UK energy solutions provider Ampergia has completed a solar PV installation at Leyton Orient Football Club (LOFC) in Waltham Forest, with funding from Horizon Energy Ventures.
The 362.79 kWp solar PV system at LOFC consists of 834 435 watt JA panels and three 110 kW Growatt inverters. According to managing director Sandip Sali, third-party financing from Horizon was “instrumental” for Ampergia’s expansion.
Horizon finances sustainable infrastructure projects under a flexible financing model that allows customers to undertake installations without the upfront capital expenditure they would normally require.
Once the project details are shared, a lease-based model is created according to the client’s needs. Horizon Energy Ventures is a portfolio company of Arcus Infrastructure Partners, a European infrastructure investment broker. Sister company Horizon Energy Infrastructure delivers smart metering technology to properties across the UK, working with utilities including Octopus Energy for Business.
Horizon Energy Ventures is also exploring other adjacent technology financing opportunities with domestic and corporate energy suppliers, including EV charging infrastructure, low-carbon heat, energy storage and microgrid development.
Horizon head of commercial Ryan O’Connell said the partnership with Ampergia shows how the right financial backing can deliver ambitious sustainability projects. LOFC Chief Operating Officer Steve Tait added that the project was “seamless”.
Recently, Ameresco announced it would install, operate and maintain a solar PV system at the London Stadium, the former Olympic venue and current home of Premier League team West Ham United. Project leaders claimed that the solar system’s capacity of 1,256 kWp would be enough to power all major events at the stadium every year. The installation is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.
When the project was first explored it was expected to cost around £4 million over two years, with the stadium’s owner, London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), hoping to generate energy by the end of 2024.
In March, Premier League champions Manchester City unveiled plans to install 10,887 solar panels at its state-of-the-art City Football Academy training centre. The company is seeking planning approval from Manchester City Council to install the panels, which could generate up to 4.39 GWh of renewable energy annually.
A controversial development was the 2017 collaboration between Octopus Energy and Arsenalin which the energy supplier would power the 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium through its significant array of solar farms.
