Solarcentury
A United Kingdom-founded solar energy company focused on photovoltaic systems and utility-scale solar project development.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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History
Solarcentury was founded in the United Kingdom in 1998 by Jeremy Leggett, a former oil geologist who became a prominent advocate of solar energy and broader renewable-energy adoption. The company emerged during an early phase of the modern UK solar market, when photovoltaic deployment was still relatively limited and the commercial case for solar depended heavily on technology costs, policy support, and the ability to develop reliable installation and project-finance capabilities. Its original business was associated with solar photovoltaic solutions for buildings, including residential and commercial rooftop systems. Over time, Solarcentury broadened its role from installer and solutions provider to developer, constructor, investor, and operator of larger solar assets. This expansion allowed it to participate in both distributed generation and utility-scale projects. The company was described as the UK's largest solar company in the source material, although its activities increasingly became international. Solarcentury also built a corporate relationship with social-impact solar access. In 2006, it founded SolarAid, a charity working to expand access to small household solar systems in Africa. SolarAid used pay-as-you-go approaches for some installations, enabling households to obtain basic solar lighting and electricity services without relying exclusively on conventional grid connections. Solarcentury was reported to contribute 5% of its profits to the charity. The charitable initiative formed an important part of the company's public identity, while SolarAid itself remained a distinct organization. The company's international development strategy became more pronounced in the second half of the 2010s. In 2017, Solarcentury announced that it was shifting attention away from the United Kingdom, which had accounted for 85% of its business, and pursuing approximately £3 billion of projects in Latin America and Europe. Its international activities also extended to Africa and included a partnership with Panama-based private-equity firm ECOSolar. Through that partnership, Solarcentury acquired the 400 MW Divisa Project in Panama. These activities reflected the company's effort to find growth in markets where large solar farms could be developed without depending entirely on traditional subsidy mechanisms. By 2019, Solarcentury reported an eightfold increase in annual profits to £14.4 million. The improvement was attributed largely to the construction and operation of unsubsidised solar farms in southern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. Earlier reported company information placed annual turnover at £168 million in the 2015–16 financial period. The figures illustrate the scale reached by the business before its ownership changed, but they are historical and do not represent current results. In November 2020, Statkraft, the Norwegian renewable-energy company, announced that it had acquired Solarcentury for £118 million and would take full control. The transaction brought Solarcentury into Statkraft's renewable-energy portfolio and ended its existence as an independently controlled private company. Available reference material does not clearly document the extent to which Solarcentury continued as a separate consumer-facing brand after the acquisition. Accordingly, the present status of the standalone brand is recorded as unknown rather than definitively active or defunct. Historically, Solarcentury represents the transition of solar businesses from local rooftop installation toward multinational development of utility-scale photovoltaic assets. Its record combined commercial project development with an explicit commitment to solar access in Africa, making it both an energy company and an early example of a solar business linking its commercial operations with a dedicated social-impact initiative.
- 2020
Acquired by Statkraft
[1]Statkraft announced its acquisition of Solarcentury for £118 million and took full control of the company.
- 2019
Reported profit growth
[1]Solarcentury reported an eightfold increase in annual profits to £14.4 million, linked largely to unsubsidised solar-farm activity.
- 2017
International expansion strategy
[1]The company announced a strategic shift toward projects in Latin America and Europe, away from its previous concentration on the UK.
- 2015
Reported 2015–16 turnover
[1]Solarcentury reported annual turnover of £168 million for the 2015–16 financial period.
- 2006
SolarAid is founded
[1]Solarcentury founded SolarAid, a charity focused on expanding access to small-scale solar systems in Africa.
- 1998
Solarcentury is founded
[1]Jeremy Leggett founded Solarcentury in the United Kingdom as a solar-energy company.
Products and positioning
An international solar-development and photovoltaic-solutions company combining rooftop and utility-scale projects with a stated social-impact commitment.
Distributed solar
Rooftop photovoltaic systems
Solarcentury developed and supplied photovoltaic solutions for rooftops, serving residential and commercial applications. These systems formed part of the company's UK solar business and represented the distributed-generation side of its activities, alongside its larger ground-mounted projects.
Solar project development
Utility-scale ground-mounted solar farms
The company developed, constructed, and operated large ground-mounted photovoltaic projects. Its later growth was associated with unsubsidised solar farms in southern Europe, Latin America, and Africa, where project economics depended more on competitive generation costs than on traditional subsidy schemes.
Utility-scale solar project
Divisa Project
The Divisa Project was a 400 MW solar project in Panama associated with Solarcentury's partnership with ECOSolar. The project illustrated the company's move into large-scale Latin American solar development.
Renewable-energy services
Solar project investment and operations
Beyond equipment and installation, Solarcentury participated in the development, construction, investment, and operation of solar assets. This broader project role enabled the company to retain exposure to solar-farm performance after construction rather than operating solely as an installer.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006SolarAid
Africa
Solarcentury founded SolarAid as a charity to promote access to small-scale household solar systems in Africa. The initiative used pay-as-you-go solar installations in an effort to provide cleaner and more affordable alternatives to kerosene lighting.
Outcome. SolarAid became the company's principal social-impact initiative. Solarcentury was reported to contribute 5% of its profits to the charity.
Brand decisions
2020
Sale to StatkraftM&ABackground
Solarcentury had developed from a UK solar company into an international photovoltaic project developer and operator.
Action taken
Statkraft announced the acquisition of Solarcentury for £118 million and took full control of the company.
Aftermath
The transaction ended Solarcentury's period as an independently controlled private company. The continuing status of the standalone Solarcentury brand is not clear from the available reference material.
Acquisition price. £118 million (Announced November 2020)
2017
Shift from UK concentration to international project developmentStrategyBackground
The United Kingdom had accounted for approximately 85% of Solarcentury's business, while the company identified substantial opportunities in Latin America and Europe.
Action taken
Solarcentury announced that it would pursue approximately £3 billion of projects in Latin America and Europe and place greater strategic emphasis on international development.
Aftermath
The company's subsequent profit growth was associated largely with unsubsidised solar-farm construction and operations in southern Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Reported
CVE completes acquisition of two French solar plants[3]
CVE finalized the acquisition from Solarcentury of two ground-mounted photovoltaic plants in France, with a combined capacity of 47 MWp.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Statkraft acquires Solarcentury[4]
Statkraft acquired Solarcentury for £117.7 million, acquiring 100% of the shares in Solarcentury Holdings and its subsidiaries.
Reported
Svea Solar to acquire Solarcentury's residential solar business[5]
Solarcentury said it would sell its residential solar business to Svea Solar, with completion expected the following day. The acquisition would expand Svea Solar's residential operation into the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Sources5 sources
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