Targets have been set for producing renewable energy

Robin Harper is urging the Scottish Executive to support inventors and engineers working in the field of offshore energy.

He also wants ministers to recognise the manufacturing potential of their work on offshore wind, wave and tidal energy recovery systems.

Deputy Enterprise Minister Lewis Macdonald said that Scotland was "well placed" to capitalise on the employment, environmental and economic benefits from the sector.

And he stressed: "The Scottish Executive is committed to exploiting Scotland's renewable potential to the full."

'Huge possibilities'

Mr Harper, a list MSP for the Lothians, was delivering the closing speech of the All-Energy Opportunities conference in Aberdeen on Thursday.

He said the event had underlined the "huge possibilities" for exploiting and developing renewable energy in Scotland.

"We need to change the legislation on housing standards and building regulations to allow retro-fit of photo-voltaics and solar heating systems and we need to do far more to encourage the development of district heating systems based on biofuels.

The executive must recognise that the huge potential this conference has revealed is at our disposal Robin Harper

"We also need to provide finance for community-based renewables development," he said.

Mr Harper recently proposed a Warm Homes (Scotland) Bill to raise standards of domestic energy efficiency.

The Green MSP also wants the executive and the UK Government to strengthen and extend the Scottish electricity grid so that it can carry more renewable power.

"The executive must recognise that the huge potential this conference has revealed is at our disposal," he was due to tell delegates.

Scotland already gets about 10% of its electricity from renewable sources.

Tidal power

Mr Macdonald, who has responsibility for energy, also attended the conference in Aberdeen.

He said the executive's commitment to exploiting Scotland's potential was reflected in the target of generating 40% of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

"A thriving renewables industry has the potential to enhance Scotland's manufacturing capacity, to develop new indigenous industries, particularly in rural areas, and to provide significant export opportunities," he said.

He said that the country's "vast" natural resources made it well placed to capitalise on these benefits.