You’ll see “Tier 1” thrown around in almost every solar quote in Kenya, usually without anyone explaining what it actually means. It sounds like a quality grade someone assigns, and in a loose sense it is — but it’s worth knowing exactly where the term comes from before you let it decide a KSh 400,000 purchase. Where “Tier 1” actually comes from The term originates from Bloomberg New Energy Finance, which tracks solar panel manufacturers based on bankability — essentially, which manufacturers have a strong enough balance sheet and track record that banks are willing to finance projects using their […]