Heat in buildings strategy: strategic environmental assessment

Appendix A - Stage 1 Assessment summary

Table 4. Summary of relevant SEA findings by environmental topic

• Significant positive effects on climatic factors are likely as a result of measures that reduce demand for heat and efficiencies in supply. The continued development of renewable and low carbon technologies (such as hydrogen) as well as storage improvements will support decarbonisation of the energy sector. (Heat Policy Statement (HPS) and Climate Change Plan and Energy Strategy (CCPES) SEAs).
• Minor positive long term effects on climatic factors are likely to result from an increase in heat networks (Permitted Development Rights (PDR) SEA)
• Promoting storage capacity and a more balanced mix of heat supply could aid in adapting to challenges presented by a changing climate, such as managing the peaks and troughs associated with heat demand, particularly during extreme climatic events. (HPS)
• Significant positive effects on air quality are likely from measures that reduce energy generation emissions and support district heat regulation (HPS and Energy Efficient Scotland (EES) SEAs).
• Technologies such as bioenergy could give rise to localised negative effects on air quality in areas where air pollutants are already concentrated, for example, AQMAs. However, these are not expected to be significant due to existing regulatory regimes (HPS SEA)
• Significant positive effects on population and human health are likely to result from energy efficient, low carbon, and low cost heat as a result of improved living conditions, particularly for vulnerable groups such as people in fuel poverty or with respiratory conditions. (HPS and CCPES Strategy SEAs)
• The installation of district heating network infrastructure such as pipes has the potential for localised environmental effects across a range of SEA topics. For example short term negative effects on material assets from new development activities and localised negative effects on population and human health could arise through noise linked to the operation of heat pumps. (EES and CCPES SEAs)
• Visual effects can arise from the uptake of technologies at both national and local scale including through changes in land use. (CCP and Energy Strategy). An increased uptake of biomass could cumulatively raise some challenges regarding material assets (land use) such as forestry expansion and agriculture (HPS and EES SEAs)
• The installation of heat and energy efficiency measures has the potential for localised negative effects on the landscape However, significance will depend on range of factors including scale of development, quality and sensitivity of receiving environments (HPS SEA)

Climatic factors

• Reducing the need for heat, efficient supply, renewable technologies and low carbon generation, will potentially reduce overall GHG emissions arising from heat use (HPS; CCPES and Climate Change Plan Update (CCPU SEA)
• The continued development of renewable and low carbon technologies will support decarbonisation of the energy sector, complemented by energy storage and new and emerging technologies, such as hydrogen and CCS. (CCPES and CCPU SEA’s)
• Minor positive long term effects on reducing GHG through use of low carbon energy sources, and supporting climate change adaptation through resilience of the energy supply network as a result of granting permitted development rights for heat networks. (PDR SEA)
• Significant positive impacts as a result of the reuse of existing assets; the decarbonisation of the heat network and increased energy efficiency, as well as from innovation supporting the decarbonisation of energy systems (Infrastructure Investment Plan SEA)
• Promoting storage capacity and a more balanced mix of heat supply could aid in adapting to challenges presented by a changing climate, such as managing the peaks and troughs associated with heat demand, particularly during extreme climatic events. (HPS SEA)
• Provisions which can support climate change adaptation include improvements in the energy efficiency of housing stock, reducing energy demand and consumption and improving the resilience of energy infrastructure. (CCPES SEA)

Air quality

• Supporting measures to reduce demand and increase energy efficiency has the potential to lead to reduced demand for the electricity produced and so emissions from large scale power plants. (HPS SEA)
• Reducing energy generation emissions is likely to improve air quality (CCPES and CCPU SEA)
• Technologies such as biomass and energy from waste could generate localised emissions with these being potentially detrimental in areas where air pollutants are already concentrated, for example, AQMAs. These are not expected to be significant due to existing regulatory regimes (HPS SEA)
• With reductions in GHG emissions are likely to come associated benefits to air quality, especially if there is a greater reduction in the use of traditional fuels for energy. Improvements in air quality may have benefits for population and human health including a reduction in exposure to cold and damp properties (CCPU SEA)
• Positive effects as a result of district heat regulation (EES SEA)

Population and human health

• Whilst biomass is subject to regulation and standards, it is not carbon neutral and the biomass combustion process can result in the emission of air pollutants that are potentially harmful to human health (CCPES SEA)
• Addressing energy efficiency issues and providing low carbon, low cost heat is likely to have a beneficial impact on living conditions, particularly those vulnerable to the impacts of damp (such as respiratory conditions) and those considered to be fuel poor (HPS and CCPES SEA).
• Benefits for human health likely as a result of making buildings more resilient to the effects of climate change, improving network reliability and though promoting the decentralisation of energy and increased uptake of heat and electricity generation at local level (CCPES and CCPU SEA)
• In some instances, negative impacts can arise through operational activities, such as the potential for noise disturbance arising from heat pumps. (CCPES and CCPU SEA)

Material assets

• Potential benefits as a result of the expansion of energy generating resources, including to future proof assets; greater uptake of new low carbon technologies, particularly local generation, could reduce pressure/demand on other energy resources and improve energy efficiencies across the sector. (HPS and CCPES SEA’s)
• The provision of feedstocks and increased uptake of biomass could cumulatively raise some challenges regarding forestry expansion and management and agricultural land use. (HPS and EES SEA’s)
• the installation of district heating network infrastructure such as pipes could result in environmental effects, including impacts to material assets from construction activities and siting of developments; (EES SEA’s)

Landscape

• Cumulative effects on landscapes and townscapes from the installation of new technologies and associated infrastructure. However, significance will depend on range of factors including scale of development, quality and sensitivity of receiving environments (HPS)
• Visual effects can arise from the uptake of technologies at both national and local scale including through changes in land use. (CCPES SEA)
• Adverse effects on landscape as a result of heat infrastructure; for example, a large-scale switch from natural gas to hydrogen, requiring upgrades to the gas network and new supporting infrastructure (CCPU SEA)

Cultural heritage

• Negative effects are identified in relation to developments or changes to historic buildings (EES and CCPU SEA’s); Climate Change Plan Update)
• Potential significant negative effects on cultural heritage could occur from heat pumps, and impacts on setting may be reversible, however physical impacts may be permanent (PDR SEA)