Renewable Energy Asset Finance across the UK & Europe
Funding for battery energy storage, solar PV, wind and every major green technology — from £100,000 to £10 million for new assets, and refinance or sale and leaseback of operational renewables up to €100 million per transaction.
Funding Built Around the Project, Not One Technology
Most renewables projects today combine technologies. Solar is paired with battery storage, a fleet charging hub is buffered with BESS, and an industrial site adds a heat pump and a building management system. Many projects also span more than one country.
Oak Leasing is a bespoke pan-European funding facilitator for equipment finance, established in 1992. We are not a direct lender. We match each renewable project to the right funder from a panel of 40+ banks, lessors and specialist energy financiers across 30+ countries. The technology mix and the geography become structuring decisions, not reasons to decline.
We fund developers, independent power producers, commercial and industrial energy users, and installers. We also fund manufacturers that want a finance programme to sit behind their product.
Battery Energy Storage (BESS) Finance
Battery storage is the fastest-moving asset class in renewables, and one of the hardest to fund well. Revenue models are newer, the technology evolves quickly, and many mainstream lenders still treat BESS as an unfamiliar asset. We know which funders understand storage, and how to present a project so they can approve it.
Standalone BESS
Transmission and distribution-connected storage earning from trading, balancing and ancillary services.
Co-located Storage
Batteries added to new or operational solar and wind farms to capture curtailed generation and shift export.
Behind-the-Meter
On-site storage that cuts peak demand charges, improves self-consumption and provides backup resilience.
EV & Grid Buffering
Storage that supports rapid charging hubs and sites where the grid connection limits capacity.
What BESS funders assess
- Revenue stack — wholesale trading, Balancing Mechanism, frequency response, Capacity Market and any contracted floor or tolling income.
- Optimiser & route-to-market agreement — the counterparty and the terms of the revenue arrangement.
- Cell, PCS and integrator — supplier track record, performance warranty and guaranteed capacity.
- Degradation & augmentation — how capacity will be maintained over the funding term.
- Grid connection — secured connection agreement, timing and export or import limits.
- O&M, LTSA and insurance — including fire safety and site security arrangements.
How we structure storage
- Asset finance on new BESS — finance lease or hire purchase across containers, PCS, transformers and balance of plant.
- Stage payment funding — for European-manufactured equipment the funder pays the manufacturer's stage payments, secured by an advance payment guarantee. You pay only interest on the deposits made until delivery.
- Sale & leaseback of operational BESS — release capital from energised sites, up to €100m per transaction.
- Augmentation finance — fund replacement or additional capacity without refinancing the whole asset.
- Portfolio facilities — one framework for multiple sites across the UK and continental Europe.
Every Major Renewable & Green Technology
Generation, storage, efficiency and electrification can be financed individually or combined in one facility under one credit process.
Battery Storage
Grid-scale, co-located and behind-the-meter BESS, plus augmentation.
Commercial Solar PV
Rooftop, ground-mount, carports and solar canopies for C&I and multi-site portfolios.
Solar Farms
Utility and community-scale ground-mount, new build or refinance of operating assets.
Wind Turbines
Onshore, on-site and small-scale wind generation.
EV Charging
Fleet depots, destination charging and rapid hubs, including canopy and storage.
Heat Pumps
Air, ground and water source systems for low-carbon commercial heat.
Combined Heat & Power
CHP and trigeneration for efficient on-site energy.
Anaerobic Digestion
Waste-to-energy and biomethane plant.
Grid & Electrical Infrastructure
Transformers, switchgear, substations and private wire.
Building Management Systems
Monitoring, controls and energy optimisation.
LED & Voltage Optimisation
High-certainty savings. LED finance →
Boilers, Generators & Heating
Efficient heating plant and standby or supplementary power.
Green Asset Finance Structures
The right structure depends on the asset, its revenue profile, your tax position and your balance sheet. We compare options across the funder panel rather than offering one product.
| Structure | How it works | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Finance Lease | The funder owns the asset and you have full use of it for the primary term, with rentals typically aligned to savings or revenue. | C&I solar, BESS and heat projects that need predictable, cash-flow-matched costs. |
| Hire Purchase | You take ownership at the end of the term and can typically claim capital allowances from the start. | Businesses that want ownership and the tax treatment that comes with it. |
| Operating Lease | The funder takes a residual value position, which lowers rentals. Options to return, extend or upgrade the asset. | Technology with faster refresh cycles, such as EV charging and storage. |
| Sale & Leaseback / Refinance | Release capital from operational, energised assets to recycle into new projects. | Developers and IPPs with operating solar, wind or BESS. Up to €100m per transaction. |
| Stage Payment Funding | The funder pays European manufacturers' stage payments against an advance payment guarantee. You pay interest only on the deposits drawn until delivery. | UK buyers of European-manufactured plant with long build times. |
| Vendor Programmes | Point-of-sale finance under your brand, standardised across UK and European markets. | Manufacturers, installers and EPCs. Considered from £10,000 within a programme. |
Renewable Energy Funding for Every Part of the Value Chain
Developers & IPPs
Construction-to-operation asset finance, portfolio facilities and refinance of energised sites.
Commercial & Industrial
Manufacturers, logistics, food, healthcare and property owners cutting energy cost and carbon.
Installers & EPCs
Customer finance that closes more projects at the point of sale, across every technology you install.
Manufacturers
Pan-European vendor leasing programmes that follow your range as it grows from solar to storage to charging.
One Arranger for Cross-Border Renewables
A multi-site or multi-country renewables rollout is structured once, not rebuilt market by market. We work with local funders who understand each country's grid, subsidy and tax framework, and we coordinate the whole programme under one process.
United Kingdom
BESS, C&I solar, EV charging and heat. Renewable energy asset finance
Germany & Austria
PV, storage and industrial efficiency. PV-Leasing · Batteriespeicher-Finanzierung
France
Rooftop solar, ombrières and storage. Crédit-bail photovoltaïque
Netherlands & Belgium
Grid-constrained sites, BESS and solar. Lease zonnepanelen zakelijk
Italy
Industrial solar and storage. Leasing fotovoltaico aziendale
Spain & Portugal
Self-consumption PV and hybrid storage. Renting placas solares empresas
From Project Brief to Funded Asset
Project review
Technology mix, sites, capex, revenue or savings case, and the timetable.
Funder matching
We approach the funders on our 40+ panel whose appetite fits the asset, sector and country.
Structure & terms
Compared options with total cost and cash-flow impact shown clearly from the outset.
Completion
Documentation, stage payments where relevant, and activation on delivery or commissioning.
Trusted Across the UK and Europe
"Oak Leasing provided us with an efficient and helpful service getting us the right leasing solution at great value."Lambert KleinjansEnergiekontor UK Ltd
"John is one of the most honest and straight forward people I have had the pleasure to deal with."Charles Towers ClarkCEO, Pod Group of Companies
Renewable Energy Asset Finance FAQs
Can you finance battery energy storage (BESS) projects?
Yes. Oak Leasing arranges finance for grid-scale, co-located and behind-the-meter battery storage across the UK and Europe. This covers new-build asset finance on containers, PCS and balance of plant, stage payment funding for European-manufactured equipment, augmentation finance, and sale and leaseback of operational BESS up to €100m per transaction.
Can merchant battery storage be financed, or does it need a contracted revenue?
Both can be financed, but the funder pool and terms differ. Contracted income, such as a tolling agreement, a revenue floor or Capacity Market agreements, widens the panel and improves pricing. Merchant projects can still be funded where the optimiser, revenue forecasts, sponsor strength and equity contribution support the case.
What renewable technologies do you finance?
Battery storage, commercial solar PV, solar farms, wind turbines, EV charging, heat pumps, combined heat and power, anaerobic digestion, grid and electrical infrastructure, building management systems, LED and voltage optimisation, boilers and generators. These can be financed individually or combined in one facility.
What size of renewable project do you fund?
New renewable asset finance typically ranges from £100,000 to £10 million, in GBP or EUR. Refinance and sale and leaseback of large operational assets is available up to €100 million per transaction. Smaller amounts from £10,000 are considered only within an established vendor or manufacturer programme.
How does stage payment funding work for renewable equipment?
For European-manufactured equipment bought by UK businesses, the funder pays the manufacturer's stage payments, secured by an advance payment guarantee. Until delivery, you pay only interest on the deposits as they are drawn. Full rentals start once the asset is delivered. This protects working capital during long build programmes. Most main clearing banks will not offer this structure.
Can I refinance an operational solar farm or battery site?
Yes. Sale and leaseback releases capital from energised solar, wind and BESS assets so it can be recycled into new projects. Oak Leasing's large-asset refinance facility, with a major independent European funder, supports up to €100m per transaction.
Can you fund a multi-country renewables rollout?
Yes. With 40+ funder relationships across 30+ European countries, Oak Leasing coordinates multi-site and cross-border renewables programmes through one framework. You do not need a separate funder relationship in every market.
Do I pay Oak Leasing a fee?
Oak Leasing is not a direct lender. Our fees are typically paid by the funder on activation, and the cost of each option is disclosed clearly before you commit.
Tell Us the Technology, the Sites and the Markets
Whether it is a single battery storage site, a C&I solar portfolio or a cross-border rollout, we will tell you which funders and structures fit.
Speak to a European Funding Director →A Bespoke Pan-European Funding Facilitator
Oak Leasing Ltd is a bespoke pan-European funding facilitator for equipment finance across the UK and Europe, established in 1992. We have financed renewable and energy-efficient assets for more than three decades, and we are a specialist in vendor leasing programmes.
We do not lend, we arrange. Our panel of 40+ funders includes bank-owned lessors, captive finance companies, specialist energy financiers and alternative credit providers. That means our recommendation is the structure that fits the project, not the product we happen to hold. Oak Leasing is a founding member of the Guild of Business Finance Professionals.
- 30+ European countries
- 40+ funder relationships
- £100k–£10m new asset finance
- Refinance to €100m per transaction
- Stage payment funding for European equipment
- Vendor programmes from £10,000
- Fees typically paid by funders
- Founding member, Guild of Business Finance Professionals
© 2026 Oak Leasing Ltd. Registered Office: Lynx House, Ferndown, Northwood Hills, Middlesex HA6 1PQ. All transactions are subject to credit approval and funder terms. Oak Leasing is not a direct lender. On activation, we typically receive a commission or arrangement fee from the funder. Final terms depend on status, asset type, sector and credit history. Typical transaction size is £100,000 to £10 million. Vendor programmes are considered from £10,000. This page is for information only and does not constitute financial, tax or investment advice. Privacy · Terms