BNEF Tier 1 Lists: The Mark of Credibility | Switched On

Why It Matters

The Tier One label functions as a practical white list for developers, lenders and buyers, reducing procurement and financing risk in an opaque, fast‑growing market and materially affecting which suppliers win projects and financing. Inclusion can therefore drive sales and access to capital for manufacturers.

Summary

BloombergNEF’s Tier One lists — published quarterly for solar modules, inverters and batteries — rank manufacturers that meet a transparent, deployment-based bankability threshold. The lists are built from BNEF’s project database and identify suppliers whose products have been used in recently financed, non‑recourse projects, which signals they have passed lenders’ technical due diligence. The methodology is public and strictly applied to avoid subjective judgments, but inclusion remains commercially sensitive and closely watched across the industry. Originating in 2007, the lists have become a widely used shorthand for narrowing a crowded supplier field.

Original Description

BloombergNEF’s Tier 1 lists have become a defining feature of the clean energy industry. Built on real project deployment data, they track which manufacturers’ products are actually being used in large, recently financed projects, offering a transparent way to navigate markets crowded with hundreds of suppliers. That simplicity has made the lists highly influential, but being on (or off) the list doesn’t tell the full story about product quality or risk. So what do these lists really reveal about the industry, and how should they be used in practice? On today’s show, Tom Rowlands-Rees is joined by Jenny Chase, lead solar analyst at BNEF, to discuss the Tier 1 lists’ genesis, their application, and why they help us understand the “Wild West” of the energy transition.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEFGO on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com (https://www.bnef.com/)

Links to research notes from this episode:

BNEF Energy Storage Tier 1 List 2Q 2026 - https://www.bnef.com/insights/33123 (https://www.bnef.com/insights/33123)

Company Ranking: Tier 1 PV Module Makers - https://www.bnef.com/insights/10610 (https://www.bnef.com/insights/10610)

Company Ranking: Tier 1 Power Inverter Makers - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32073 (https://www.bnef.com/insights/32073)

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The future of energy, transport, sustainability and more, as told by BNEF analysts. Each week, Dana Perkins and Tom Rowlands-Rees sit down with BloombergNEF (BNEF) analysts to uncover the key findings and stories behind their latest research.

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