Wood a viable energy source in Scotland

Imagine a source of renewable energy that is cheap, has little planning or land use issues, could generate economic and environmental benefits in many rural areas, and is available in abundance right now in Scotland.

A team of researchers in the Geddes Institute in the School of Town and Regional Planning have just completed a pilot study in fuel deprived rural areas of Perth and Kinross and shown that locally-sourced wood fuel could offer a viable alternative to high cost rural domestic heating systems.

Wood as fuel is already common practice in Scandinavian countries and the researchers believe it could also work very well in Scotland and generate real economic and environmental benefits in some of the country's most rural areas.

This method of providing fuel focuses on meeting local energy needs with local energy resources rather than a dependence on centralised sources.

The research was completed by Tony Jackson, Barbara Illsley and Bill Lynch and commission by Save Cost and Reduce Fuel (SCARF) with support from a range of other agencies including Perth and Kinross Council, Forest Enterprise, the Energy Savings Trust and WWF Scotland.

"It seems daft that we worry about the impending exhaustion of a non-renewable source of fuel in the North Sea when we are dumping into landfill or carting in lorries across the UK and continent increasing amounts of sawdust and chips from our maturing plantations that could be used for local heating purposes," Mr Jackson said.

"Used for local heating, this endowment of renewable energy would offer a cheaper fuel to rural households, avoid landfill charges for sawmills and provide a better market price than sawmills can get by selling to the manufacturers."

The research findings demonstrate why Scotland has failed to emulate other parts of Europe with similar climates and timber resources, such as Austria and Sweden.

"Scottish households located in areas with wood industries remain uncertain of the heating opportunities available to them and local suppliers are unwilling to develop a domestic wood fuel market service without a guaranteed demand," Mr Jackson said.

The researchers make the case for establishing a wood fuel energy service company as a first step to serve as a market intermediary.

They also suggest that this type of market failure is the result of a silo mentality, with local forest industries focusing on export markets and neglecting opportunities for establishing a viable domestic market for the by-products of integrated sawmills. They encourage policy makers to promote local linkages and tailor energy efficiency incentives towards the construction of new low-cost renewable energy systems based on local resources and local needs.

To request the full report please email Barbara Illsley at b.m.illsley@dundee.ac.uk.