By Eamonn Ryan
While innovative structuring, standardisation, and smarter system design are beginning to unlock the ‘missing middle’, they are only part of the solution. As Jose Luis Bobes at the 2026 Solar & Storage Africa Live conference emphasised, broader ecosystem support – from policy frameworks to blended finance instruments – plays an equally critical role.
Lessons from international markets show how targeted interventions, community ownership models and risk-sharing mechanisms can accelerate investment and reduce costs. For the cold chain sector, these developments point to a future where finance is not only more accessible, but more closely aligned with long-term system performance and sustainability.
Beyond technical and financial structuring, the session also highlighted the importance of policy and institutional support. Examples from other regions illustrated how targeted government intervention can significantly reduce costs and unlock investment. In Egypt, for instance, strategic infrastructure development and risk mitigation mechanisms enabled dramatic reductions in the cost of solar energy. By providing grid connections, land and supporting infrastructure upfront, the government effectively removed key barriers for developers, allowing projects to proceed more efficiently and at lower cost.
Another compelling example came from Colombia, where community-owned mini-grid models have successfully delivered energy access while ensuring long-term sustainability. By giving local communities ownership and responsibility for their energy systems, these projects have avoided the maintenance and operational failures that often plague externally managed installations. While this model is primarily applied in rural electrification, the underlying principle – aligning ownership, accountability and long-term performance – has broader relevance, including for distributed energy systems supporting HVAC in commercial or industrial settings.
Financing instruments such as grants, guarantees and viability gap funding also play a crucial role, particularly in higher-risk environments. These mechanisms help bridge the gap between project costs and acceptable returns, making investments more attractive to private capital. However, their effectiveness depends on careful structuring and, once again, on the ability to standardise and replicate successful models.
The discussion concluded with a focus on due diligence, particularly in the context of aggregated portfolios. Here, the message was unequivocal: standardisation is not just beneficial – it is essential. Where projects within a portfolio follow consistent technical and contractual frameworks, financiers can streamline their evaluation process, often relying on sampling rather than exhaustive review. Where inconsistency prevails, complexity increases, costs rise and financing becomes more difficult to secure.
For HVAC&R professionals, the implications are that as the sector moves toward greater integration with energy systems, understanding the financial dimension becomes as important as mastering the technical one. The ability to design systems that are not only efficient, but also financeable, will be a key differentiator.
Ultimately, the transition to cleaner, more resilient energy systems will depend as much on innovative financing as on technological advancement. For those working in the cold chain, engaging with these emerging models – whether through standardised design, data-driven planning or collaboration with energy developers – will be essential in unlocking the next phase of growth.