SMS named finalist for “Renewable Energy Project of the Year” at UK Green Business Awards 2026

Summary

SMS has been named a finalist in the “Renewable Energy Project of the Year” category at the 2026 UK Green Business Awards. The recognition highlights SMS’s scalable approach to low-carbon retrofit, combining renewable energy, flexible funding, and data-led delivery to achieve measurable environmental and economic outcomes across estates.

SMS shortlisted for “Renewable Energy Project of the Year”

SMS has been named a finalist in the “Renewable Energy Project of the Year” category at the 2026 UK Green Business Awards.

The nomination recognises our delivery of renewable energy and low-carbon solutions across estates, specifically our work with Oxford City Council. The project demonstrates how innovation, collaboration, and practical delivery can support large-scale decarbonisation while providing a model for wider adoption.

This is not the only recent recognition of the project’s success. Last week, SMS was also named finalist for two Utility Week Flex Awards, having been nominated in the “Best Use of Energy Flexibility Data” and “Best Local Energy Project” categories.

SMS is delivering a scalable model for estate decarbonisation

The programme was developed to address key barriers to estate retrofit, including high upfront costs, complex ownership structures, and limited technical support.

Through Metis by SMS, the model combines resident engagement via our award-winning Energy Saver App, energy efficiency upgrades, onsite renewable energy such as solar PV, and a fully managed delivery approach. Phased delivery enables implementation across multiple buildings while minimising disruption, creating a practical route to estate-wide decarbonisation.

Flexible funding and data-led delivery are driving results

A core feature of the programme is its flexible funding model, which removes the need for upfront capital and enables immediate implementation while maintaining operational budgets.

Within 12 months, the project delivered:

• 599,104 kWh of renewable energy generation
• Over 400 tonnes of CO₂e avoided
• 10,000+ Energy Saver App downloads
• 65% conversion from interest to installation
• 262 completed solar and battery installations

These outcomes are supported by a data-led approach, using building-level insights to target interventions and optimise performance across estates.

The programme demonstrates a repeatable approach to retrofit

The programme has been designed not just to deliver individual projects, but to create a model that can be replicated across multiple estates. By integrating funding, design, installation, and optimisation into a single delivery structure, SMS has established a consistent approach that can be applied across different building types and ownership models.

As Dale Hoyland, Retrofit Team Lead at Oxfordshire County Council, explains, the approach provides “a single, guided route from awareness to installation that was transparent, supportive, and free of sales pressure.”

This combination of standardised delivery, flexible finance, and coordinated stakeholder engagement creates a clear blueprint for estate decarbonisation. It enables organisations to move forward with confidence, while supporting renewable deployment at scale and building local capability through contractors and technical specialists.

SMS congratulates all organisations shortlisted and looks forward to the awards in June.