For many businesses, the decision to use solar power to cut electricity costs is taking a backseat to how they will fund the project.
While the economics remain attractive for organisations facing rising electricity tariffs, access to flexible and appropriate financing structures is playing a dominant role in determining which projects proceed and which remain on hold.
As such, understanding the funding landscape has become as important as understanding system design and energy generation. Financing arrangements can influence project affordability, risk allocation, cash flow and the speed at which projects reach implementation.
Nicolette Pombo-van Zyl, Editor-in-Chief of ESI Africa, explains: “Our reporting this year shows that African businesses are, in effect, building their own grid. Roughly 80% of distributed solar capacity on the continent now serves commercial and industrial customers. The challenge now for this market is to understand whether the funding structure behind a project fits the business that must live with it for the next ten or twenty years.”
These considerations will be explored in an upcoming webinar hosted by Jaltech, in partnership with ESI Africa. This discussion will examine how businesses can navigate the commercial solar funding market and identify financing solutions that align with their operational and financial requirements.
The growing importance of funding choices
“Across ESI Africa’s coverage of energy infrastructure funding, a recurring theme is that capital is available, but it goes to projects that are prepared for it. That holds for a utility-scale plant and for a rooftop system on a factory. Partnering with Jaltech on this webinar is about giving developers and energy users the practical knowledge to turn a sound solar business case into a project a funder will back,” says Pombo-van Zyl.
As energy users look to manage long-term electricity costs, they face a range of funding structures, each with distinct advantages and trade-offs. Selecting the right option requires balancing project economics with organisational objectives, capital availability and customer expectations.
Fortunately, this webinar provides a practical overview of the funding options available for commercial solar projects, examining the strengths and limitations of different financing approaches and how businesses can assess which model best fits their circumstances.
The session also covers what funders assess when evaluating projects and the steps businesses and project developers can take to improve the likelihood of securing finance.
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Moving projects from planning to implementation
While solar technology has become more widely understood and accessible, project funding remains a common point of uncertainty within the commercial and industrial energy sector.
“A power purchase agreement, a lease, a bank loan or an upfront capital investment can each be the right answer, depending on a company’s cash flow, its appetite for risk and who it wants carrying the operational burden. Upfront cost is still the biggest hurdle we hear about, and the businesses that move fastest are the ones that understand these trade-offs before they approach a funder,” says Pombo-van Zyl.
For developers and energy professionals, matching customer requirements with the right financing structure can influence project viability and speed up decision-making. Equally, businesses considering solar investments need a clearer understanding of how to access commercial finance, what information funders require and where different funding models are most effective.
These practical considerations sit alongside broader industry discussions around energy affordability, investment readiness and the commercial pathways required to support continued growth in distributed renewable energy. Similar themes are being explored across ESI Africa’s energy coverage and industry engagement activities as organisations seek to balance cost certainty, energy security and long-term sustainability objectives.
Webinar details
Solar Funding 101 with Jaltech
Presenter: Jonty Sacks, Partner at Jaltech
Dates: 13, 16 and 20 October 2026
Time: 1pm (SAST) | Duration: 30 minutes
Platform: Zoom
During the session, participants will gain practical insight into:
- Commercial solar funding options currently available in the market
- The advantages and disadvantages of different funding structures
- How to assess customer requirements and align them with suitable funding solutions
- What funders look for when evaluating projects
- The process of securing commercial solar finance
Register for the Jaltech webinar here
Those unable to attend the live session are encouraged to register to receive access to the webinar recording after the event.
