Three routes
How it works
Solar on your roof through a Solar PPA or an SSOA, or buying and selling renewable electricity in our private energy market. Pick a route to see who is involved, what you provide and what you pay or receive.
01For sites that could host solar
Solar PPA or SSOA
Solar on your roof with no upfront cost. We fund, install and maintain the system, and you pay a rate per kWh for its electricity.
Who is involved
- Your business, as the host
- Smart Energy Markets, through its funding company (SPV)
- Your current supplier, for the rest
What happens
- Smart Energy Markets → the system on your roofFunds, installs, owns and maintains
- The system on your roof → your businessElectricity, used on site first
- Your business → Smart Energy MarketsPays a rate per kWh, with a minimum each year
- Your supplier → your businessThe rest, as now
Through a working day
Illustrative: the shape of a working day, not a forecast.
01 · Daylight in
We fund, install and maintain the system, so there’s no upfront cost.
Subject to survey and credit checks.
02 · Used on site first
Lighting, machinery, refrigeration and charging use the roof’s power first. You pay an agreed rate per kWh, and a minimum annual amount is payable whatever the system generates.
Whatever the roof does not cover still comes from your supplier.
03 · Spare output exported
When the system makes more than the building needs, the spare output is exported. Any export income is credited to you first, against any shortfall on the minimum.
Your proposal shows how export works for your site.
04 · Matched in the market
Where output is sold through the private energy market, it’s matched each half hour to businesses’ demand and settled by our licensed supplier partner. The electricity itself travels over the public grid.
The supplier partner is named in the contract.
What you provide
A sound, mostly unshaded roof and steady daytime use of power. A Solar PPA is typically for 100 kWp or more per site (around 600–700 m² of usable roof), or several smaller sites taken together. Smaller sites may suit an SSOA. Both are subject to survey and credit checks.
What you pay or receive
You pay a rate per kWh for the system’s electricity. A minimum annual amount is payable whatever the system generates. Electricity above the minimum is charged at the agreed rate, and any export income is credited to you first.
Who holds the agreement
Smart Energy Markets’ funding company (SPV), which pays for and owns the system. It is named in your proposal. Under a Solar PPA it owns the system for the term, typically 25 years. Under an SSOA, typically 7 years, the system is yours after the final payment.
Next step
Not eligible for a PPA? SSOA may still work
02For buyers
Buying electricity
Renewable electricity from our private energy market, matched to your sites’ demand every half hour, with nothing to install.
Who is involved
- Your business, as the buyer
- Our licensed supplier partner
- Renewable generators in the market
- Smart Energy Markets, which runs the market
What happens
A day’s 48 half hours
Matched and settled every half hour. The electricity itself travels over the public grid.
Renewable generatorsselling through the market
Licensed supplier partnermatches and settles
Your sitesand other buyers
What you provide
Sites with a half-hourly meter, and when each one’s current contract ends.
What you pay or receive
You pay our licensed supplier partner at the rates in its quote. We don’t promise a saving. Compare the quote with your current contract, line by line.
Who holds the agreement
Each site that buys switches to our licensed supplier partner, which holds the supply contract and is named in it.
03For generators
Selling generation
Your output sold to businesses buying through our private energy market, matched to their demand every half hour.
Who is involved
- Your business, as the generator
- Our licensed supplier partner
- Businesses buying through the market
- Smart Energy Markets, which runs the market
What happens
A day’s 48 half hours
Matched and settled every half hour. The electricity itself travels over the public grid.
Your generatorand other generators
Licensed supplier partnermatches and settles
Business buyersin the market
What you provide
A renewable generator, operating or planned, that exports through a half-hourly export meter or can have one fitted, and the terms of any current export arrangement.
What you pay or receive
Our licensed supplier partner pays you for your output under the generator contract, which also sets the price for output that isn’t matched to a buyer. Income is not guaranteed. The contract’s fees and terms are in writing before you sign.
Who holds the agreement
Our licensed supplier partner holds the generator contract and is named in it. Smart Energy Markets runs the market and is your contact.
Who is who
Who does what
- You
- The business that hosts solar, buys electricity or sells generation. You sign only what you choose.
- Smart Energy Markets
- Funds, installs and maintains solar through its funding company (SPV), runs the private energy market and is your contact. We are not an energy supplier.
- Licensed supplier partner
- Holds the supply and generator contracts in the private energy market, settles what is matched every half hour and bills the site. It is named in your contract.
More questions?Read the FAQs
Our promises
Everything in writing first. Prices, the term and the company you contract with are in writing before you sign anything.
No obligation. An enquiry commits you to nothing.
A straight answer. If your site doesn’t suit, we tell you, and point you to what might.
No sales calls. We only phone you if you ask us to.
The enquiry
Let’s find the right energy option for your business.
Pick your route and a named person reads your enquiry, then replies with whether it could fit and what the next step involves. For solar (a PPA or an SSOA), that’s a site survey. For buying or selling in the private energy market, it’s written terms.
- Chris Williams, Commercial Energy Adviser
- Shayma Boukeras, Renewable Energy Adviser
- Elliot Clarke, Senior Commercial Decarbonisation Consultant
Chris, Shayma or Elliot reads it and replies.
Smart Energy Markets Ltd, Cwmbran.
Your route
What describes you?
Pick a route above and the enquiry opens on its first question, or start here and choose on the way. You can change any answer before you send it.
Just need a better gas or electricity contract? Our sister company Smart Energy Switch handles business energy procurement. Visit Smart Energy Switch (opens in a new tab)