A survey was launched yesterday seeking feedback to assist the content of the Orkney Islands Council’s Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES).

An open meeting will be hosted by the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum in the St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall, on Wednesday 20 November at 7pm featuring a presentation and question and answer session on the LHEES. Everyone is welcome.

The strategy sets out how the local authority will try to reduce emissions from buildings across the Mainland and isles, whilst also improving residents’ quality of life by minimising poor energy efficiency, especially given Orkney’s high level of fuel poverty.

Scotland including Orkney, aims to be Net Zero by 2045 – and the LHEES is a key step in planning the council’s approach to achieving this challenging target.

The council’s energy and utilities officer, Alistair Morton, said: “The LHEES is made of two documents: the LHEES Strategy and the LHEES Delivery Plan. The LHEES Strategy is a long-term strategic framework for decarbonising heat in buildings and improving energy efficiency across Orkney. It is published alongside the LHEES Delivery Plan, which sets out how Orkney Islands Council will implement the Strategy over the next five years.”

Four priorities for the LHEES have been identified:

• Making Orkney’s homes energy efficient.
• Improving energy-efficiency will help to reduce fuel poverty.
• Improving carbon efficiency of non-domestic council buildings
• Exploring heat networks for non-domestic council buildings.

Mr Morton added: “The council owns only 7% of properties and fuel poverty rates are very high, at 31% according to the 2017-2019 Scottish House Condition survey. To reach Net Zero, we will need to work with others, such as Orkney Housing Association Ltd, owner occupiers and private rent landlords.

“The council has made significant investment to improving the energy efficiency of its housing stock and 93.5% of council-owned homes have an energy efficiency rating of EPC band C or above, meeting the first phase of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH).

“It is going to be very challenging and costly to meet the EESSH2 compliance as required by the Scottish Government.

“The purpose of this consultation is to enable stakeholders to review the draft strategy and identify areas where the strategy could be made stronger or where it needs to address a subject not sufficiently covered.

“The consultation is an opportunity for people to contribute to the process and improve the LHEES Strategy.”

You can fill out the survey at orkney.gov.uk/LHEES. The closing date is Friday 6 December at 5pm.