October - renewable energy
Developing an energy source that is renewable, with minimal carbon emissions and that has as little impact as possible on the environment, is the holy grail of energy production.
Renewable energy is not new: water power has been used for thousands of years, with the first hydroelectric generator in Scotland commissioned in 1885. There are now around 140 hydroelectric schemes in Scotland of varying scales, all having a greater or lesser impact on the environment.
The recent drive to increase the proportion of electricity supplied to the grid from renewables has seen the extensive development of wind turbines on land. These turbines are often sited in relatively undeveloped, unspoiled areas and in some cases have attracted considerable local resistance. The landscape impacts and the visual effects can be substantial, but with careful planning and care given to the layout, number and size of turbines and associated access tracks it is possible to minimise these negative impacts. SNH has a drive to invest in renewable energy solutions across a number of its properties, to deliver the three corporate Environmental Management Programme goals of sustainable resource use, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and sustainable corporate processes. An example of this is the new office in Inverness which has been designed to have very low emissions and energy use.
Perhaps the greatest untapped resources are in our marine environment, where there is considerable potential for wave and tidal power generation, though much has still to be learnt about the effects of such devices on marine wildlife. There is also some potential for offshore windfarms off parts of the Scottish coast.
