Do Renewable Energy Backup Systems Matter More Than Ever?
Well, wasn’t that quite the start to the year? We hope everyone stayed safe through our rather dramatic welcome to 2026 as heavy snowfall and ice shut schools and roads. Then Storm Goretti decided to join the party…
If you were one of the many affected by power cuts during all of this, we feel for you – and if you’re now thinking, “maybe I should look at that backup power system,” well, keep reading.
We recently completed a hybrid wind and solar installation in Caithness for a Client who was getting fed up with power cuts; they’re now delighted at having a reliable energy system with lesser impact on the environment.
We also want to highlight to you some regulatory changes that hydro scheme owners should know about.
And in some good company news, we’ve hit another rather satisfying milestone – the 2025 renewable energy generation figures are in!
Changes to the CAR licence process
For those of you with hydro schemes, you may be aware that the CAR (Controlled Activities Regulations) registration and ongoing licensing, administered by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), has changed.
It has now been replaced by the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations (EASR). Still overseen by SEPA, EASR is designed to provide a more streamlined and integrated approach to environmental authorisations in Scotland.
The purpose of this legislation is to deliver simpler, more consistent environmental regulation by bringing together the procedures for authorising, enforcing and managing activities that may impact the environment.
Although the regulatory framework was introduced in 2018, the transition has taken a few years, with most authorisations now being issued under EASR from 1 November 2025.
For existing hydro schemes, no action is required where a CAR licence is already in place. Licences will automatically migrate to the new system, with existing conditions remaining unchanged. Under EASR, the “responsible person” named in your CAR licence becomes the “Authorised Person” on your EASR permit. The Authorised Person must be a “Fit & Responsible” person. So watch out!
Fun Fact: Proterra Energy’s 2025 Renewable Energy Generation
We re-ran our calculations for the energy generated by renewable energy systems under our stewardship and we reckon in 2025 we have increased the annual generation from renewables to 6,700,700 kWhr / year.
That’s a great contribution and with new installations planned for this year, hopefully including two hydro schemes, we should be able to push that number higher.
We’ll report back in a year and let you know how we get on!
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And, as always, if you want to ask us about our work in renewable energy backup systems, hydro power solutions, solar generation or wind turbine installations, do get in touch.