Acronym Cheat Sheet
As Scotland's renewable energy industry continues to grow, so too does the list of abbreviations used to reference organisations, groups, policies and technologies across the sector.
Whether you are just beginning your career journey or are looking for a helpful resource to stay on track, the below cheat sheet of commonly used industry acronyms is a good place to start.
ABS - Area Based Schemes
APPG - All Party Parliamentary Group
ASTI - Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment
BAR - Building Assessment Reports
BECCS - Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage
BHA - British Hydro Association
BM - The Balancing Mechanism
BSUoS - Balancing Services Use of System Charges
CapEx - Capital expenditure
CBI - Confederation of British Industry
CCC - The Climate Change Committee
CCGT - Closed cycle gas turbine
CCS - Carbon capture and storage
CCUS - Carbon capture, usage and storage
CES - Crown Estate Scotland
CfD - Contracts for Difference
CfE - Call for Evidence
CHP - Combined heat and power
CM - Capacity Market
COP - Conference of the Parties
COSLA - Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
CPO - Compulsory purchase order
CSNP - Centralised Strategic Network Plan
CSR - Comprehensive Spending Review
CWIC - Coalition for Wind Industry Circularity
DecEx - Decommissioning expenditure
DER - Distributed energy resources
DESNZ - Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
DevEx - Development expenditure
DPEA - Directorate for Planning & Environmental Appeals
DSO - Distribution System Operators
DSR - Demand side response
ECU - Energy Consents Unit (The Scottish Government)
EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment
EKA - Eskdalemuir
ENA - Electricity Network Association
EOI -Expression of Interest
EPCI - Engineering Procurement and Construction and Installation
ESO - Electricity System Operator
ETS - Emissions Trading Scheme
EV - Electric vehicle
EWG - Eskdalemuir Working Group
FCP - Flow Country Partnership
FES - Future Energy Scenarios
FLOWW - Fishing Liaison with Offshore Wind and Wet Renewables Group
FOW - Floating offshore wind
FSO - Future System Operator
FWSG - Floating Wind Steering Group
GIGA - Green Industries Growth Accelerator
GVA - Gross value added
GW - Gigawatt
HEEPS - Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland
HMT - Her Majesty's Treasury
HND - Holistic Network Design
HNZ - Heat network zones
iCFD - Innovations Contracts for Difference
INTOG - Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas
IPCC - International Panel on Climate Change
IPPA - Innovation Power Purchase Agreement
ITT - Invitation to tender
LCOE - Levelised Cost of Electricity
LDP - Local Development Plan
LHEES - Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies
LMP - Locational marginal pricing
LPA - Local planning authority
MEC - Marine Energy Council
MS - Marine Scotland
MW - Megawatt
NS - NatureScot
NGESO - National Grid Electricity System Operator
NHA - National Hydropower Association
NIC - National Infrastructure Committee
NOA - Network Options Assessment
NP - National park
NPF - National Planning Framework
NSA - National Scenic Area
NSTA - North Sea Transition Authority
NZ - Net-zero
OEM - Original equipment manufacturer
OFGEM - The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets
OFTO - Offshore transmission owner
OnWPS - Onshore wind policy statement
OpEx - Operational expenditure
OREC - Offshore Renewable Energy Coalition
OWGP - The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership
OWSLG - Onshore Wind Strategic Leadership Group
PDR - Permitted development rights
PPA - Power purchase agreement
PQQ - Pre-qualification questionnaire
PSH - Pumped storage hydro
REMA - Review of electricity market arrangements
REPD - Renewable Energy Planning Database
Rfi - Request for information
RIAG - Renewables Industry Advisory Group
RIIO - Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Output
RTPI - Royal Town Planning Institute
RUK - RenewableUK
SDS - Skills Development Scotland
SEAB - Scottish Energy Advisory Board
SEG - Smart Energy Guarantee
SFF - Scottish Fishermen's Federation
SG - Scottish Government
SMEIG - Scottish Marine Energy Industry Working Group
SMP - Sectoral Marine Plan
SNIB - Scottish National Investment Bank
SPP - Scottish Planning Policy
SoS - Secretary of State
SOWEC - The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council
SOWSD - Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal
SPP - Scottish planning policy
SWESS - Scottish whole energy system scenarios
SWBSG - Scottish Windfarm Bird Steering Group
SWFP - The Scottish White Fish Producers Association Ltd
TCPA - Town and Country Planning Act
TCR - Targeted Charging Review
TNUoS - Transmission Network Use of System charges
UKG - UK Government
UNESCO - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
WHS - World Heritage Site
WLA - Wild land area