Mitsubishi Electric has received another environmental accolade for its advanced renewable heating system as Scotland's most environmentally-friendly businesses were crowned at a prestigious award ceremony at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow.

The company secured the Product Award category for its Ecodan® air source heat pump (ASHP) residential heating system. Mitsubishi Electric beat off stiff competition from the cream of Scotland's green businesses at the 2010 Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland (VIBES) Awards – which are celebrating their eleventh-year anniversary this year.

VIBES recognises and rewards the efforts of Scottish businesses to become more efficient and competitive through improving environmental performance and benefiting their bottom-line.

"This is another endorsement of the important role Ecodan can make to lowering fuel bills and reducing the nation's carbon emissions house by house," commented John Kellett, General Manager of the company's Domestic Heating Systems Department, who was full of praise for his colleagues at the Livingston factory where Ecodan units are manufactured.


The Award was collected by Rodney Ayre, European Environmental Manager at the Livingston factory, which had to undergo a full assessment of the environmental impact of its manufacturing as part of the judging process. Ecodan is also the first UK-manufactured ASHP to achieve an approved Ofgem carbon score, which can be used for CERT Funding.

Keynote speaker at the event, Iain McMillan, Director of CBI Scotland said: "Companies are not just responding to environmental issues, but are leading the way in developing new products and services which will enable customers to reduce their own carbon footprint.

"The purpose of the VIBES Awards is to showcase these new developments and the companies responsible for them and these awards have a strong track record in attracting entrants from some of the most dynamic and forward thinking businesses in Scotland," he added.

VIBES Chair Alan Farquhar commented: "All of the winners were companies who showed real dynamism and innovation in their approach to their business and environmental performance. They are a great example to others and it shows how developing management systems, services and products to deal with environmental challenges, can make real cost savings whilst identifying new business opportunities."

VIBES winners are eligible to enter the European Business Awards for the Environment.

(CD/KMcA)