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Active Renewable Energy Centre - Launches New Zero Carbon Headquarters

AN Aberdeen-based company has revealing plans to build one of the most in the UK – 10 years ahead of UK Government targets to have all new-builds zero carbon by 2019.

The £3million Active Renewable Energy Centre will incorporate the latest building techniques and technological advances to have a zero carbon footprint.

And once the building is completed, the data on its energy consumption and savings will be made available to industry and as an educational resource to help cut carbon emissions in future.

The Active Renewable Energy Centre will be the new HQ of innovative business Active, which specialises in delivering sustainable low energy solutions, air conditioning, ventilation and building maintenance services to the construction industry.

Active managing director Ian Nicol unveiled details of the building at Active’s stand at All-Energy 08 in Aberdeen, the UK’s biggest renewables conference.

The building will be in a prime site overlooking the sea, in the Minto Commercial Park, Altens, Aberdeen, and is due to be completed early in 2009.

It has been designed to take advantage of natural light and ventilation meaning less energy is needed to heat and cool the premises and the actual position of the building has been chosen to capture the maximum potential energy from solar panels on the roof.

Other features include:

* Road energy technology which soaks up heat from tarmac on roads and parking areas and channels the energy where it is needed. Similar technology is used in airport runways and it cuts down on ice and snow lying on the surface.
* An 18 metre wind turbine
* Ground source heat pumps which transfer heat from the earth into the building
* Rainwater harvesting, solar panels and low energy computer servers

Ian Nicol started Active in 1999 with just himself and an engineer. He believes passionately in promoting energy efficiency both for the environmental benefits and to cut costs for business. Today his company employs more than 97 people in its bases in Aberdeen and Inverness, working on contracts all over the country.

“The company is expanding and we needed to move to new premises. This has given us a great opportunity to showcase the benefits of a sustainable and energy efficient building. Not only did we want the building to be extremely efficient but it also had to be a pleasant and exciting place for people to work in,’’ said Mr Nicol.

“One of the most important elements of the Active Renewable Energy Centre is the advanced monitoring and control system which will measure the energy consumed and generated by the building once it is completed. This will be on show in our reception and the data collected will be made available to industry professionals from across the UK for research purposes – having hard data to refer to will be a real step forward for the industry.’’

The Active Renewable Energy Centre aims to demonstrate that investment in energy efficient technologies and construction techniques can bring long-term gains and make sound commercial sense. Any extra energy generated by the building will go back into the national grid.

John Stocks, manager of the Carbon Trust in Scotland, said: “40% of the UK’s CO2 emissions are generated by businesses and if we are serious about combating climate change we need to develop the techniques to make low carbon buildings the norm.

“Active is setting an excellent example to businesses throughout the UK and we at the Carbon Trust are delighted to be involved with the Active Renewable Energy Centre which is one of the first buildings of its kind to be developed by the private sector.”

The development of the Active Renewable Energy Centre is part of an ongoing vision to promote a more environmentally friendly and sustainable future within the construction industry. The firm intends to visit local primary schools to talk to the children about the project and will offer schools the chance to visit the completed building to inspire practical ways in which they can make a difference to the carbon footprint of their school and homes.

Email christine@thinkpr.co.uk