It may be that the main thing Scotland has in common with Iceland is the rain, but one Scottish business is looking to follow our Atlantic neighbours in tapping the power of geothermal energy.
 Iceland has abundant geothermal energy |
Although there is no evidence of the kind of active system of vents and geysers found in Iceland, there is enough energy to power a building. The Scottish development at Eskmills in Musselburgh is thought to be the first of its kind north of the border.
The scheme will provide all the building's heating and cooling throughout the year from geothermal sources.
Eskmills was originally built to manufacture fishing nets and 170 years ago it was at the leading edge of 19th century technology in this specialist field.
Now, its new life as office space will be powered by this modern form of green energy.
All weather energy
The main reason for the slow take-up of geothermal technology in commercial projects here has been the high initial cost.
But the British government is committed to encouraging renewable energy, and this source of power has several advantages over alternatives such as wind power.
Its backers say that, once installed, it is completely hidden underground.
 |  Every half hour of every day, the sun pours enough energy on the Earth to provide the world's energy needs for a year  |
For this reason, it rarely attracts the planning problems associated with the erection of wind turbines. Geothermal energy is also available all year round, and works in all weather conditions.
Harry Burt of GeoThermal, the company installing the equipment at Eskmills, said this is one of the most effective ways of harnessing power.
"Every half hour of every day, the sun pours enough energy on the Earth to provide the world's energy needs for a year," said Mr Burt.
"This unlimited, renewable resource is what a geothermal system taps into."
The expense of installing geothermal systems in this country is largely down to the investment needed in heat pumps which convert energy into useful heat.
Fridge technology
In Musselburgh, the ground temperature 90 metres below the surface is a constant 10 to 12 degrees Celsius.
Heat pumps concentrate this energy to create higher temperatures for use in a heating system.
The process uses the technology which draws heat from the inside of a fridge or freezer.
Although it is costly to install, geothermal energy is said to offer substantial savings on running costs over any conventional heating system.
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