blowing hot and cold
Below the roadway is an energy system, one of a host of leading edge innovations, which draws heat from the tarmac which can then be stored and used to warm or cool the building or even clear the road or car park on an icy North-east morning.
It is a building for which sunshine, rain and wind (soon) are all welcome because no matter the weather it helps create green efficient energy reducing both CO2 emissions and fuel bills.
There are air and ground source heat pumps, solar panels, a rainwater harvesting system and a wind turbine is planned for the site to add to the mix.
The Centre is the £3 million showcase for the company which Ian Nicol started a decade ago and now has an £8 million turnover, and rising, and 100 staff.
Ian left school at 16 to become an apprentice refrigeration air conditioning engineer, a move which has ultimately led to his current business success.
After 13 years during which he gathered additional skills in design and sales he spotted an opportunity created by the buoyancy of the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen and decided to capitalise on it.
As businesses expanded and more and more computers appeared on desks the offices were overheating and air conditioning systems were required.
With a van and a senior engineer he decided to establish his own business to set about resolving the problem for the companies.
He admits that he had no long term vision of global domination at that point and that the expansion of his installation, service and maintenance business was driven primarily by customers who were pleased with the service he offered.
However in 2004 the retiral of the owner gave him the opportunity to buy Sirvent Engineering Services at Westhill which was an ideal bolt on because its ventilation services complemented his existing operation - then his vision of being the best in the country began to emerge.
Regular research and development trips to Japan were offering him a glimpse into the future and as he toured manufacturers to uncover innovations in air condition and ventilation technology he began to realise the potential of renewables.
“In Japan the products are around three to five years ahead of the European market and because Japan has been a net importer of energy for a long time its products are very efficient,” he said. “We started looking at domestic heat pumps which can replace traditional boilers and efficiently provide hot water and heat radiators.
“The systems can offer a 60% saving on the running costs of oil and LPG and 30% on the cost of gas.
“There are also other advantages – they can offer significant savings in capital costs in areas where there is no mains gas and the systems are very safe as the absence of combustion means no carbon monoxide emissions.”
While air conditioning and ventilation remains core to the success of his company, Ian Nicol’s foresight to move into micro-renewables has helped overcome the slump which has hit the building industry as a result of the economic crisis.
“Heat pumps have taken up the slack and growth in our renewable sales is increasing 100% year on year and is now around £3 million,” he said.
There is a growing demand from the commercial and domestic housing market but much of his current business comes from housing associations which require safe, low maintenance heating and hot water systems for their properties.
He says one of the biggest challenges he faces is educating people about the technology.
“Unfortunately I don’t have a multi-million budget to advertise so this building is our way of demonstrating the capabilities of the systems and we also go on roadshows. People don’t understand how you can take cold winter air and make it heat a house and provide all the hot water required. We can also demonstrate here how controllable it is and how we have tailored the different systems to work together.
“This building can provide an insight for anyone who is planning a new building or changes in an existing one. They should come and see us before they start because, for example, the orientation of the building can make a significant difference.
“We have not had the heating on since we moved in because the insulation is so good but we have also learned from this building.
“From the ground up it has been designed to be extremely efficient. Its exact position on the site has been chosen to minimise heat gain on the south face while maximising the potential of the solar panels on the roof. Internally it makes the most of natural light and ventilation by optimising north facing roof lights.
“It needs much less energy to function and the energy we do need all comes from renewable sources giving us a drastic reduction in both CO2 emissions and fuel bills.”
The typical annual energy cost for a commercial building of the size and style of the Active Renewable Energy Centre style is £15,741. Even without the wind turbine it is expected that consumption will fall by two thirds and the fuel cost will be around £5000.
“It has taken two years to educate the marketplace and convince people of the success of the technology and we are now beginning to reap the rewards.”
Active currently operates from Dundee to Shetland and although there is increasing demand for the company to expand its geographical boundaries Ian says that because of the economic climate their current focus is on consolidation.
“I can’t deny 2009 has presented us with some challenging times but the spread of activity across our business has allowed us to stay ahead of the game. There are strong signs that house building will pick up again next year and when that time comes I’m confident that this will signal even greater success for Active.”
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Even before reaching the offices at the Active Renewable Energy Centre in Tullos, Aberdeen, you have crossed over technology which helps make it one of the most energy efficient developments in the UK.