BloombergNEF’s Tier 1 lists have become a defining feature of the clean energy industry. Built on real project deployment data, they track which manufacturers’ products are actually being used in large, recently financed projects, offering a transparent way to navigate markets crowded with hundreds of suppliers. That simplicity has made the lists highly influential, but being on (or off) the list doesn’t tell the full story about product quality or risk. So what do these lists really reveal about the industry, and how should they be used in practice? On today’s show, Tom Rowlands-Rees is joined by Jenny Chase, lead solar analyst at BNEF, to discuss the Tier 1 lists’ genesis, their application, and why they help us understand the “Wild West” of the energy transition.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com

Links to research notes from this episode:

BNEF Energy Storage Tier 1 List 2Q 2026 - https://www.bnef.com/insights/33123

Company Ranking: Tier 1 PV Module Makers - https://www.bnef.com/insights/10610

Company Ranking: Tier 1 Power Inverter Makers - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32073

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