Published September 2023
Guidance
- The Scottish Government website on Heat Networks provides an overview of relevant up-to-date government policies and support; including Scotland’s Heat Map which can be used by local authorities to;
- Identify where there are opportunities for heat networks; and
- Assess heat density and proximity to heat sources.
- Heat networks: Building Assessment Report (BAR) statutory guidance (2023) on building assessment reports to support the owners of non-domestic buildings to discharge their duty in relation to assessing their building’s potential to connect to a heat network.
- Heat Network Zone (HNZ) statutory guidance (2023) supports local authorities to discharge their duties in relation to review, and possible designation, of Heat Network Zones.
- The First National Assessment of Potential Heat Network Zones (2022) provides an initial, national assessment to identify the areas most suited to development of new heat networks.
- Heat Network Partnership is a collaboration of agencies focussed on supporting district heating, it encourages capacity building and project development to support LHEES developed by local authorities (see SSN public reporting requirements page).
- This Heat Network Exchange is a free service which makes it easier to find companies providing services or parts to the heat network sector.
- Green Heat in Greenspaces is a project that extends Greenspace Scotland’s ParkPower programme that brings together public sector bodies to explore how urban green and blue spaces can support Scotland's low carbon heat transition by investigating the suitability of many types of urban open space for use as low carbon heat sources, heat storage sites and heat transmission corridors.
- Scottish Government Heat Networks Regulations team – update 7 October 2022
Financial Support
The government continues to support the development of heat networks in communities across Scotland through our funding and delivery programmes:
- The Heat Network Fund has £300 million available over the next parliamentary session to accelerate the deployment of heat networks that supply low carbon heat from sources such as heat pumps and recovered waste heat. As well as supporting new networks, funding is also available for the decarbonisation and extension of existing heat networks. This fund is for both the public and private sectors.
- The Heat Network Support Unit (launched 2022) is a key mechanism for supporting the development of a pipeline of projects across Scotland, co-ordinating support across the public and private sectors, identifying and nurturing opportunities for new heat networks, expansion of existing zero emissions networks and considering the options for decarbonising existing fossil fuel powered networks.
- The District Heating Loan Fund is designed to help address the financial and technical barriers to district heating projects. It can provide competitive fixed rate loans to projects employing net zero emission heat technologies The scheme is open to SMEs and local authorities.