Active Launches Aberdeen's Only A Rated Building
Aberdeen firm Active has opened the doors to its new HQ - one of the most energy efficient buildings in the UK.
The £3million Active Renewable Energy Centre will generate all the energy it requires by the end of this year through a range of micro-renewable technologies including a wind turbine and a road energy system which soaks up heat from tarmac surfaces.
It is the only A-rated building in Aberdeen, with solar panels and ground and air-source heat pumps adding to its arsenal of green energy sources. Most modern commercial buildings achieve a C rating in the Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) introduced last year by the Government to encourage improvements in the energy performance of buildings in line with the Kyoto Protocol.
The final stage at the Active HQ at Minto Commercial Park, Altens, is to install a wind turbine on the site and it is anticipated that it will be one of a handful of totally self-sufficient buildings in the UK in terms of energy use by the end of the year, selling on any excess electricity to the National Grid.
Ian Nicol, managing director of Active, said: "From the ground up this building has been designed to be extremely efficient. Its exact position on the site has been chosen to maximise the potential of the solar panels on the roof and internally it makes the most of natural light and ventilation.
"Because the building is so efficient at regulating temperature, it needs much less energy to function. The energy we do need all comes from renewable sources giving us a drastic reduction in both CO2 emissions and fuel bills."
One of the key features of the Active Renewable Energy Centre is the advanced monitoring and control system which will measure the energy generated and consumed by the building. This data will be made available to the construction industry for research purposes with a view to proving that ‘green' buildings make sound commercial sense for businesses.
The 1,665sq metre Active Renewable Energy Centre is made up of office and workshop space and all the company's 70 staff in Aberdeen will be based there. It was designed by architects Halliday Fraser Munro and built by Stewart Milne Construction. Together with the engineering team at Active, chartered engineers CCDP (Cameron Chisholm Dawson Partnership) provided the engineering expertise needed to develop the low energy systems required for a building of this nature.
Ian McAllister Partner at CCDP said: "This was a very exciting project for us to be involved in. With rising fuel costs and the need to meet government targets for reducing carbon emissions, it's important that new buildings are designed with energy efficiency in mind.
"It's very encouraging to work with a company such as Active as they have certainly placed the emphasis on delivering a low carbon building. I'm confident that once the turbine is in place the building will be well on the way to being carbon neutral and will set an excellent example for future developments."
Active is a leading provider of sustainable energy systems for both commercial and residential construction projects specialising in micro-renewables and efficient air-conditioning and ventilation solutions. The company has offices in Aberdeen and Inverness, employing more than 100 people across Scotland.
