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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment

Why solar bonds are a bright idea

Solar panel fitters at work on a home in Folkestone, Kent
‘A household that can pay for solar upfront saves money from day one.’ Photograph: Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Getty Images

The UK proposal to use “solar bonds” to make rooftop solar more affordable is a smart solution to a fundamental problem: the rising cost of capital (Cut cost of loans for solar panels on UK homes, ministers urged, 21 August).

A household that can pay for solar upfront saves money from day one. For everyone else, high-interest financing can consume much of those savings and ultimately deter people from installing the technology. A solar bond structure changes that equation: investors receive a modest, guaranteed return, and homeowners get access to cheaper capital. Because the loan is attached to the property rather than the individual, there’s no issue if the person moves.

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