RENEWABLE energy and heat storage battery maker Sunamp has received £1.2 million in a funding round led by Par Equity and Equity Gap.

Other backers include former SSE chief executive and current Wood Group chairman Ian Marchant, the Scottish Investment Bank, Highland Venture Partners and Edinburgh University's Old College Capital.

Sunamp, which is based in Macmerry, East Lothian, already employs 15 people and plans to use part of the money to hire another eight to 10 workers within the next year.

Among those jobs will be high quality positions for design engineers and an opening for a chief technology officer.

Sunamp makes a range of batteries which store excess energy as heat which can then be used later to warm a building or deliver hot water.

The business believes it can make homes and buildings more energy efficient, cut carbon emissions and help consumers and businesses make savings on fuel bills.

Its SunampPV product allows houses with solar panels to store excess energy rather than sending it back to the grid while the SunampStack works with ground source heat pumps.

The SunampCube is also being developed for industrial scale heat storage.

Company Founder Andrew Bissell sold his previous business, 3D medical imaging firm Voxar, for £23 million to Barco NV in 2004.

On Sunamp's latest funding Mr Bissell said: "We are very pleased that these investors have recognised the huge potential that Sunamp has to offer, both to consumers looking for energy cost saving opportunities, and to businesses looking to make efficient use of renewable heat.

"The board was delighted the round was significantly oversubscribed, helping accelerate our plans.

"It is an exciting time for Sunamp, with a large customer pipeline and many innovative products being developed."

Kerry Sharp, head of the Scottish Investment Bank, said: "Sunamp is a great example of an innovative forward thinking company, which continues to develop and grow."