eq (a measure of greenhouse gas emissions).
Providing a service that lets computers be switched on remotely allows them to be switched off without negative consequences; this makes it possible to avoid scenarios where computers are left on just in case users need access when out of the office, or so that IT systems can perform backups or so that users have no need to wait for a computer to boot up each morning
ICT as an enabling technology has the potential to transform existing operating systems & business models e.g. more efficient inventory & distribution systems could cut warehouse floor space and its heating & lighting dramatically; e commerce could cut retail floor space and e learning , video & web conferencing & one to one digital communication could cut educational floor space
Machine to machine communication can and is transforming the way that industry orders, produces & delivers goods – this might lead to a short time decline in employment but the efficiency gains would ultimately boost the economy
Lowering Carbon Emissions for Other Sectors
EPES technologies can be used to design more efficient use of energy & transport and they input into almost all low carbon technologies e.g.
Sensors are the interface between the physical world & electrical devices - their low carbon applications include:
Government predictions on technology growth in the 2020 have 6 key themes of which 5 have low carbon implications:
There are many other examples e.g. smart meters, switching household and office appliances & heating & lighting systems on & off remotely
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training for the Mineral Products Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in that industry or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy.
STEM is an acronym for the curriculum subjects science, technology, engineering & mathematics, all essential to the engineering industry
STEM subjects are integral to a successful economy in Scotland and the UK – the UK makes up only 1% of the world’s population but produces 10% of the world’s top scientific research
STEM graduates can earn the highest salaries of all new recruits but employers are finding it difficult to recruit STEM-skilled staff.
All young people , whatever their eventual occupation, need STEM knowledge and skills to be informed citizens in an increasingly technological society as outlined in Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence
STEM ambassadors from education and industry support schools & colleges in ensuing that students make the link between STEM subjects and work and understand the range of STEM careers open to them at home & overseas
Excellent learning facilities & university qualifications are available in Scotland
Jobs in the sector recently include Estate Managers, Geologists, Asphalt & Concrete specialists, Laboratory Technicians, Civil Engineers, Surveyors, Environmental Engineers, Planners, Drillers, Blasting Engineers, Heavy Machinery Engineers, Electricians, HGV & Mechanical Plant Drivers
A mineral resource is a concentration of material within the earth’s crust that has reasonable prospects for economic extraction and that is usually discovered by geological mapping; what may be of economic interest may change over time, depending on mineral markets & extraction technology
A mineral reserve is the part of a mineral resource that can be economically extracted – usually identified after geological mapping by trenching or drilling and has planning permission to be extracted
Minerals are the basic raw materials for manufacturing, construction, energy & agriculture and for heritage conservation; many aspects of our daily lives are underpinned by minerals & each person in the UK uses an average of ten tonnes of minerals & metals annually; without construction minerals there would be no houses or infrastructure – we would still be living in caves; our economy & lifestyle depend on being able to maintain a continued & steady supply of minerals but this must be achieved in a way that minimises negative impacts on people & the environment
Scottish hard rocks are used for rail ballast throughout the UK; Scotland has one of the largest quarries in the UK – Glensanda - which exports all of its products by large ship
Scottish Slate was once a big industry but no longer operates meaning that roofing slate has to be imported – there has been talk of reopening the slate quarries for the conservation & restoration of historic buildings
Sustainability: a key aspect of sustainable development is the conservation & safe guarding of non-renewable resources, as is the need to protect and restore the landscape during and after quarrying
Crushed rock aggregate is hard rock such as igneous rock that is crushed for a variety of construction operations such as foundations for buildings & roads. Some rock types have non-slip properties, making them very valuable for road surfacing
Sand & gravel has a variety of construction applications e.g. concreting aggregate or asphalt for road surfacing; in Scotland sand & gravel deposits lie on top of bedrock geology & were deposited by glaciers & rivers
Building stone describes rocks used for masonry, walls, pavements & roofing; desirable properties include its being hard enough to resist weathering but soft enough to carve. Edinburgh’s 18th & 19th century New Town is built of stone from Craigleith Quarry , now closed & replaced by a shopping centre; There are few remaining building stone quarries in Scotland and sometimes old quarries have to be reopened to provide stone for the restoration of Scotland’s historic buildings & monuments e.g. the restoration of Edinburgh’s Scott Monument , using Scottish stone, saves carbon that would otherwise be used in transportation from other countries, particularly India & China
Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock made from fossilised plant remains and used for coal fired power stations; there is no deep mining industry left in Scotland but coal is extracted by opencast mining. Coal is a fossil fuel releasing high carbon levels when burned and will be used less & less as renewable energy from wind, wave & tidal power is used in our future low carbon economy to counteract climate change
Limestone is a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium carbonate; it can be crushed, ground or calcined (burnt to make lime for lime mortar or lime wash for traditional buildings); major uses include cement manufacture, lime for agriculture & water treatment
Peat is formed by decaying organic matter in bogs and is mainly used for horticulture; extracting & using peat releases a large amount of carbon which previously had been safely stored in the bogs
Silica Sand is very pure quartz sand which has specialised industrial uses because of its chemical & physical properties and commands a much higher price than construction sand; its main use in Scotland is for glass making
Brick clay is clay & shale used for bricks, tiles & pipes; it has a high carbon content. There is only one brick manufacturer left in Scotland
Fireclay is found beneath coal seams & is extracted along with opencast coal; fireclay products have a high resistance to heat and have been used to line refractory furnaces
Other minerals which have been extracted in Scotland historically include lead, silver, gold, shale oil, onshore oil & gas
Minerals are classified into groups based on their end use:
In 2005 the total value of minerals produced in Scotland was £550m – 15% of the UK value of onshore mineral extraction
Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations; the main aim regarding minerals is to decrease the quantity used without slowing economic growth; this can be done with recycling, using alternatives to minerals & using minerals more efficiently; the construction industry is already making considerable use of pre-used aggregates dug up during road & pavement renewals
Environmental impact can be minimised by
A well-thought out & funded post-extraction plan for a quarry can increase an area’s biodiversity & geo-diversity; a restored quarry can create new habitats for plants and animals or new amenities for local people
STEM is an acronym for
The annual average of minerals & metals used by each person in the UK is:
Crushed rock aggregate is used in construction for
Sand and gravel was deposited on Scottish bedrock by
Limestone can be crushed & burned for
Peat has a
Silica sand is pure quartz and is of
In 2005 the total value of land based minerals extracted in Scotland was
The Scottish value of the minerals produced in Scotland in 2005 was
Scottish Engineering reports that the Engineering Sector came through the recent recession
“Environmental Ambition” has five core themes:
“Fresh Thinking” is the industry’s strategy to grow the industry at home and overseas so that Scotland becomes known globally as “A Land of Food and Drink” by building on
As well as developing strong environmental credentials to secure new customers the “Skills Investment Plan” specifies that food and drink manufacturing has an important role to play in contributing to the national carbon reduction targets. The sector is striving to play its part in meeting Scotland’s targets 2020 targets of
The industry has a number of impacts on the environment e.g.
Problem: High energy use and high emission rate in production processes
Solution: research into production process, the actual products and packaging to identify savings and lowering emissions; use of renewables for energy generation, research into trapping carbon, application of energy saving methodology, installation of combined heat and power systems (CHP)
Problem: Fossil fuels used for transport of workers and transport of materials and products, (particularly global exports)
Solution: Development of biofuels, local sourcing of raw materials , use of hybrid vehicles
Problem : Onsite plastic & paper waste e.g. packaging
Solution: recycling
Problem: Organic waste
Solution: Anaerobic digestion, composting, waste compacters
Discharges to water and sewers: effluent treatment plants
Discharges from cooling towers: pollution prevention and control permits, effective maintenance to discourage and destroy bacteria like legionella
Every product a business buys has an impact on the environment throughout its lifecycle from the raw materials and energy used to manufacture it and supply it to the way it is disposed of or recycled at the end of its life
Therefore food and drink manufacturing businesses should:
They should also consider reducing their energy use by installing a Combined Heat and Power system, installing solar PV or installing ground source or air source heat pumps, practise using energy efficiently and having an environmentally sound recycling and waste disposal system
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Food & Drink Manufacturing Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in that industry or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy.
The Food & Drink industry is a major contributor to Scotland’s economy with one in five people (20%) in manufacturing working in the sector
The sector includes beverages & alcoholic drinks, dairy products, bakery & confectionary products, flour, ready meals & cook-chill products, processed meat and meat products, processed fish products, primary foods e.g. pasta, baby food products, pet food, secondary foods, baked, frozen, dehydrated, canned and bottled foods.
As well as the economy, food impacts on many other aspects of Scottish life including health and environment.
The aim of Scotland’s first National food and drink policy is to promote Scotland’s sustainable economic growth by ensuring that the Scottish Government’s focus in. relation to food and drink and to the food and drink sector addresses quality, health and well-being and environmental sustainability, recognising the need for access and sustainability at the same time.
Scottish Food and Drink, the industry leadership body created in 2007, produced a strategy which set a target of £16.5bn by 2017, focussing on premium, provenance and health.
Gross Value Added (GVA): £4.8bn
Turnover: £9.02bn
The first sustainability strategy for the food and drink manufacturing sector, “Environmental Ambition” was launched in 2013 to drive the industry to become environmentally and economically sustainable
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Retail Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in the that industry or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy.
The Scottish Retail Sector employs 255,000 staff -14% of the total private sector workforce and together with wholesale it accounted for 15% of all Scottish business start-ups in 2013; 9.4% of Scottish VAT registered businesses are retailers; Scottish retail sales were £28bn in 2012 – over 1/3 of consumer spending is via shops and online retail; retail accounts for 20% of turnover and 15% of Gross Value added in the whole Scottish services sector; Scotland has 23,550 retail outlets, 11.9% of all business outlets; 99% of retail businesses employ less than 50 people, Glasgow is the UK’s 2nd biggest shopping destination with £2.55bn spent per year
Sustainability and environmental policies have moved to the forefront of retail policies in the sector’s wish to reduce environmental impact: the Scottish sector, supported by the Scottish Government has embarked on the third phase of the “Courtauld Commitment” first launched in 2005 to reduce waste & packaging , reduce carbon emissions and save energy; 50%of the total Scottish retail market by value are signatories to the initiative
Marks & Spencer has developed Plan A – a 180 point plan to become the world’s most sustainable major retailer; amongst other partners M&S works with the World Wildlife Fund on marine conservation projects such as “Forever Fish” ; M&S is now a climate neutral retailer and has cut back its non-glass packaging by 26%; in 2012 M&S sent zero waste to landfill; M&S works with the Marine Conservation Society on the Big Beach Clean Up which includes various Scottish Beaches
Sustainable retail is that which is committed to generating a low impact on the surrounding environment and community whilst generating income for the local economy and thus aiding social cohesion
Greener Transport: major Scottish & UK retailers are using rail rather than road transport and encouraging road haulage drivers to practise eco driving
Understanding the impacts; working with partners to measure the social end environmental impacts of retail will provide information that will help the industry to minimise those impacts
Zero Waste Scotland offers advice and support to reduce, reuse and recycle waste;
Energy Saving Trust (Scotland) provides impartial advice on how to reduce carbon emissions and save energy and thus money
Carbon Trust provide advice and support for larger businesses with an annual energy spend of over £30,000;
Scotland Food & Drink buyers guide helps with sourcing local products to sell on as does www.soilassociation.org/scotland in helping with sourcing organic products and www.goodfisfguide.co.ukcan help with sourcing fish and sea food from sustainable sources
The retail sector is striving to play its part in meeting Scotland’s targets 2020 targets of
Environmental policy: Every Scottish retail business should have a written environmental policy to state its environmental objectives and all staff should be trained in the relevant aspects of implementing this policy
Transport: Every Scottish retail business should reduce dependency on fossil fuelled transport, support eco driving and the development of alternatively powered vehicles and the use of rail rather then road transport
Energy efficiency: Every Scottish retail business should buy A rated appliances and maintain them to run efficiently; use energy efficient light bulbs; insulate, draught-proof and double-glaze premises and consider changing to low energy heating and ventilation systems
Water efficiency: Every Scottish retail business shut cut down on the consumption of water to save money and at the same time reduce CO° emissions from the energy needed to collect, treat, pump and heat water
Packaging: Every Scottish retail business should consider how best to cut down on the use of packaging
Waste: Every Scottish retail business should minimise waste: reduce, reuse, recycle, compost or use anaerobic digesters
This additional unit is designed for Construction Modern Apprentices and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in the construction industry or simply want to know more about the Construction Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy.
Gross Value Added (GVA): £8.75bn (10% Scottish Total GVA)
Turnover: £21.5bn (9% Scottish total turnover)
Total number of businesses: 31,000 (19% Scottish total) – over 90% SMEs or micro businesses
Employees: 170,000 (10% Scottish total)
Scottish Built Environment Sector: 45% carbon emissions
Private new build housing in Scotland (2012-2013): 9594
Housing Association new build housing in Scotland (2012-2013): 3,244
Local Authority new build housing in Scotland (2012-2013): 965
Many current and recent major construction projects e.g. new Forth crossing, Commonwealth Games (athletes’ village, velodrome), Scottish Hydro Arena, Dundee V&A project, HMP Grampian & HMP Inverclyde, Southern General Hospital, new university, college and school estates, new SEPA central facility
Construction Skills in Scotland: shortages and deficits – need for new skilling and up-skilling
The Construction industry, as a heavy energy user and being responsible for a large proportion of Scotland’s carbon emissions , is striving to play its part in meeting Scotland’s targets 2020 targets of
Construction Scotland was established as the leadership organisation working with the Scottish Government and partner organisations to solve problems in the industry and “to make Scotland a leader in retrofit solutions, low carbon and sustainable infrastructure” – its 2020 Group is one of the most influential groups in Scotland in helping the industry and Scotland to meet the 2020 targets
Scottish Government and other bodies’ publications all reinforce the 2020 message:
The construction industry releases carbon and uses energy in a variety of ways:
BRE has established a construction innovation park at Ravenscraig to research construction products, techniques and standards using actual new builds and refurbished homes
The Scottish Government has funded an Offsite Construction Review into the potential for the Scottish manufacture and erection of housing and building systems and also into B-2-B supply chains
The Passive House (German-Passivhaus) is a voluntary building standard that exceeds the present regulations – the need for heating will be reduced by 90% compared with a conventional build and Zero Carbon Housing will be achieved by additionally reducing the electricity demand and using renewables for electricity supply
Passive House Technology: the thermal envelope of a building has to be optimised through its construction only (passive) in contrast to active heating by oil, gas or electricity – this is achieved by:
Minimising heat loss
Maintaining the heat gains
Homes and non-domestic buildings together are responsible for 37% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions but the majority of them will still be standing in 2050 so they need a programme of green retrofit and energy demand reductions to meet climate change goals
Homes - Rising energy bills and fuel poverty have moved domestic energy policy to the highest level hence the Green Deal which offers support for retrofitting energy improvements
Non-Domestic Buildings are also encouraged to undertake energy audits and retro fit with energy saving and carbon reducing procedures, equipment and devices
Retrofitting includes
Scottish pre-1919 buildings are usually constructed of load bearing mass masonry walls with pitched roofs covered in slate, sash & case single glazed windows, internal timber lath & lime plaster finishes & passive ventilation
Scotland has about 400,000 pre 1919 buildings, 20% of Scotland’s building stock of which 47,000 are listed buildings
Fabric alterations should only be done after energy saving improvement to heating & lighting systems and changes to occupier behaviour have taken place
Materials used for fabric improvement should be appropriate to the building, water vapour permeable and of breathable construction
Traditional buildings are constructed to allow modest air movement through vents, windows, doors and chimneys and air circulation through rooms, stairs under floors and behind wall surfaces – unsuitable retrofitting could lead to restricting ventilation leading to dampness
If a building is not watertight , it should be made so before any retrofitting is undertaken
Insulating the building is the first procedure to consider, whilst replacement of windows and/or glazing is not usually appropriate; fitting & closing doubled lined curtains, renovating and closing shutters should be considered first, then secondary glazing; draught proofing external doors can make a significant contribution to restricting heat loss
Chimneys & flues are important in providing ventilation and if fire places are close off it is important to retain air movement; after inspection, chimneys may be able to be reused for new heating appliances
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Financial Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in Financial Services or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy. There is a quiz at the end of the unit so that you can check what you have learned.
Importance: In recent years the Financial Services sector has been operating against the backdrop of one of the most severe financial crises ever; despite this Financial Services remains a cornerstone of the Scottish Economy and there are still significant Scottish strengths in areas like Asset Management & servicing; the sector accounted for 7% of Scotland’s GDP in 2010 & employed 84,700 people in 2011; the sector also helps to provide the capital for other sectors & businesses to grow; there are 4 main subsectors – Asset Management & Servicing, Banking, General Insurance & Life & Pensions.
Research: Scottish Enterprise’s report "Financial Services - Low Carbon Sector Opportunities" considers the opportunities for Financial Services as an investor, insurer and adopter of low carbon technologies and processes; in producing the report Scottish Enterprise was supported by a research group comprising Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills development Scotland, Scottish Funding Council and the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation.
Opportunities: In a "low carbon economy" there is a widespread supply & adoption of resource efficient technologies & processes that produce energy & materials with minimal emissions of greenhouse gasses; there is a significant opportunity for Scotland, not only for products & services that Scottish companies can offer in global markets but also for the ways in which they operate and cut inefficiencies - both these low carbon opportunities create value, the first produces a marketable commodity while the second lowers company costs.
Asset Management & Servicing: ethical or "green" investment funds are available but low carbon sectors e.g. offshore wind are often seen as risky with unproven returns but specialist funds e.g. real estate management could shift to green energy financing.
Banking: banks have low carbon expertise particularly where returns are relatively stable e.g. onshore wind. General Insurance: this is central to growth in the low carbon economy through insurance to mitigate loss. Life & Pensions: funds from premiums could be used for renewables projects if the risk/reward were appropriate.
43% of all new venture capital investments are targeted at clean technology - smart energy management, electric vehicles, solar power & biofuels; Scotland has great potential to profit from low carbon opportunities due to its low carbon technology clusters and their supply chains together with expertise in finance & wealth management.
The Scottish Green Investment Portfolio has been established by the Scottish Government to support Scottish projects aiming for the UK Green Investment Bank.
In the context of the Financial Services Sector there are clear distinctions between the different low carbon technologies which act as a market for finance; Finance models for onshore wind are fairly well understood but need to be further developed in niche areas where Scotland is considered to have economic potential: offshore wind, marine (wave & tidal), energy efficiency and more recently, carbon capture & storage.
Offshore wind: Scotland has considerable expertise in offshore wind, particularly in deep waters with its long heritage of North Sea oil & gas so financial models can be developed.
Marine (wave & tidal): Scotland has some of the best marine energy resources in Europe, particularly around the Pentland Firth & Orkney; whilst relatively new, the industry is well advanced in terms of its competitors but sound financial models still have to be developed although Aberdeen & Markinch are a good example of large scale heat & power schemes.
Energy efficiency: there are significant opportunities here as city authorities are seeking to deliver more integrated schemes & services to people & businesses via energy generation and large scale community retrofit schemes; however whilst there is growing interest in urban authorities in large scale communal heat & power schemes, there is less experience in creating the finance models which attract investment.
3 types of low carbon innovations in Financial Services are identified in the London Principles of Sustainable Finance: process innovation, product innovation & market innovation.
Process innovation e.g. environmental credit risk management tools: investors are increasingly taking environmental risk into account to determine business value.
Product innovation e.g. socially responsible investment funds: a report by Climate Wise, the collaborative insurance initiative looks at the different roles of the insurance industry in climate change and low carbon opportunities and concludes that a better understanding of the role of technology and innovation is needed including Knowledge Transfer; Ethical savings and investment companies have seen support for their products grow significantly.
Market innovation: Under Emissions Trading Schemes, companies are given limits on how much carbon they can emit each year; companies that emit less than their target can sell these credits on the market, companies that exceed their limits can buy these carbon credits to reduce their actual emissions The growth of carbon markets associated with emissions certificates offers revenue opportunities for developing countries and more efficient companies: this will need a range of services from the sector.
Scotland’s financial sectors all have a vital role to play in the move to a low carbon economy including lenders, insurers, & investment managers are becoming more aware of carbon opportunities; Financial services also plays an essential role as an intermediary in directing capital - the successful commercialisation of low carbon technologies needs effective cooperation between industry & finance.
Scotland has particular advantages with on one hand the proximity of low carbon developments, their transferable skills base and their supply chain along with the experience and acumen of the Financial services sector; However there is still a lack of understanding of, expertise in and the existence of finance models in emerging opportunities such as large scale energy efficiency developments; these should be further developed to unlock further opportunities for Scottish companies to increase operations in domestic & global markets.
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Engineering Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in that industry or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy.
STEM is an acronym for the curriculum subjects science, technology, engineering & mathematics, all essential to the engineering industry
STEM subjects are integral to a successful economy in Scotland and the UK – the UK makes up only 1% of the world’s population but produces 10% of the world’s top scientific research
STEM graduates can earn the highest salaries of all new recruits but employers are finding it difficult to recruit STEM-skilled staff.
All young people , whatever their eventual occupation need STEM knowledge and skills to be informed citizens in an increasingly technological society as outlined in Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence
STEM ambassadors from education and industry support schools & colleges in ensuing that students make the link between STEM subjects and work and understand the range of STEM careers open to them
Engineers work on all stages of a project from research to design and production to launch & evaluation; There are many different types of engineers from sound & communications engineers, software engineers, marine engineers, design engineers & gas & oil engineers to mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, fire engineers & explosives engineers.
Scotland has a long, successful record of discovery in science, engineering & technology from the industrial revolution onwards; innovative science, engineering and technology are as fundamental to Scotland’s future prosperity as they ever were but there is an increased emphasis on the need to protect the Earth’s finite resources, deal with climate change and create and grow a sustainable low carbon economy
Energy: the Scottish government has identified energy as one of the major growth sectors; about 30% of major economic activity is dependent on the Earth’s resources of which Scotland has an abundance; in 2012 about 60% of the UK’s energy needs were being met by oil & gas produced from UK reserves ensuring continuing demand for scientists & engineers
Renewable Energy has the potential to support at least 16,000 new jobs; the job potential in clean fossils fuels & carbon capture & storage and services is 10,000 new jobs – Scotland is already a world leader; engineering jobs include design, manufacturing, erection, installation & maintenance, distribution, marine etc.
Scottish Engineering reports that the engineering sector came through the recent recession successfully and in 2014 is growing and the volume of output has increased in both large, medium & small companies.
Science, technology & engineering have a crucial role to play in creating a sustainable future & dealing with the significant global challenges that we face in the 21st century
Engineers & engineering & STEM skills are the foundation of creating a low carbon economy for Scotland and the foundation of the renewables industry in:
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in one or more of the Energy Sub-Sectors and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in the industry or simply want to know more about the Sectors’ role in Scotland’s low carbon economy.
Heat recovery is defined as heat without adding additional combustion of fossil fuels or biomass – this includes waste heat recovery & renewable heat from geothermal & ambient heat surfaces
District heat networks are a prerequisite to the commercial development of many of the technologies necessary for heat recovery
To meet climate change & energy efficiency there are European , UK & Scottish policy drivers to reduce the demand for heat, increase the efficiency of heat production and to increase the uptake of renewable heat, heat pumps & district heating
Scotland’s ambition is that by 2030 it will have a largely decarbonised heat sector
Using waste heat will support the target to reduce our total energy demand by 12% by 2020
Reducing demand for heat and reducing heat loss are the first priorities for energy management and have been largely dealt with under Sustainability in Construction
Heat accounts for 55% of Scotland’s energy consumption
Heat recovery & storage, district heating , heat pumps & heat exchangers are essential tools in contributing to Scotland’s climate change targets
The Scottish Government is producing a detailed heat map of Scotland to provide information on heat demand & supply
Heat pumps can boost the efficiency of low grade waste heat & heat from naturally occurring sources & the International Energy Agency estimates that heat pumps could reduce global CO² emissions by 8%
Efficient heat pumps could reduce carbon emissions by 17% against gas & 44% against oil
If the 2030 electricity decarbonisation target is achieved, carbon reductions could be 91% and 94% respectively
The value of heat depends on its location, temperature, flow rate & whether the water or seam is contaminated; there is potential to utilise heat from canals, sewage treatment works & underground mine water
Major opportunities arise where there are simultaneously heat & cooling demands e.g. heating hot water & air conditioning in hospitals & heating & cooling requirements in food & drink manufacture
The UK Technology Innovation Needs Assessment states that innovation in heat pumps, networks & storage could reduce energy costs by £14 – 66bn and add £2-12bn to UK GDP to 2050
The increasing & fluctuating price of energy & additional carbon taxes are the main drivers for efficient heat solutions; energy security, fuel poverty, environmental commitments & corporate social commitments are others
The EU Energy Efficiency Directive require, large companies to complete an energy audit; The Scottish Planning Policy demands the expansion of renewable energy & heat networks with a focus on low carbon heat
Scottish building regulations from 2015 will further reduce emissions by 21% for new build & 43% for non-domestic properties
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Creative Industries Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in that industry or simply want to know more about the Sector's role in Scotland’s low carbon economy. There is a quiz at the end of the unit so that you can check what you have learned.
Scottish Enterprise's report "Creative Industries – Low Carbon Opportunities" illustrates the low carbon opportunities for the sector in Changing Public Attitudes & Culture, Digital Media & Traditional Media, Events and Festivals, Buildings and Advertising.
The report identifies 13 subsectors of Creative Industries.
Advertising |
Interactive leisure - digital games |
Architecture |
Music |
Arts & Antiques |
Performing Arts |
Crafts |
Publishing |
Design |
Software & Computer Services |
Designer Fashion |
TV & Radio |
Film |
|
Creative Scotland amended its Corporate Plan (2011-2014) to introduce a cross-cutting theme on "environment", including:
The TSB Creative industries Technology Strategy (2009 -2012) stated that the Creative Industries, as well as reducing there own impact on the environment have a role to support the efforts of other sectors e.g. sustainable design in construction & more broadly to substitute physical goods and experiences with digital products.
No readily available statistics exist on the environmental impact of Creative Industries & Digital Media in Scotland or the UK, though emissions from the UK music industry have been estimated at 540,000 tonnes of CO2 e; Creative Industries influence people through the arts & advertising; this may increase emissions by creating consumption e.g. for fashion items or decrease emissions by raising awareness of environmental issues.
Events can increase emissions drastically, mainly through audience travel the carbon footprint of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was estimated as 2.8m tonnes of CO2; ICT is responsible for at least 2% of global CO2 emissions - the complexity of data used for animation films and games is increasing the amount of processing power that is required; other impacts include the mining of raw materials, including rare earth elements for digital devices and the subsequent recycling or disposal at the end of the product’s life.
The following table compares print media with digital media:
Print Media |
Digital Media |
Logging & Transport |
Mining Raw Materials |
Paper Making & Effluent |
Manufacturing Devices |
Ink & Printing |
Client Computers/Devices |
Distribution |
Servers & Data Centres |
Recycling or Landfill |
E-waste |
As a general rule, a digital approach is more likely to reduce carbon emissions through:
However, the "rebound effect" by which technology and efficiency improvements result in cheaper goods and services can drive demand up, increase economic growth but actually increase carbon emissions.
Drivers promoting sustainability in the Creative Industries include: new technology increasing efficiency; regulation re energy saving; EU directives on packaging waste etc.; cost savings from saving energy; Feed in Tariffs and the Green Deal; industry standards e.g. UK Film Council’s targets; corporate social responsibility policies; supply chain and consumer pressures; dematerialisation carbon savings.
Energy labelling and carbon calculations - a number of competing certification programmes have been developed to guide consumers. The Global e-Sustainability Initiative aims to build a sustainable world through ICT transformation including dematerialisation e.g. substituting products, services & travel with digital equivalents.
Smart 2020 Potential CO2 Savings from Dematerialisation:
Online Media |
20m tonnes CO2 e |
E-commerce |
30m tonnes CO2 e |
E-paper (digital books) |
70m tonnes CO2 e |
Videoconferencing (less travel) |
80m tonnes CO2 e |
Telecommuting (homeworking) |
260m tonnes CO2 e |
Total savings |
460m tonnes CO2 e |
This additional unit is designed for Modern Apprentices training in the Forestry & Timber Technologies Sector and senior school pupils who are interested in the possibility of a career in Forestry & Timber or simply want to know more about the Sector’s role in Scotland’s low carbon economy. There is a quiz at the end of the unit so that you can check what you have learned.
Range: the Scottish Forestry & Timber Technologies sector includes:
56% of Britain’s trees are in Scotland. Forests cover 17% of Scotland’s land area.
Employment: 19,000 direct, 38,500 including indirect.
GVA: £1bn direct, £1.67 including indirect (Around £0.5bn is generated by the growth & processing of home-grown timber).
Investment in processing 2000 – 2010: £0.5bn - world class modern & efficient facilities.
Target: Doubling the industry’s contribution to the Scottish Economy i.e. additional £1.1bn GVA and an additional 10,000 jobs dependent on sufficient planting to sustain the growth.
Potential GVA in 2025: £2.1bn.
2.7m green tonnes processed in 2009.
Strategy: "Roots for Future Growth" published in 2011 recognises the opportunities arising from a low carbon economy but also recognises constraints to be overcome; "Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting the Emissions Targets 2010 - 2022" included a policy of increasing woodland creation to 10,000 hectares per year – on this basis the Scottish Government supported the planting of 100m trees by 2015 as its contribution to the international Climate Group States & Regions Alliance 1bn trees initiative.
The sector is the only one that has a positive carbon profile, taking about 9m tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere; the removal of CO2 by Scottish forests accounts for circa 12% of Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions; Timber stores carbon in buildings, fencing and furniture & wood has the lowest embodied energy of any mainstream building material; Timber can substitute for fossil fuels; The industry can make a significant contribution to the Scottish Government’s low carbon plans through carbon capture & storage.
The choice of tree species is important as certain species can impact on the carbon storage potential of the forest; species must be chosen to be suited to the future climate but that also offer maximum potential for extracting carbon from the atmosphere and storing it.
Wood products are recyclable and can ultimately be burned to generate heat & power. Using home grown timber is one low carbon solution, minimising the embodied energy of transport & distribution
Using wood instead of other building materials saves an average 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per cubic metre; 3 tonnes can be saved by using timber frame from the 20 tonne footprint of a 3 bedroom detached house; to heat such a house for 1 year would take 13 barrels of oil or the equivalent of 10 mature conifers which have already been extracting and storing carbon.
Resource Efficiency
Scotland needs to continue to support product innovation, development and differentiation in products.
Significant efficiency gains in wood processing must continue to develop; sawmills can optimise the way logs are cut to maximise the amount of sawn wood and speed up processing.
Timber is heavy, bulky & located in remote areas, resulting in high transport costs; a shift in transport from road to rail and boat can reduce some transport costs and also reduce carbon emissions.
Low carbon opportunities
In a "low carbon economy" there is a widespread supply & adoption of resource efficient technologies & processes that produce energy & materials with minimal emissions of greenhouse gasses; there is a significant opportunity for Scotland, not only for products & services that Scottish companies can offer in global markets but also for the ways in which they operate and cut inefficiencies - both these low carbon opportunities create value, the first produces a marketable commodity while the second lowers company costs.
Scottish Enterprise’s report "Scottish Forest & Timber Technologies - Low Carbon Sector Opportunities" highlights opportunities for the sector to apply & supply low carbon technologies & adopt more sustainable products & services e.g. water, waste & materials.
Young Scot code: JNQJIE
The sector is naturally low carbon and plays an important role in the construction, renewable energy & tourism industries; The sector also offers opportunities for carbon off-setting, optimising resource efficiency & new market opportunities which offer alternatives to hydro-carbon based plastics and alternatives for the packaging, food & drink, textiles, life sciences & construction industries.
Solid-Wood based applications – when a tree is harvested & turned into construction products, the carbon that was stored in the tree is “fixed” for as long as it takes the timber to decompose or be burnt when the carbon will be released; This fixing of CO² in timber products is part of global carbon management strategies and supports the rationale for the maximum use of timber in construction.
Cross Laminated Timber (Crosslam) is a revolutionary building system that can substitute for concrete, masonry and steel and is 6 times lighter than concrete, cost competitive with steel & concrete, reduces construction time, creates space by being 33% thinner than concrete & is ideal for walls, floors 7 roofs.
Glulam is the fastest growing timber structural material in the UK and has similar abilities to those of Crosslam.
Brettstapel is a solid timber construction system fabricated from soft wood timber posts connected with hardwood timber dowels: Specific heat capacity is 5 times that of timber frame & twice that of brick construction; Prefabricated Brettstapel panels achieve low thermal bridging values and good u-values; Excess internal moisture can pass through the walls; Exceptional air-tightness can be achieved; The reduced energy demand plus the shorter & less labour intensive construction period saves costs during the lifecycle of the building; Prefabricating buildings off-site and erecting them quickly has practical & cost advantages.
Crosslam, Glulam & Brettstapel all have exceptional fire resistance.
Energy Applications
A shift from reliance on fossil fuels has seen growth in renewable forms of energy generation, including that from wood biomass; Wood can also be used to produce ethanol & hydrogen.
Biomass – 90% of Scotland’s renewable heat is from biomass.
Cellulose Applications
There is renewed interest in the production of cellulose and the development of new products and processes for food & drink manufacture where it is widely used as a thickener & stabiliser; fabrics, spun fibres, coatings, polymers, packaging and state of the art nano-composites.
Policy, compliance & legislation are major drivers of supply & adoption of low carbon technologies, products & processes.
Scottish policy objectives
"Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009" - Scotland aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 42% by 2020 & by 80%by 2050 from 1990 levels; Forestry can assist with meeting these targets because of the way timber extracts carbon from the atmosphere & stores it, but many more trees need to be planted.
The "Route Map for Renewable Energy in Scotland" was updated in 2011 and reflects the challenge to meet an equivalent of 100% demand for electricity from renewable energy by 2020 as well as a target for renewable heat.
The "Renewable Heat Action Plan in Scotland" highlights the need to utilise all technological options to meet the target of 11% of total heat use from renewables by 2020; In the short to medium term industrial & commercial biomass will be the key to reaching for the targets.
The "Biomass Action Plan for Scotland" sets out a plan for sector development.
Construction: 80% of new homes in Scotland are timber framed, in the rest of the UK it is only 15% - Scotland has over 500 companies which can address the UK timber construction market.
Carbon sequestration: growing trees removes carbon from the atmosphere and tree planting will increase as more people and organisations seek to tackle climate change.
Energy: demand for wood fuel is expanding.
Healthy living: forest tourism: many forests encourage walking, cycling, mountain biking, riding & fishing
Challenges include:
Resource Efficient Scotland is a Scottish Government-funded programme to help businesses and the public and third sectors save money by using resources more efficiently.
RES is a ‘one-stop-shop’ single service delivering practical technical advice and support to all business and public sector organisations on waste/material resource use, energy and water efficiency. It focuses on the implementation of resource efficiency measures, including advice around finance and how to access it.
In addition, Resource Efficient Scotland provides a suite of sector-focused activities tailored to meet the specific needs of business and public sector across Scotland in order to deliver resource efficiency savings. Sectors include: Construction / The Built Environment, Food & Drink Hospitality and the Public Sector.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is Scotland’s environmental regulator whose main role is to protect and improve the environment by helping business and industry to understand their environmental responsibilities, enabling customers to comply with legislation and good practice and to realise the many economic benefits of good environmental practice. SEPA is also responsible for delivering Scotland's flood warning system, helping to implement Scotland's National Waste Strategy and controlling, with the Health and Safety Executive, the risk of major accidents at industrial sites.
SEPA is a non-departmental public body, accountable through Scottish Ministers to the Scottish Parliament. SEPA has been advising Scottish ministers, regulated businesses, industry and the public on environmental best practice for over a decade.
SEPA monitors and reports on the state of Scotland's environment and uses sound scientific understanding to inform as well as publishing a wide range of publications and environmental reports.
At the beginning of October 2013, the Scottish government released its blueprint for a more resource efficient and circular economy, Zero Waste - Safeguarding Scotland's Resources. In it, the government recognises the economic imperative for using the planet's finite resources more effectively.
Some 20 actions are proposed to help businesses use resources more efficiently; stimulate innovation and business opportunities in the sector; promote better design; improve producer responsibility; improve information on materials; and stimulate a culture of resource efficiency.
The report identifies potential benefits to the Scottish economy which include financial savings of £2.9bn and the creation of 12,000 new jobs. Around 880,000 people are already thought to be employed in the low-carbon sector in the UK alone.
Some measures have a proven track record............ For example, UK-wide voluntary agreements with businesses, such as the Hospitality and Food Service Agreement.
Some of the proposed measures include:
Preventing site construction waste
It is proposed that Resource Efficient Scotlandwill work with the construction industry to promote good practice with the introduction of site waste management plans.
Increasing supply and demand for quality reusable items
This will be a key area for regulatory development and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is currently consulting on a new sector-wide re-use standard. Although not legislation, if adopted, its effect should be to increase consumer trust in the reusable sector.
Remanufacturing and new business models
The new WRAP standard is expected to promote consumer buy-in, but a wider shift in the consumption paradigm may be required. Some light-handed intervention is anticipated here, for instance, through the introduction of a carrier bag levyin October 2014.
In addition, innovative businesses wishing to become involved in the reprocessing and remanufacturing sector but struggling to secure funding from conventional commercial routes may benefit from the Scottish Loan Fundrun by Scottish Enterprise. Currently such a fund is available to the plastics packaging industry through the Scottish Plastic Loan Fundbut there are discussions about expanding it into the areas of textiles and electronic equipment.
Young Scot code: F3FG1P
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face around the world. Countries are working to reduce the effects of global warming we see now and are trying to prevent a temperature rise of over 2 degrees centigrade. to minimise future damage to our planet. Effects of climate change include:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-guide is a useful site to find out a little about climate change
Greener Scotland is your one-stop website for greener living. This site combines a wide range of information and a heap of resources to help everyone in the country go greener together.
You’ll find all sorts of advice on how to save energy, reduce waste, travel smarter and eat greener. There are plenty of practical tips and useful tools to get you started – like our What’s In Season webapp, well-insulated virtual house and other interactive resources.
Want to know more?
Greener Scotland links to other useful sites too - just check the Links and Resources in each section. So when you need more detailed information, it’s usually just a click away.
Start exploring the site now to see how greener living can benefit not just you but also your neighbourhood, our nation and the natural world.
Guidance for business sectors....SEPA has developed guidance on environmental regulations for most business sectors. More information can be found at: http://www.netregs.org.uk/business_sectors.aspx
Some examples are:
Air Pollution...............Air pollution from businesses can harm the environment by contributing to climate change and damaging land, water and wildlife. It could also have a detrimental impact on the health of people living in the local area - children and the elderly are particularly sensitive to the effects of some pollutants. More information can be found at: http://www.netregs.org.uk/library_of_topics/air_pollution.aspx
Carbon Reduction & Efficiency.....Using resources efficiently and considering ecodesign techniques can save you money and will reduce your impact on the environment. You can reduce costs by cutting your energy use and carbon emissions. More information can be found at: http://www.netregs.org.uk/library_of_topics/carbon_reduction__efficiency.aspx
A greenhouse gas is a gas in the atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range – this process causes the greenhouse effect which in turn causes global warming
Scotland’s draft statutory Climate Change Adaptation Programme was published in 2013 outling the sources/causes of GHG’s. Climate change is not just an environmental issue – the impacts are also felt by businesses, communities and individuals.
Our climate affects people’s health, our road and rail services, water supplies, energy demands, tourism – the list is almost endless. Adapting to these changes is not something that governments can do alone. It depends on organisations, businesses and communities understanding the impacts of the changing climate and taking action to prepare for its effects.
The main greenhouse gasses are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone – other greenhouse gasses include hydro- fluorocarbons, per-fluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride – nitrogen- trifluoride has a high global warming potential but is only present in small quantities
Without greenhouse gasses, the Earth’s surface would be 33 degrees C lower
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution (taken as 1750) the burning of carbon based fuels (wood, coal, oil and natural gas) and the clearing of native forests has increased the level of the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide
The atmospheres of Venus, Mars and Titan also contain gasses that cause a greenhouse effect, although Titan’s atmosphere has an anti-greenhouse effect which reduces the warming
Currently, the stock of carbon in the atmosphere increases all the time therefore to lower the carbon we must both save energy and produce more energy from clean renewable sources
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 sets a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, largely carbon, by 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 using a 1990 baseline
Scotland also has a target of using renewable energy sources to generate the equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s gross annual electricity consumption by 2020. Similarly a target has been set for renewable sources to provide the equivalent of 11% of Scotland’s heat demand by 2020
Energy statistics are published annually, checking on the progress towards these targets
The Scottish Government launched Scotland's first Zero Waste Plan on the 9th June 2010. (Summary leaflet also available)
Scotland's Zero Waste Plan sets out the Scottish Government's vision for a zero waste society. This vision describes a Scotland where all waste is seen as a resource; Waste is minimised; valuable resources are not disposed of in landfills, and most waste is sorted, leaving only limited amounts to be treated.
To achieve this vision the Plan sets out radical new measures, including:
In addition Safeguarding Scotland’s Resources is the Scottish Government‟s programme to reduce waste and create a more productive and circular economy. It forms part of the Government Zero Waste agenda and our economic strategy.
Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group was established in 2009 by Ian Marchant (then CEO, Scottish & Southern Energy) with the support of the Scottish Government to ensure that all sectors of the Scottish economy and civic society contribute fully to achieving Scotland’s climate change targets The 2020 Group has a membership of 140 individuals from 100 organisations including the Government, companies, universities, local authorities and charities see
http://2020climategroup.org.uk/about-2020
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Energy-sources/19185/17612
Published in March 2014, the Our climate challenge sets out SEPA's vision for climate change for the next five years. The four strategic themes we are focusing on are:
1 - Anaerobic Digestion
Which countries are leading the world in Anaerobic digestion technology?
2 - Anaerobic Digestion
Which of the following waste products is unsuitable for processing with an anaerobic digestion process?
Which of the following statements is correct?
The Scottish Government target for producing Scotland’s energy by renewables by 2020 is:
The Scottish Government targets for carbon emissions is to reduce them by 2050 by:
In an uninsulated building, how much heat is lost through the roof?
A none-intrusive window insulation for historic buildings is
The purpose of a smart meter is
Where in Scotland is the first Gas Carbon Capture and Storage plant to be built?
Which of these gasses released into the atmosphere is believed to be the main cause of climate change and global warming?
The temperature normally maintained by the top 3 metres of the Earth’s surface is a steady
The percentage of stored energy produced by a hydro electric scheme that can be converted to electricity is
A hydrogen fuel cell combines 2 elements to produce electricity, heat and water – these 2 elements are
Fuel cells can be compared with
The new wind energy technology that can use winds of less strength than usual wind turbines is called:
A Feed-in-Tariff allows payment for the electricity generated by a household with a microgeneration system to be claimed by
Photo voltaic (PV) cells are usually mounted on
The “Charge Place Scotland” map lists
Aviation accounts for what percentage of global CO² emissions
Shipping accounts for what percentage of global Co² emissions
The most common type of PV material is
Tidal energy is available
Where in Scotland is Wave Power being piloted?
Larger wind turbines are:
The cost of erecting wind turbines offshore compared with erecting them onshore is