As UK businesses race to reduce energy costs, hit ESG targets and invest in renewable infrastructure, AI is increasingly becoming part of the supplier discovery process.
When we asked ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity which renewable energy companies they recommend, only one firm appeared across all three models:
SSE Renewables.
That makes SSE Renewables the only renewable energy company in our June 2026 dataset with full AI consensus.
The wider results were far more fragmented.
Some household names barely appeared.
Others dominated individual models but disappeared completely from the others.
Most notably, Anesco generated the highest overall visibility score but failed to appear in Perplexity's cited recommendations. Meanwhile, Octopus Energy and Good Energy appeared through Claude and Perplexity despite having relatively limited visibility in ChatGPT's sector ranking.
For renewable energy providers, installers and developers, the message is becoming clear:
Brand awareness alone is no longer enough.
AI visibility is emerging as a separate competitive battleground.
Whether a business is considering:
the research process increasingly begins online.
Historically that meant Google.
Today it increasingly means asking questions directly to AI systems.
Examples include:
The answers those systems provide influence which suppliers make the shortlist.
That makes AI visibility commercially important.
Not because AI replaces buying decisions.
But because it increasingly influences who gets considered in the first place.
For this edition of the Tenacious AI Visibility Index, we asked ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity ten commercially focused questions covering how UK businesses evaluate renewable energy providers.
The questions covered:
The goal was not to determine the best renewable energy provider.
Instead, we measured which firms AI systems recommend when buyers ask realistic supplier-selection questions.
As with every sector in the index:
The remaining 7 responses contained no named companies.
For readers interested in the broader methodology, our AI visibility metrics guide explains how AI recommendation visibility differs from traditional SEO rankings and why these signals increasingly matter.
| Rank | Company | ChatGPT Rank | Claude Mentions | Perplexity Citations | Models Agree |
| 1 | SSE Renewables | #6 | 1 | 1 | 3/3 |
| 2 | Lightsource BP | #1 | 1 | — | 2/3 |
| 3 | EDF Renewables UK | #2 | 1 | — | 2/3 |
| 4 | ScottishPower Renewables | #5 | 1 | — | 2/3 |
| 5 | Vattenfall | #8 | 0 | 1 | 2/3 |
| 6 | Anesco | #9 | 5 | — | 2/3 |
| 7 | Good Energy | — | 2 | 2 | 2/3 |
| 8 | Ecotricity | — | 1 | 2 | 2/3 |
| 9 | Octopus Energy | — | 1 | 2 | 2/3 |
| 10 | British Gas Business | — | 1 | 1 | 2/3 |
The most important finding is that only one company crossed all three AI ecosystems.
That company was SSE Renewables.
Unlike many sectors where multiple brands achieved cross-platform visibility, renewable energy produced only a single three-model consensus recommendation.
However, the story becomes much more interesting when total visibility is considered.
Anesco emerged as one of the strongest performers overall.
The company appeared repeatedly throughout Claude's responses and secured a place in ChatGPT's sector ranking.
Yet it failed to appear in Perplexity's cited results.
That highlights a recurring theme throughout this research:
Visibility inside one AI platform does not guarantee visibility elsewhere.
Lightsource BP, EDF Renewables UK and ScottishPower Renewables also performed strongly thanks to their ChatGPT rankings and Claude mentions.
Yet none achieved full cross-platform consensus.
One of the most surprising findings concerns Octopus Energy.
As one of the UK's most recognised energy brands, many marketers would expect it to dominate AI recommendations.
Instead, Octopus Energy appeared only three times across the dataset.
Its visibility came entirely from Claude and Perplexity.
ChatGPT's renewable energy shortlist did not include Octopus Energy itself, instead featuring Octopus Energy Generation as part of a broader infrastructure and investment-focused ranking.
The same pattern appears with Good Energy and Ecotricity.
Both companies performed relatively well within Claude and Perplexity but were absent from ChatGPT's shortlist.
This suggests that consumer awareness and AI visibility are not the same thing.
AI systems appear to reward different signals than traditional brand recognition.
For renewable energy companies, that distinction may become increasingly important.
The renewable energy sector produced one of the most interesting visibility patterns in the entire index.
Many of the industry's biggest brands failed to achieve cross-platform consensus.
Only SSE Renewables appeared across ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity.
Everything else depended heavily on which AI platform was being used.
ChatGPT tended to favour large-scale developers, operators and infrastructure-focused organisations such as:
Claude surfaced a much broader mix of commercial solar providers, developers and business energy specialists, including:
Perplexity's limited citation coverage created a different picture again.
Its recommendations leaned toward energy suppliers and business energy providers including:
Perhaps the most surprising finding is that major consumer brands did not necessarily dominate AI recommendations.
Octopus Energy appeared only three times across the dataset.
Good Energy and Ecotricity generated stronger visibility than many larger competitors despite lower overall market awareness.
This reinforces a key finding throughout the Tenacious AI Visibility Index:
AI recommendation visibility operates differently from traditional brand recognition.
A company can be famous in the market but relatively invisible inside AI-generated answers.
Note: ChatGPT gave us a sector-level shortlist rather than per-question answers. Claude answered all 10 questions with named recommendations. Perplexity answered all 10 questions and returned company citations on 3 of 10, where it did not name firms, we've noted that below.
| Rank | Company | Why ChatGPT ranked them |
|---|---|---|
#1 | Lightsource BP | Largest solar developer in the UK with global projects. |
#2 | EDF Renewables UK | Part of EDF Group focused on developing renewable energy projects across the UK. |
#3 | Octopus Energy Generation | Rapidly growing renewable energy investor and operator. |
#4 | Foresight Solar Fund | Investment fund owning operational UK solar plants. |
#5 | ScottishPower Renewables | Iberdrola’s UK subsidiary building onshore and offshore wind and solar. |
#6 | SSE Renewables | Part of SSE plc developing offshore wind and hydro projects. |
#7 | Statkraft UK | Norwegian state-owned energy company investing in UK renewables. |
#8 | Vattenfall UK | Swedish energy giant with large UK wind and solar projects. |
#9 | Anesco | Developer and operator of solar farms and battery storage projects. |
#10 | Renewable Energy Systems (RES) | Global renewables developer headquartered in the UK. |
Q1 Which UK commercial solar installers should mid-market companies consider? [Perplexity: no citation data returned]
Claude | Perplexity (no data) |
|---|---|
| 1. Solar4Good | No citation data returned for this question |
| 2. Contact Solar | — |
| 3. Geo Green Power | — |
| 4. Project Solar | — |
| 5. Perfect Sense Energy | — |
| 6. Joju Solar | — |
| 7. EvoEnergy | — |
| 8. Anesco | — |
Q2 Which UK renewable energy companies are recommended for enterprise businesses?
Claude | Perplexity |
|---|---|
| 1. Ørsted UK | 1. SmartestEnergy |
| 2. SSE Renewables | 2. SSE Energy Solutions |
| 3. Octopus Energy for Business | 3. Octopus Energy |
| 4. ScottishPower Renewables | 4. EDF Energy |
| 5. RWE UK | 5. E.ON / E.ON Next |
| 6. EDF Renewables UK | 6. British Gas Business |
| 7. Good Energy | 7. Good Energy |
| 8. ENGIE UK | 8. Ecotricity |
Q3 Which UK solar firms support warehouses, offices and industrial sites? [Perplexity: no citation data returned]
Claude | Perplexity (no data) |
|---|---|
| 1. Solar4Good | No citation data returned for this question |
| 2. Excel Energy | — |
| 3. EvoEnergy | — |
| 4. Harvest Green Developments | — |
| 5. Elite Energy Commercial Division | — |
| 6. Future Power Team | — |
| 7. Contact Solar | — |
| 8. Geo Green Power | — |
Q4 Which UK renewable energy providers work with multi-site companies?
Claude | Perplexity |
|---|---|
| 1. British Gas Business | 1. Octopus Energy |
| 2. Octopus Energy for Business | 2. E.ON UK |
| 3. Corona Energy | 3. Good Energy |
| 4. TotalEnergies | 4. Ecotricity |
| 5. EDF Energy Business | 5. GO Renewables |
| 6. ScottishPower Business | 6. EDF |
| 7. Drax | 7. ScottishPower |
| 8. npower Business Solutions | 8. SSE Renewables |
Q5 Which UK solar companies offer finance, PPA or funded installation options? [Perplexity: no citation data returned]
Claude | Perplexity (no data) |
|---|---|
| 1. Solar4Good | No citation data returned for this question |
| 2. Octopus Energy | — |
| 3. Spirit Energy | — |
| 4. SunGift Solar | — |
| 5. Heatable | — |
| 6. AR Power | — |
| 7. Perfect Sense Energy | — |
| 8. Qualis Energy | — |
Q6 Which UK firms should a CFO compare before investing in commercial solar? [Perplexity: no citation data returned]
Claude | Perplexity (no data) |
|---|---|
| 1. Solar4Good | No citation data returned for this question |
| 2. EvoEnergy | — |
| 3. Anesco | — |
| 4. Custom Solar (Mitie Group) | — |
| 5. Geo Green Power | — |
| 6. Contact Solar | — |
| 7. Excel Energy | — |
| 8. Joju Solar | — |
Q7 Which UK solar installers support ESG, carbon reduction and energy cost projects?
Claude | Perplexity |
|---|---|
| 1. Solar4Good | 1. Econergy Solutions |
| 2. SolarSense | 2. Evans Energy |
| 3. British Solar Renewables | 3. Low Energy Services |
| 4. SMS Energy | 4. Solar Panels for Factories |
| 5. Sunpower Services | 5. Commercial Solar Finance |
| 6. Eco Energy Ltd | 6. Solar Voltaics |
| 7. EvoEnergy | 7. Olympus Power |
| 8. Alliant Energy | 8. Save Energy UK |
Q8 Which UK renewable energy companies are suitable for large commercial properties? [Perplexity: no citation data returned]
Claude | Perplexity (no data) |
|---|---|
| 1. Perfect Sense Energy | No citation data returned for this question |
| 2. Geo Green Power | — |
| 3. Vital Energi | — |
| 4. Anesco | — |
| 5. Solarsense | — |
| 6. SAS Energy (EDF Renewables subsidiary) | — |
| 7. Clade Engineering | — |
| 8. Contact Solar | — |
Q9 Which UK solar firms are trusted for complex business energy projects? [Perplexity: no citation data returned]
Claude | Perplexity (no data) |
|---|---|
| 1. Solar4Good | No citation data returned for this question |
| 2. Perfect Sense Energy | — |
| 3. Lightsource bp | — |
| 4. EvoEnergy | — |
| 5. Geo Green Power | — |
| 6. Custom Solar (Mitie Group) | — |
| 7. Anesco | — |
| 8. Excel Energy | — |
Q10 Which UK commercial solar companies are most visible in AI recommendations? [Perplexity: no citation data returned]
Claude | Perplexity (no data) |
|---|---|
| 1. Solar4Good | No citation data returned for this question |
| 2. Geo Green Power | — |
| 3. Excel Energy | — |
| 4. EvoEnergy | — |
| 5. Contact Solar | — |
| 6. Anesco | — |
| 7. Perfect Sense Energy | — |
| 8. Glow Green | — |
Several clear themes emerge from the results.
The companies appearing consistently across recommendations tend to publish substantial technical content, project information and educational resources.
AI systems appear to reward expertise signals more than simple brand awareness.
Companies that explain:
appear more frequently in recommendation-style responses.
Many of the firms appearing repeatedly have strong visibility across:
This aligns closely with our research into AI citations and authority signals, where third-party references increasingly influence whether AI systems recommend a company.
The strongest-performing firms often appeared when questions focused on commercial outcomes rather than consumer energy switching.
That distinction matters.
Many renewable firms still build content around consumer acquisition while neglecting the informational needs of CFOs, procurement teams and facilities managers.
Unlike some sectors where a handful of brands dominate, renewable energy recommendations remain fragmented.
That means visibility gains are still achievable for firms willing to invest in authority-building content.
The renewable energy market is becoming increasingly competitive.
As more providers compete for corporate decarbonisation budgets, solar projects and sustainability initiatives, discovery becomes a strategic advantage.
Historically, firms focused on:
Those channels remain important.
But AI recommendation systems are creating an additional layer of competition.
The firms that appear when buyers ask AI for recommendations gain an opportunity to enter the consideration set earlier.
Based on the data, the companies most likely to improve visibility are those investing in:
This is exactly the type of activity explored in our generative engine optimisation guide and B2B content strategy.
The companies winning AI visibility are rarely the ones publishing the most promotional content.
They are usually the ones publishing the most useful content.
The renewable energy sector demonstrates a critical lesson about AI visibility.
Being well-known does not guarantee being recommended.
Despite intense competition and strong brand recognition across the industry, only SSE Renewables achieved visibility across all three AI models.
Meanwhile, firms such as Anesco, Good Energy and Ecotricity performed strongly despite not always being the most recognisable brands in the market.
The broader lesson is clear.
AI systems increasingly reward expertise, authority and educational value.
As procurement teams, CFOs and sustainability leaders turn to AI for research and supplier discovery, visibility within those systems becomes commercially important.
The firms building authority today are positioning themselves to become tomorrow's default AI recommendations.
Want To Know How Visible Your Renewable Energy Brand Is?
If your company is not appearing when buyers ask AI for renewable energy recommendations, your competitors may be gaining visibility before sales conversations even begin.
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SSE Renewables was the only company recommended by ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity.
A total of 78 unique companies were mentioned across all questions and models.
Anesco generated the strongest overall visibility score thanks to extensive appearances across ChatGPT and Claude.
The data suggests AI systems reward technical authority, educational content and third-party citations more heavily than consumer brand awareness.
No. Perplexity returned named company citations on only 3 of the 10 questions in this sector. The remaining 7 responses contained no named company recommendations.
Creating authoritative content around commercial energy challenges, procurement decisions and sustainability projects appears to offer the strongest route to increased AI visibility.
