In the final episode of Season 2 of The OpenSolar Podcast, Birchy sits down with Dave Hindle, CEO and Founder of Propensio Finance, to explore one of the biggest barriers to solar adoption: affordability.

After more than 30 years in consumer finance, Dave has seen firsthand how the right funding can unlock life-changing purchases. Today, he’s applying that experience to renewable energy, helping more homeowners make the switch to solar through integrated finance.

Part industry insight, part practical discussion, the episode explores why finance should be a seamless part of every solar proposal, how Integrated Finance is removing friction for installers and customers alike, and why making clean energy more accessible benefits everyone.

Also available to stream on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Thirty years of making big purchases more accessible

Dave didn’t start his career in solar.

Long before renewable energy entered the conversation, he spent more than three decades helping consumers finance major purchases through some of the UK’s largest lenders.

When he co-founded Propensio in 2018, the goal was to make funding more accessible to customers overlooked by traditional lenders while supporting industries with genuine long-term impact.

Renewable energy quickly became the obvious fit.

«We wanted to be at the forefront of the journey to net zero,» Dave says.

When affordability becomes the final hurdle

Solar has never made more financial sense. System performance continues to improve. Batteries are becoming the norm. Yet while the technology has advanced, household energy costs remain volatile. In 2026 alone, Ofgem’s energy price cap fell to £1,641 before rising 13% just three months later to £1,862 as wholesale gas prices climbed again.

Yet for many homeowners, the biggest hurdle isn’t understanding the value of solar. It’s paying for it.

For Dave, finance removes barriers to solar by making it more affordable and accessible, so more households can access technology that might otherwise remain out of reach.

«When you’re replacing an energy bill with a monthly payment that’s often less than the bill itself, it almost sells itself,» Dave explains.

Why Integrated Finance matters

Consumers already expect finance to be available when buying a car, a kitchen or a new bathroom.

Solar should be no different.

Dave believes finance works best when it’s built into the customer journey, not treated as a separate conversation after the sale.

That’s exactly what Integrated Finance was designed to do.

By integrating finance directly into proposals, installers can give customers more choice without adding friction to the sales process. Customers can explore payment options alongside their solar proposal, while the finance application is handled through one connected journey.

For homeowners, it’s simpler.

For installers, it removes complexity.

For both, it makes moving to clean energy easier.

Making it easier for installers

Historically, offering finance in the UK has meant navigating complex regulation or becoming FCA authorised.

It’s one of the reasons we partnered with Propensio. OpenSolar’s Finance Marketplace allows installers to present compliant finance options directly within their proposals at no cost and without having to become FCA-approved, with lenders like Propensio managing applications behind the scenes.

The result is a simpler experience for installers, a smoother journey for customers and fewer barriers to closing the sale.

What is the UK’s Green Finance Scheme?

The UK’s upcoming Green Finance Scheme could become one of the biggest changes to residential solar in years.

While the final details are still being confirmed, the aim is clear: to make clean energy technologies like solar and battery storage more affordable through lower-cost finance.

For homeowners, that means more accessible monthly payments and fewer upfront cost barriers.

For installers, it could mean more customers saying yes.

As financing becomes more competitive, customers are likely to ask more questions about payment options, not just system size or projected savings. 

What Pros need to know

If the Green Finance Scheme rolls out as expected, now is the time to prepare.

Here’s how your business can get ahead:

• Stay up to date with the latest Green Finance Scheme announcements and understand what they mean for your customers.
• Make finance part of the conversation early, rather than waiting until the end of the sales process.
• Present finance options alongside every proposal so customers can compare payment choices as they make their decision.
• Be ready to answer common questions about affordability, repayments and available funding.

This is another step toward removing one of the biggest barriers to solar adoption and a clear example of the government recognising the opportunity to make clean energy more accessible to everyone.