Active Sustainable Energy Systems has been awarded a commendation in the Scottish heats of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) awards 2010, in the Sustainability category. Active won the award for its headquarters, the Active Renewable Energy Centre (AREC), which is one of the most energy efficient buildings in the UK and the only A...more

The launch of the Government's ‘feed-in tariff' scheme on the 1st of April marked a major milestone in the UK's commitment to renewable energy solutions. One of several new incentives designed to encourage homeowners to adopt micro-renewables, the scheme has great potential yet has left many confused as to how they stand to benefit. Ian Nicol...more

Aberdeen-based sustainable energy solutions firm Active is celebrating having won the Business Success (over 3 years) Award at the Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise. The ceremony, which took place on the 22nd of October, recognised the business achievements and entrepreneurship of companies and individuals in the north east of Scotland. The B...more

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 ...more

Around 1.5million households in the UK use home heating oil, most of which are in rural areas, away from the gas main and at the mercy of global oil prices. With this in mind, a growing number of homeowners are turning to micro-renewable systems in an effort to safeguard their future energy investments and reduce the negative impact on the environm...more

Aberdeen and Inverness based sustainable energy solutions firm Active is urging businesses to think ahead to January 09 when all commercial property up for sale or rent in Scotland will require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The EPC is being introduced to give owners and prospective tenants a better understanding of how energy efficient a...more

North-east firm Active has announced new deals in the Inverness area totalling approximately £250,000. The contracts have all been secured since the firm launched its new regional office in the Highlands earlier this year.The specialist air-conditioning, ventilation and sustainable energy solutions company, which has its headquarters in Aberd...more

Aberdeen-based sustainable energy solutions firm Active has warned that time is running out for companies to replace or convert certain types of air conditioning and refrigeration systems which will become illegal to maintain after December 2009. As part of the European Commission's regulations on ozone depleting substances, it will be illegal ...more

Ian Nicol first announced his plans to launch his own business at just 12-years-old - 26 years later his company Active employs 94 staff and has just launched a new £3million corporate headquarters in Aberdeen. Mr Nicol, whose family hails from Kinlochleven near Fort William, established Active as an air conditioning company in 1999 and holds...more

In the UK, construction is one of the country's largest and most dangerous industries - according to the Health and Safety Executive, it is responsible for 32% of all work related deaths. Ian Nicol, managing director of Active, explains what benefits are available to businesses who invest in health and safety training and why it is essential th...more

According to research carried out on behalf of the education foundation, Edge, a prejudice towards vocational qualifications is mounting, with 35% of parents believing that vocational learning is for people who don't do well at school. Ian Nicol, managing director of Aberdeen-based Active, explains why vocational training in the form of apprent...more