With only 6.4% of heat produced from renewables in 2020, missing the 11% target by a large margin, the 2030 target of deriving 22% heat from renewables is approaching quickly. Scotland has an abundance of technical options for heat decarbonisation: renewably generated electricity, geothermal resources under the Central Belt and Highlands, and wind power for hydrogen generation.

Given the variability in housing stock and household finances, implementing these technologies within households becomes a complex socio-technological question. There is an urgent need to understand the public’s appetite for novel technologies, address the performance gap in variable building and household types, and develop technical and social science approaches to fill those gaps. Led by Dr Jen Dickie, this theme will…