Powering Leyton Orient Football Club with lease-funded solar PV

Leyton Orient Football Club is proving how lease-funded solar PV can unlock lower energy costs and faster commercial decarbonisation.

Delivered by SMS, in partnership with Ampergia and Sustainable Energy Finance, the project combined tailored lease funding with expert solar PV installation to deliver a 362.79kWp rooftop solar system – without upfront capital investment. The installation is expected to generate nearly 246,000kWh of renewable electricity each year, reducing the club’s energy costs by around 40% while supporting its long-term sustainability ambitions.

Leyton Orient Football Club wanted to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions without committing significant upfront capital to new infrastructure. Working with installation partner Ampergia and broker Sustainable Energy Finance, SMS provided a tailored lease funding solution that enabled the project to move forward.

By removing the need for upfront capital investment, SMS enabled the club to move forward with its sustainability ambitions while preserving capital for core business priorities.

The project is expected to deliver significant operational and environmental benefits for Leyton Orient Football Club:

• 362.79kWp rooftop solar PV installation
• 834 high-efficiency solar panels installed
• ~246,000kWh of renewable electricity generated each year
• ~40% reduction in energy costs
• No upfront capital investment through a tailored lease funding model

These results demonstrate how flexible funding can remove barriers to commercial solar deployment, helping organisations reduce costs while accelerating progress towards their sustainability goals.

• Leyton Orient Football Club: Established in 1881, Leyton Orient Football Club is one of London’s oldest professional football clubs. As part of its commitment to sustainability, the club invested in rooftop solar PV to reduce energy costs, lower carbon emissions, and strengthen long-term energy resilience.
• Ampergia: An award-winning commercial solar specialist, Ampergia designed and installed the rooftop solar PV system, delivering the technical expertise required to complete the project successfully.
• Sustainable Energy Finance: Sustainable Energy Finance introduced the project and worked with the delivery partners to develop a funding solution that enabled the installation to proceed without upfront capital investment.

SMS helps commercial organisations deploy solar PV without upfront capital investment, combining flexible funding with trusted delivery partners to reduce costs, strengthen resilience, and accelerate decarbonisation.

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