However, the assessment concluded that the technical challenges associated with the project were so complex that the Scottish Government should examine moving out of the building altogether.
“While this is a marque building and Crown owned, we recommend consideration be given as to whether SG [Scottish Government] continue to occupy St Andrew’s House beyond 2030, instead relocating to a new office/hub in Edinburgh where modern energy efficient technologies including ASHP and biomass are permitted,” it concluded.
More than a million homes must be converted to “zero emissions heat” by the end of the decade to meet the country’s greenhouse gas targets, under the Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings strategy.
Legislation is to be introduced requiring the “installation of zero or very near zero emissions heating systems”, with the new standard to be phased in for off-gas grid areas from 2025 and on-gas grid areas from 2030.
All buildings are to be converted to “zero emissions” by 2045 at a total cost of £33 billion. However, the SNP-Green coalition has so far announced only £1.8 billion of support, raising fears that homeowners and businesses will have to meet the vast bulk of the cost.
The boilers at St Andrew’s House were last replaced in 2013 and they are expected to last until 2033.
