A number of leading members of the Solar Trade Association (STA) (http://www.solar-trade.org.uk/), which speaks on behalf of the UK solar-energy industry, have launched a new branch in Scotland.

It is aiming to become the leading voice for solar there, by advising and developing policy with the Scottish Government and raising awareness of the benefits of solar energy. Scotland’s Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing, has backed the new trade association.

Scotland is already a strong advocate of solar power, with 35,000 homes and 600 businesses currently benefitting from solar technology. Forster Energy, a member of the Scottish STA, was involved in the development of the 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village, which boasts over 700 homes with installed solar-energy systems.

Mr Ewing said: “The launch of STA Scotland is a valuable asset as we work towards meeting our 2020 renewable-energy target. It will undoubtedly contribute to the Scottish Government’s target to meet Scotland’s electricity demand from renewable sources by 2020.”

The STA estimates that there are 25,000 hectares of south-facing commercial roof-tops in Scotland that could be used to generate clean home-grown energy. It has carried out a lot of work to promote solar power across the UK, showing that by 2030, it could produce enough energy to power 18 million homes and support almost 50,000 jobs across the British solar supply chain. STA analysis has shown that solar panels in Glasgow generate over 90% of the energy that the same number of panels would produce in London, showing how strong the case for solar is in the country.