SWArbor

Funded solar for commercial roofs.Built for the long term.

We fund, install, own and operate the system. The occupier buys the power used on site at an agreed rate, below what they pay for grid power today.

Owners and occupiersSolar on your roof Capital partnersContracted solar assets

Part of SoWatt Energy

A solar PPA

Our investment.
In your roof.
Cheaper daytime energy.

A power purchase agreement, or PPA, puts solar on a building without the owner paying for it.

1
We pay for it.
SW Arbor funds, installs and owns the panels. Nothing to buy, nothing to finance.
2
The building uses the power.
Solar power goes straight into the building as it is generated. The grid covers the rest, as it does now.
3
You pay for what you use.
An agreed rate for each unit of solar used on site, set below your grid rate.
4
We look after it.
SW Arbor monitors, maintains and repairs the system for the full term. Nothing for you to manage.

An illustrative working day

Where the saving comes from. Every unit of solar the building uses replaces a unit from the grid, at a lower rate. In summer, solar can meet the building's full demand around midday. Illustrative only.

How it works

From concept to savings
in four steps.

01Assess

Send us your property.

And a recent bill. We check the site, the daytime demand and the covenant behind it, then tell you whether it works.

02Agree

Clear terms.

One roof lease and one power purchase agreement, both for 15 to 25 years with an option to extend.

03Build

We fund and deliver.

Surveys, structural checks, the grid application and installation, all funded and managed by us.

04Operate

We operate it.

We monitor and maintain the system for the full term. The building simply uses the power.

Our terms

Four principles.
Every project.

£0

No capital outlay.

We fund the system from survey to switch on. The asset stays off the owner's balance sheet.

15to25years

Protected for the term.

A roof lease runs alongside the agreement, so the system keeps the access and protection it needs for its full life.

1agreed rate

Priced to save.

One agreed rate, below your grid rate, fixed or indexed. We show the working, line by line.

Zeroupkeep

Fully maintained.

We own, monitor and maintain the system for the full term. Servicing and repairs are ours to cover, not yours.

Who we work with

Two sides.
One building.

We work with whoever holds the roof and whoever uses the power, on commercial roofs that can take around 100 kWp or more.

Owners and managing agents

Put the roof to work.

Commercial, industrial and mixed use buildings, portfolios, and the landlord supply of residential blocks. We fund, build and run the system. The asset stays off your balance sheet, whilst your operating costs come down significantly.

Send us your roof

Occupiers

Cheaper daytime power.

Businesses with strong daytime demand. You buy the solar power used on site at an agreed rate, below what you pay for grid power today, and keep the grid for everything else.

Ask for your savings

For capital partners

A pipeline built
for long term capital.

Long term, contracted income from solar on commercial buildings, brought through one disciplined process from first conversation to finished portfolio.

Originate

Projects come through long standing relationships with building owners, portfolio managers, managing agents and energy consultants, and are screened for roof, demand and covenant before they go any further.

Underwrite

Every project is assessed against one underwriting policy covering counterparty credit, contract length and installed cost before we commit.

Aggregate

Contracted projects are grouped into portfolios on consistent terms and documentation. We work with institutional and private capital on a project and portfolio basis.

Talk to us about funding

SW Arbor does not offer investments to the public. Nothing on this website is an offer or invitation to invest.

Our people

Commercial judgement.
Practical experience.

Henry Fordham

Director, Co-founder

A career in site assembly, acquisition and asset development. Henry structures and secures senior debt, mezzanine and private equity, with long standing relationships across lenders and family offices. He leads the capital structure behind every SW Arbor system.

Mitchell Crane

Director, Co-founder

A background in airspace development, negotiating with freeholders, organisations and portfolio managers. Mitchell built the national network of portfolio owners behind SoWatt and leads legal structuring, including every power purchase agreement and roof lease.

Matthew Osborn

Head of Operations

Three decades in construction, founding and running contracting businesses with over £120m of development delivered. Matthew runs operations at SW Arbor, overseeing contracts, cost control and reporting, and keeping every agreement on track from signing through the full term.

Edward Fordham

Originator

Edward drives lead generation for SW Arbor, focusing on portfolio managers and building the pipeline of roofs that suit funded solar.

Jason Tracey

Origination

Jason grew a residential sales company into a development and investment business, and advises funds, investors and clients across residential, build to rent and student schemes. He leads origination for SW Arbor, opening doors to residential and commercial portfolios.

Paul Irwin

Acquisitions

Paul advises institutional funds, family offices and private clients on residential transactions, and brings long standing relationships with build to rent and residential operators. He leads acquisitions for SW Arbor, bringing portfolios and operators into the pipeline.

Tom Groos

Technical Delivery

Tom has worked on energy in existing buildings since 2010 and cofounded his own practice in 2016. He leads SW Arbor delivery from feasibility and design through grid, installation, handover, operation and maintenance.

Brice Laurent

Capital Partnerships

Brice cofounded his current investment firm in 2020. Before that he cofounded Factris, an SME lender that lent over €1bn across the Benelux and Baltics before its sale in 2021. He began his career at Morgan Stanley in M&A and leveraged finance.

FAQs

Questions,
answered.

Anything we have not covered, ask us directly.

Ask a question

What is a solar power purchase agreement?

It is an agreement to buy the electricity a solar system produces, rather than buying the system itself. We fund, install and own the panels on your roof. The building uses the power they generate, and you pay an agreed rate for each unit used.

How is the rate set?

The rate reflects what it costs to install, run and maintain the system over its life, not the energy market. It is agreed before anything is built, starts below your grid rate, and can be fixed or indexed.

How much will we save?

That depends on two things: how much of the solar power the building uses, and the gap between your grid unit rate and the agreed rate. We work it out from your own bill and demand, and show the working line by line. Typically, we provide savings of up to 40% on the solar power the building uses.

Who looks after the system?

We do. We own it, monitor it and maintain it for the full term. If something needs attention, it is ours to fix.

What if we sell the building?

The agreement stays with the building and passes to the new owner. Alternatively, the system can be bought back at that point, at a discount.

What if the roof needs work?

The roof lease sets out access for both sides. If the panels need to be lifted for roof works, we plan it with you. The cost of lifting and replacing them sits with the building owner, as set out in the lease.

What happens at the end of the term?

The lease and the agreement both come with an option to extend. The end of term position is set out in the agreement before anything is built, so there are no surprises later.

Who funds SW Arbor?

SW Arbor and its capital partners. Every project is underwritten to the same policy before we commit, so the system is funded for its full life.

Send us your roof.

We'll work out your savings within 24 hours.

Or email info@so-watt.co.uk