A Lloyd’s Lab-backed insurtech has launched a data-enabled deductible buy-down product for renewable energy sites, aimed at easing capital requirements and modernising underwriting practices.

SAMP Risk, part of Asset Performance Partners, has partnered with Africa Speciality Risks to introduce the offering, designed for smaller renewable assets often required to hold up to 90 days of revenue in reserve against business interruption losses, which can amount to several million per site.

Using telematics and machine learning, the platform gives underwriters real-time visibility of asset performance. Where active risk management is demonstrated, reserve requirements can be reduced to around 30 days, releasing capital back to operators and enabling premium discounts linked to performance.

A plug and play device installed on site captures continuous machine data alongside operational inputs such as inspections and maintenance activity. These are processed into a live risk score that directly informs underwriting and pricing.

Early results from a solar site policy show documentation of production losses increasing from 6% to 67%, with half of risk actions completed ahead of renewal. Targeted interventions reduced the risk of major failure by 14% within four months, while the site earned back several thousand pounds in premium reductions over six months.

The launch reflects a shift in the London market towards continuous data-led underwriting for assets that operate in real time, particularly as smaller renewable sites, typically 10 to 300MW, are expected to double in number over five years.

Alistair Moodie, chief product officer at SAMP Risk, said: “The knowledge we have gained in energy consulting over the past 19 years underpins the risk models built into the platform. By combining engineering intelligence with insurance workflows, we give underwriters and brokers the visibility they need to write this business with confidence and to manage their exposure more effectively over the long term. The deductible buy-down product is evidence of the strength of our platform and the opportunities it offers brokers, MGAs and insurers serving the energy sector in the London market.”

SAMP Risk is already embedded as a named condition on five standard machinery breakdown and business interruption policy slips in the Lloyd's market.

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