Advanced conversion technologies | Gasification, pyrolysis or anaerobic digestion, or any combination thereof. |
Anaerobic digestion | A process in which micro organisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. |
Biodegrade | The attack or decomposition of materials by natural, living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. |
Bioenergy | Energy for heat, electricity and transport generated from renewable biomass. |
Biogas | Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas is comprised primarily of methane and carbon dioxide. |
Biomass | Organic matter used as a fuel, typically in the generation of heat or electricity. The definition does not extend to long-dead organic matter (specifically, fossil sources such as coal or oil). |
Biomass boilers | Water heating systems fuelled by biomass. |
Carbon neutral | A system or process may be considered carbon neutral if the net carbon released is balanced by the carbon absorbed, offset or sequestered. |
Central heating programme | Provides central heating, insulation and advice. It is available to all households in the private sector who lack central heating and where the householder or partner is aged 60 or over. |
District heating | A system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating. District heating plants can use a wide range of heat sources or fuels and provide higher efficiencies and better pollution control than localised boilers. |
Energy efficiency commitment | The UK Government's main vehicle for delivering energy efficiency into the home. Under the Commitment, energy supply companies are required to achieve targets for assisting households to become more energy efficient. |
Enhanced Capital Allowances | Enhanced Capital Allowances enable a business to claim 100% firstyear capital allowances on their spending on qualifying plant and machinery. Businesses can write off the whole of the capital cost of their investment in these technologies against their taxable profits of the period during which they make the investment. This can deliver a helpful cash flow boost and a shortened payback period. |
Fuel poverty | A person is living in fuel poverty if they spend more than 10 per cent of their household income on all household fuel use. |
Fuel poverty renewable heat pilot | The Scottish Government is running a two year pilot programme to assess the effectiveness of renewable energy technologies in addressing fuel poverty. Technologies such as heat pumps and wood fuelled heating systems will be used to provide heating for a variety of domestic settings in off-gas areas and, if proven effective, will be considered for inclusion in the Central Heating Programme at a later date. |
Gasification | A process that converts organic matter into carbon monoxide and hydrogen by reacting the raw material at high temperatures with a controlled amount of oxygen. The resulting gas mixture is called synthesis gas or syngas and is itself a fuel. |
Geothermal | Relating to or produced by the internal heat of the earth. |
Greenhouse gas | A gas which contributes to the greenhouse effect when released into the atmosphere. |
Heat map | A graphical representation of heat use data where the values in a two-dimensional map are represented as colours. |
Housing association | A not-for-profit organisation that rents houses and flats in city centres, housing estates and the country. They aim to provide good, low cost accommodation for people who really need it. |
Hydro-electricity | Electricity generated wholly or partially from the energy of water flowing through rivers or dams. |
Landfill gas | Landfill gas is produced by organic waste decomposing under anaerobic conditions in a landfill site. |
Low and zero carbon technologies | Development-wide, on site, or building integrated technologies that use renewable sources or fossil fuels (low CO 2 emissions), or use only renewable sources (zero CO 2 emissions). |
Methane | A hydrocarbon gas produced by the biodegradation of organic matter. |
Microgeneration | the generation of heat or electricity on a small scale, principally for local consumption in buildings. |
Off-mains | Not connected to the national grid for gas or electricity (or both). |
Pyrolysis | The chemical decomposition of organic materials by heating. Pyrolysis differs from gasification in that it is carried out in the absence of oxygen or any other reagents, except possibly steam. |
Renewable | Renewable energy forms are essentially inexhaustible, or are naturally replenished, unlike fossil fuel sources, which are finite and non-sustainable. |
Retrofitting | Replacing an older heating system with a new one. |
Soft loans | Low or zero interest loans. |
Sustainable | (Of industry, development, or agriculture) avoiding depletion of natural resources; meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. |
Waste biomass | That fraction of waste (municipal, commercial and industrial) that is similar to other sources of biomass or is of itself by its biological nature appropriate and suitable for energy recovery. |
Wind-to-heat | Using devices to turn wind energy to heat, e.g. via mechanical forces and friction or feeding electricity generation straight into a heating system with storage. |
AQMA | Air Quality Management Area |
AQS | Air Quality Strategy |
CERT | Carbon Emissions Reduction Target |
CHP | Combined Heat and Power |
CPD | Continuing Professional Development |
CRC | Carbon Reduction Commitment |
EEC | Energy Efficiency Commitment |
ESCO | Energy Supply Company |
ETS | Emissions Trading Scheme |
EU | European Union |
ICE | Institution of Civil Engineers |
LCBP | Low Carbon Buildings Programme |
LPG | Liquefied Petroleum Gas |
PM10 | Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of up to 10 µm |
PM2.5 | Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of up to 2.5 µm |
RHO | Renewable Heat Obligation |
RIAS | Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland |
ROC | Renewables Obligation Certificate |
ROS | Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Order |
SBSS | Scottish Biomass Support Scheme |
SCHRI | Scottish Community & Householder Renewables Initiative |
SEPA | Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
SPP6 | Scottish Planning Policy 6 - Renewable Energy Developments |