Growth, Innovation, and Leading the Way in Renewable Energy.
As we approach the end of the year let’s reflect on what has been a truly Transformative 2024, with our annual year in review.
Founding Father of Solar Steps Down but Legacy Shines on
We started our transformative 2024 with a momentous event in AES Solar’s history, with the news our Founder George Goudsmit was stepping down from his management role after an incredible four decades. Under George’s leadership, we evolved from our origins as a solar thermal pioneer based in the Findhorn Foundation into a leading provider of solar energy solutions.
While stepping back from day-to-day operations, George remains actively engaged with AES Solar, driving innovation and exploring new trends and technologies. The management of the business has since transitioned to our senior leadership team through a management buyout, ensuring a strong foundation for the future.
Adding to this momentous year, George’s contributions were celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent Moray Chamber of Commerce Awards, recognising his remarkable career and impact on the business community in Moray.
Solar Charged Visits
The political landscape may have shifted in this transformative 2024 (for Scotland and further afield!). Still, back in February, we were thrilled to welcome then First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf, to the AES Solar office. The visit allowed us to showcase the strength of Scottish solar as a thriving solar company based in the North East of Scotland.
During the visit, Mr Yousaf toured our facilities, gaining insight into our solar thermal manufacturing process, and engaged with younger staff about the value of apprenticeships and graduate schemes. The visit was an opportunity to discuss key challenges, including the skills gap and grid constraints, and highlighted our plans for the recently purchased brownfield site (more on that later).
Expanding our Horizons
On the topic of expansion, we should now mention our recent acquisition of Black Isle Renewables which truly signifies our year of transformation. This marks a significant milestone, firmly cementing our position as one of Scotland’s leading renewable energy companies.
Black Isle Renewables has long been a well-respected name in the world of renewable heating systems, installing ground source and air source heat pumps out of their headquarters in Dingwall. Their strong team brings two decades of expertise in renewable heating solutions, and we’ve already seen the benefits of joining forces. Our teams have since had the opportunity to connect and get to know one another, most notably during our Team Building Day in September. The key takeaway was the realisation that we’re all stronger when we collaborate as one team. We are excited to build on the momentum of a transformative 2024 and continue to grow together.
Bright Sparks: People Power
In addition to the exciting opening of our new Dingwall office, our team in Forres has also seen significant growth for a transformative 2024. Notable milestones include:
- Welcoming 14 new staff across all departments.
- Internal promotions for Peter Mc, Pia, Martina, Patryk, and DD.
- Apprentice Plumber Dylan completing his first year.
- Matt and Calum enrolling on Apprenticeship schemes.
- Graduate Apprentice Kiera earning her Bachelor’s degree and entering her final year of university.
- Hannah H celebrating an outstanding 10-year career with AES Solar this year!
And this is just a snapshot of the talent within our team. We’re fortunate to have a group of bright sparks who excel in their roles every day, well done all!
Office Renovations
We are pleased to say that we have made excellent progress with our office renovations as part of our transformative 2024, with significant renovations taking place in our middle (sales) office as well as a complete refurbishment of our kitchen space, meeting room and toilets. New flooring and a fresh coat of paint have been applied breathing new life into the space, creating a vibrant and revitalised atmosphere.
We are delighted to welcome customers and clients for in-person meetings in a refreshed, professional environment. Most importantly, these improvements now make our office a warm and inviting space for our dedicated staff.
Expansion Plans
As mentioned earlier, we are making exciting progress with our expansion and development plans marking a transformative 2024. The land behind the AES Solar building has already been cleared to allow us to expand our office and workshop space. Additionally, we have taken steps to secure and clear the long-abandoned Tesco carpark site we purchased last year. While we finalised the plans for this site, we decided to make the land available for community initiatives such as free parking for local events and more recently as designated space for the Forres Winter Market. More on the resounding success of the winter market can be read here.
Shining a Light on Giving Back
Charity of the Year
As part of our transformative 2024, we were proud to announce The Oxygen Works as our Charity of the Year. This independent Scottish charity, based in Inverness, provides oxygen therapy, personalised support, and treatments to individuals living across the Scottish Highlands. Since its establishment over 30 years ago, The Oxygen Works has improved the lives of countless people.
With the charity decided on, an event was required! And so, it was decided that on Saturday the 31st of August, a dedicated team would take part in a sponsored cycle of the Speyside Way to raise funds for the charity, with distances ranging from 56 to 17.5 miles. Some very keen members of staff even took an (unexpected) detour up Ben Aigan following a wrong turn, really going the extra mile. We are thrilled to share that we raised an impressive £1,689 for The Oxygen Works, a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and supporters.
Science Tent
Alongside our charity events, we were delighted to get involved with other CSR and STEM activities such as school career days and perhaps most notably the triumphant return of the AES Solar Science tent. After a six-year hiatus, our Science Tent Spectacular returned as part of the Grant Park 100 celebrations. This special event commemorated the 100th anniversary of Grant Park being gifted to the town of Forres. Teaming up with our friends at the T-Exchange we were delighted to bring a range of STEM activities from a Mars Rover to 3D printed butterflies, solar-powered race cars and sun-sensitive works of art!
Tree Planting
By partnering with The Woodland Trust, we set out to plant 540 native trees in Keith, marking a significant step towards local reforestation and environmental sustainability. Working closely with landowners Kristian and Ellie Schofield and guided by experts from The Woodland Trust, our green-fingered team helped establish a new woodland featuring species like Scots Pine, Juniper, Oak, and birch. This initiative reflects our commitment to giving back to the environment and creating a greener future for generations to come.
Exciting Projects
This transformative 2024 has been a standout year for notable projects at AES Solar. We had the privilege of returning to Balmoral to fit a solar PV system on the recently renovated Queen’s Building. Closer to home, we were delighted to work with some local legends, including installing a 77.76 kWp solar PV system at Maclean’s Highland Bakery in Forres and a 19.44 kWp system at Johnstons of Elgin.
But it’s not just big commercial systems that are choosing AES Solar! One of our standout residential projects was a 34 kWp ground mount featuring 84 solar PV panels and nine SolarEdge Technologies batteries (the other 4 not pictured, promise!) making this system a true energy game-changer. This project will generate clean, renewable energy ensuring energy independence and financial savings for years to come.
Quarter 4 of Transformative 2024 has also seen the first few households making the most of AES Solar’s new speciality in heat pump technology. We are increasingly seeing households opt for the “full renewables package” combining solar power, energy storage, and efficient home heating all from one trusted provider!
Looking Ahead
As we look to the future, you can expect even more exciting developments as we fully integrate our heat pump specialists at the Dingwall office into the AES family. Over the next 6–12 months, we anticipate significant progress as we embark on this exciting chapter. We’re also planning further office expansion to accommodate our growing team as well as providing a new storage facility which will be an exciting and welcome development to the team!
Signing Off
In signing off the AES Solar year review we would like to thank our wonderfully talented team. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our new and existing customers, clients and partners. This has been an exciting year for AES Solar, and we could not have done it without your continued support. We eagerly anticipate the possibilities that 2025 and beyond hold for us, and we look forward to the continued journey with all of you!
The Senior Leadership Team
View our digital Christmas card here.
