SHAWTON ENERGY: Engineered to Deliver
Shawton Energy is empowering businesses with sustainable energy. Delivered through carefully engineered solutions, you can trust an install from Shawton will last, providing value and consistency. CEO Jamie Shaw tells Energy Focus more about how the company is heating up as it becomes an increasingly known brand in turn-key provision of PPA-funded solar.
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In the fast – and always evolving – world of renewable energy, delivering on-site solar solutions across large, often complex estates is a key enabler, and no small feat. For many major property owners looking to reduce emissions and embrace sustainability, the biggest challenge lies not just in sourcing panels or securing finance, but in finding partners with the technical know-how and operational expertise to bring ambitious projects to life — especially when those portfolios involve legacy buildings, restricted sites, or varied geographies.
While the market is flooded with players offering templated solutions or volume-driven models, few offer the full turn-key package. Fewer still possess the engineering-led, design-first mindset required to navigate the physical realities of real-world installations. It’s this space — where technical complexity meets commercial ambition — that UK-based Shawton Energy has made its own.
Part of the wider Shawton Group, Shawton Energy has emerged as a highly capable delivery partner for property owners across the country, delivering rooftop solar and on-site energy solutions for well-known brands including Bannatyne’s, Co-op Group, Travelodge and more. From complex, heritage properties to modern, high-volume retail sites, Shawton Energy is setting itself apart with a reputation for competence, creativity, and a refusal to compromise on quality.
PROVEN PERFORMANCE
Led by CEO Jamie Shaw, the company brings a rare blend of deep engineering experience and entrepreneurial thinking to a market that’s often dominated by financiers or IT-driven models.
“I am a structural engineer,” Shaw explains. “I ran a construction firm for 15 years, and over time developed a history of entrepreneurial skill across various businesses. Shawton Energy is the result of a vision to build something different — something technical and infrastructure-led that truly helps customers.”
Today, Shawton Group employs 150 people across its various operations. Within Shawton Energy, a growing team of 12 is supported by the wider group’s managed services — a structure that ensures agility while maintaining close control over execution.
With the company targeting £20 million worth of projects this year, its capabilities are more than proven. “We are very technically capable, and we have a rich skill set,” Shaw says. “Our team is brimming with imagination and can bring projects to life for customers.”
At the heart of Shawton Energy’s offer is the ability to wrap commercial and engineering solutions into a single, streamlined proposition. “We develop our projects from the commercial solution, and we wrap it commercially which allows our EPC installers to provide accurate quotes, and us to give an accurate PPA back to the client,” Shaw explains.
“That allows us to provide the full turn-key view across the PPA-funded model. It also allows us control through the operational element and that feeds into our idea of building ecosystems – an idea that developed organically.”
DELIVERING AT SCALE
That ecosystem model — where the company maintains hands-on control across the lifecycle of every project — is proving attractive to major clients. For example, Bannatyne Group, one of the UK’s best-known health and leisure operators, selected Shawton Energy after a competitive 12-month tender process. The companies had previously collaborated back in 2016, but Bannatyne’s return underlined Shawton’s growing credibility.
“They wanted to drive their ESG commitment across their gym, hotel, and leisure facilities,” Shaw says. “One of our strengths is that we have an 80,000 sq ft unit at our headquarters and that means you can touch and feel the products, people, and all moving parts in the business. That gave them a lot of reassurance. It’s different to walking into an office block and there is an operational feel.”
The Bannatyne rollout covers 35 sites across the UK, with eight already completed — ranging from new-build gyms in places like Norwich, to older, listed buildings in Yorkshire. “It’s a varied estate, and we’ve proven our ability to deliver on both modern and heritage properties,” Shaw says. “These are now flagship projects for the group.”
Another high-profile win came via a partnership with Zestec Renewable Energy, supporting the Co-op Group’s ambitious solar rollout. The companies were jointly awarded a framework contract to deliver rooftop solar across Co-op’s vast estate — one of the UK’s largest portfolios.
“It’s a David and Goliath situation,” Shaw reflects. “There are big names in the industry and when you say Shawton Energy not many people recognise the name. But we deliver really competent PPAs in the marketplace, alongside some of the major players. The Co-op is one of the biggest estates in the country and we won that contract alongside Zestec. We’re very proud of that.”
BUILT ON EXPERTISE
What differentiates Shawton Energy, time and again, is its deep bench of engineering talent and a dogged commitment to doing things right. Rather than following the crowd or chasing volume, the company is structured to deliver real value and real outcomes.
“We’re not going at projects from a finance, IT, or energy background,” says Shaw. “We come in with an engineered solutions-focused approach. The technical and design side is our core competency, and that allows us to look at complex portfolios. We don’t look at large volume, low cost like some of the major players. We want to come in with a diverse point of view.”
That diversity of thinking is enabling Shawton to tackle projects others might avoid — including rooftops with challenging access, listed status, or bespoke planning requirements. “Whether it’s heritage or tiled roofs or restricted access or challenging terrain, we handle the delivery side very well,” he says. “We are very competent from an operational standpoint.”
And unlike many peers, Shawton remains intimately involved throughout the install process. “We will not let an EPC partner get on with a project without our full support,” Shaw explains. “Our Health and Safety Director has to vet all of the preconstruction information. Our project managers are on site at least one day a week. We maintain customer-facing professionalism and also our exacting standards – when you are an asset owner, you must ensure the product you install is perfect.”
FUTURE READY
After years of careful growth, Shawton Energy is now hitting its stride. Since its formation in 2019, and with early investment from Iona Capital on behalf of Strathclyde Pension Fund, the company has built a scalable platform capable of delivering across EPC, PPA, lease and O&M models. That foundation attracted the attention of global investor Lazard Asset Management, which now holds a 50% stake in the business — a major vote of confidence in Shawton’s model.
“We are really starting to motor in the industry,” Shaw says. “We’ve been awarded some great frameworks which we are really proud of.”
In total, Shawton Energy has developed over 100MW of solar and now manages more than 30 PPA projects — with more in the pipeline. A recent headline-grabbing development in South Wales — an 8.6MW solar project in Pembrokeshire — underscores its expanding footprint and ambition. This installation alone will provide green electricity to over 2,500 homes and cut more than 2,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.
Looking ahead, Shawton Energy is optimistic about the UK market, especially as the country accelerates progress toward its Paris Agreement targets. With energy prices volatile and ESG commitments under the microscope, commercial property owners are under pressure to act — and fast. Shawton’s offer is resonating.
“Our customer focus is key,” Shaw concludes. “Delivering an engineered solution that brings value for the customer, commercially and with their ESG commitments, is very important.”
At a time when many are talking about energy transition, Shawton Energy is quietly, consistently delivering it — one rooftop at a time.