The technology has been ready for years; the money is what holds businesses back. Here are the financing routes that put solar and cold storage on your site without a cheque for the equipment, and how to tell which one fits you.
Key facts
- Energy-as-a-Service: provider owns and maintains everything; you pay a fixed monthly fee. Best for sites with steady cold or motor loads.
- Power purchase agreement (PPA): you pay per kWh produced. Best for sites with daytime-heavy loads and no cold chain.
- Equipment lease: you pay monthly and own the system at the end. Best if you want the asset on your books.
- Direct purchase: cheapest over the long run if you have the cash and can carry maintenance risk.
Energy-as-a-Service
Frontières Bay finances, installs, owns and maintains solar, battery and cold storage at your site under a 5–10 year contract. Your fee is fixed and set 20–30% below your current diesel plus grid spend. Monitoring, maintenance and insurance are ours. It fits businesses spending roughly US$2,000 a month or more on energy with a load that runs most of the day.
Who qualifies
- 3+ years trading, with bank statements
- Roof or land for the solar array
- Revenue in US dollars or another hard currency — or a project of about US$1M of equipment with currency protections
- A cold load or heavy motor load running most of the day
- Some grid supply, or approval for gas backup at off-grid sites
What the process looks like
A free energy audit (remote first, then on site), a written proposal with the fee and savings, a contract, then 10–14 weeks to an operating system. Exporters earning dollars can go from first call to signed contract in a few weeks; local-currency projects take longer because a bank guarantee and insurance are arranged alongside.
Find out which route fits your site.
Talk to Frontières BayFrequently asked
Is there a credit check?
Yes — three years of accounts or bank statements and a local guarantor for smaller sites. The equipment is ours, so we underwrite the customer, not the asset.
Can a group of small businesses share one contract?
Yes. Several sites under one contract is a common way for local-currency customers to reach the project size that makes protections affordable.