Insights ·
“We are Tier 1”: Tier 1 of what, exactly?
It's the most repeated phrase in the energy sector, and almost nobody knows what it actually means. It's used for three different things and only one should matter to you.
“We are Tier 1.” It's the most repeated phrase in the energy sector. And almost nobody knows what it actually means.
It's used for three different things and only one should matter to you:
- BloombergNEF's “Tier 1” measures exactly one thing: whether banks finance large utility-scale plants using that brand. BNEF itself warns in every edition: it is not a measure of product quality. A manufacturer can make mediocre products and be Tier 1. Another can make excellent products and never appear on the list, because they only sell residential.
- Cell-level “Tier 1” is something else: the world's leading cell manufacturers (CATL, EVE, BYD, CALB...). This one does speak of quality, of the component that decides your battery's life.
- And marketing “Tier 1”, the one printed in catalogues without saying which list, which year, or of what.
The practical trap
The battery in your home or restaurant will never be financed by a utility project bank. The BloombergNEF badge protects you from nothing.
What does protect you
- Which cell is inside (manufacturer and grade: verified, not declared).
- The certificate of the complete system (IEC 62619 with its test report).
- And someone having cross-checked those papers against the physical product.
We don't show you a label. We show you the report.