Finance
Pay monthly, not upfront.
Rent-to-own, fixed-period finance, power purchase agreements and project finance, from a single house to a utility-scale plant.
Solar calculator
What size system do you need?
A rough size to start the conversation. Our team confirms it from your bills and your site before anything is quoted.
Suggested system · lower bill
- Inverter5 kW
- Battery15.4 kWh3 × 5.12 kWh modules
- Solar panels8 panels550 W each · 4.4 kWp
How we worked this out
- Bill ÷ R3.5 per kWh ÷ 30 days = about 23.8 kWh a day.
- 5 peak sun hours a day, with 20% lost to heat, dust and cabling.
- Appliances ticked draw up to 385 W together; the inverter has 30% headroom for start-up surges.
- Batteries used to 90% of their capacity, sized for about 40% of your daily use in the evening.
- Not a quote: roof space, shading, your actual load profile and the brand you choose all change the final size.
Cash or monthly?
Both make sense. Your numbers decide.
Pay cash
Own it on day one.
- No monthly instalment, and no funder to satisfy
- The cheapest route in total, if the cash is idle
- Nothing to settle if you sell the property
Costs you the use of the capital.
Pay monthly
Keep the cash working.
- Paid monthly, against a bill you already pay monthly
- Capital stays in the business, where it usually earns more
- Warranties and support run exactly as they would on a cash buy
Costs you more in total, spread over the term.
Four routes
From a rooftop to a power plant.
Four ways to pay for a system, from rent-to-own on a home to project finance on a power plant.
Residential & commercial
Rent-to-own
- No large upfront capital
- Fixed monthly payments
- Ownership transfers after term
- Maintenance included
Through financial partners
Fixed-period financing
- Competitive interest rates
- Flexible terms, 3 to 10 years
- Quick approval
- Through our banking partners
Commercial & utility
Power purchase agreements
- Zero upfront cost
- Pay per kWh generated
- Long-term contracts, 10 to 20 years
- Predictable energy costs
Banks and development finance institutions
Project financing
- Large-scale project funding
- Export credit facilities
- Development finance
- Structured project finance
How applying works
From first quote to switched on.
- Step 01
Size the system
No funder prices a guess. Twelve months of bills is enough to start.
- Step 02
Match the route
Which route costs least depends on your tax position and your horizon.
- Step 03
Apply
Financials, the quote and the site go to the funder. Gather them early.
- Step 04
Install and hand over
From approval it runs exactly as a cash job does, sign-off included.
Frequently asked
The money questions.
The six we are asked most. Each answer depends on your numbers, so none of them pretend otherwise.
Which finance route is cheapest?
It depends on your tax position, how long you plan to hold the property and what the capital would earn if it stayed in your account. Cash is cheapest in total when the money is idle; over a long horizon, a power purchase agreement can undercut both. Send us twelve months of bills and we will run the comparison for your numbers.
Do I own the system at the end?
On rent-to-own and fixed-period finance, yes: ownership passes to you once the term is settled. On a power purchase agreement you are buying the power, not the equipment, so ownership stays with the project company unless the contract says otherwise.
What do I need before I apply?
Twelve months of electricity bills, a recent set of financials if it is a business, and the quote for the system. The funder prices what it can verify, so gather these early and the approval moves faster.
Can I finance a system for a property I rent?
Usually not as the tenant, because the system is secured against the property and its owner. If you are the landlord, financing against a rental property is possible, and the rent roll is part of what the funder will look at.
Does GC Solar lend the money?
No. GC Solar supplies and installs; the funding comes from our financial partners: rent-to-own providers, banks and development finance institutions. We prepare the paperwork and match the route, and the funder carries the loan.
Can the calculator work out my monthly payment?
No. It suggests a system size, but the monthly payment depends on the final price and the rate you qualify for. Send us your bills, we price the system first, and then the funder’s monthly number is real rather than estimated.
Get a real number
Priced, then funded.
Send twelve months of bills and what you want powered. We quote the system first, then match it to the funding route that costs you least.