Already popular in Canada and many northern European countries, renewable energy systems such as solar panels and ground source heat pumps (GSHP) have found their way into nearly 3000 Scottish homes - and they look set to take off in an even bigger way, as the Scottish Government presses ahead with a grant scheme to help roll the technology out across the country.
Steve Macken, a 43-year-old father of two, was amazed to discover that by employing GSHP technology in his home he was able to reduce his annual power bill by around £1700 - despite having moved to a larger property.
Until last year, Mr Macken and his family lived in a Victorian villa near Loch Lomond, and spent around £2000 a year on heat and energy. Now, after relocating to a restored farmhouse nearby, the family pays just £300 annually.
The cost of installing their system wasn't cheap - around £11,000, two or three times the cost a standard oil boiler would have been with Mr Macken's home off the gas mains grid. But 30% of that total was covered by a grant from the Scottish Community and Householder Renewable Initiative (SCHRI), a Scottish Government-funded body.
The GSHP system provides the Mackens with all of their heating requirements, powering a boiler using energy harnessed from the ground by a network of underground coils, and the happy homeowners so far have no problems to report.
By Chris Watt
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