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Can I get a loan to buy solar panels in Lebanon?

7 min read12 sourcesReviewed by Tatyana Alwan, lawyer, 18 Oct 2026
On this page
  1. Key facts
  2. What Banque de l'Habitat lends for solar
  3. The approvals solar adds
  4. Commercial banks and other schemes
  5. How to finance solar through a BDH renovation loan
  6. It depends on
  7. Common questions
  8. Sources

Short answer

We found no dedicated solar loan, but Banque de l'Habitat's renovation loan can include a solar system[1]. In US dollars it lends up to USD 50,000 over 7 to 10 years. With solar, BDH also asks for approval from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and the written approval of 75% of co-owners[1,2,3]. We found no commercial bank or donor scheme as of October 2026.

Also asked as: “solar loan Lebanon” · “Does Banque de l'Habitat finance solar panels?” · “Bank loan for a solar system in Lebanon” · “How to finance solar panels in Lebanon”

Solar rules are unsettled. In September 2026 the Council of Ministers dropped Joint Decision No. 1234 and referred the regulation of small solar systems to the electricity regulator[4,5,6]. This page covers what was published up to 17 October 2026.

Key facts

Dedicated solar loan
None found as of October 2026
BDH renovation loan in USD
up to USD 50,000 over 7 to 10 years[1], can include solar
BDH renovation loan in LBP
up to LBP 2 billion at 7%[2,7] a year, subject to amendment
Extra approvals for solar
Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, plus written approval of 75% of co-owners[1,2,3]
How the money is paid
In two instalments as the work progresses[1]
One household's system
about USD 3,000 (6 panels, one household)[8], reported by Al Jazeera in October 2026

What Banque de l'Habitat lends for solar

Banque de l'Habitat (BDH) has no solar product of its own. Its renovation loans can include a solar system, and also a waste-water treatment station[1]. According to BDH's pages read in October 2026, the USD loan runs from USD 20,000 to USD 50,000 over 7 to 10 years, with a grace period of up to 12 months, at 5.75% a year subject to amendment (APR 6.75%). The full rules are in BDH loans to renovate or build.

The bank pays the USD loan in two instalments as the work progresses, and only once it holds the title deed and a first-degree mortgage certificate[1]. You cannot repay early before 7 years. Because the bank takes the deed and a mortgage, the loan suits owners of registered property. BDH's pages do not mention tenants, so ask BDH if you rent.

The LBP loan lends up to LBP 2 billion over 7 to 10 years, with a 3-month grace period, at 7% a year subject to amendment (APR 7.97%)[2,7]. It is for families with net monthly income of LBP 50 million to 200 million, and for a main residence of up to 150 m². The home may belong to you, your spouse or a child who lives with you. Your total obligations may not pass 35% of net income, and the instalment may not pass 25%. You pay life insurance monthly in LBP and home insurance yearly in fresh dollars.

A small system may cost less than the loan's floor. Al Jazeera reported one household that spent about USD 3,000 (6 panels, one household)[8], and said such a system may not replace EDL and generator power. That is well below the USD loan's USD 20,000 minimum, so the USD loan makes most sense when solar is part of wider works. See what a solar system costs for an apartment.

The approvals solar adds

When a renovation loan includes solar, BDH asks for approval from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and the written approval of 75% of the building's co-owners' committee[1,2,3]. For a construction loan with solar, 75% of the property's shareholders must approve. BDH's pages tie the 75% rule to the solar option, while earlier summaries described it as a general condition. Ask BDH which reading it applies to your file.

The top roof of a building is a common part under the co-ownership decree[9,10]. The decree also lets the owners' association install useful equipment by at least 75% of owners' votes. No source applies that rule to solar panels, so it is our reading and a lawyer should confirm it. More in getting the other owners to agree to solar on a shared roof.

BDH's pages do not say what form the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities approval takes. The joint decision that set a solar procedure was dropped, and no procedures from the electricity regulator had been seen as of mid-October 2026[4,5,6]. Ask BDH which document it accepts, and ask your municipality what it issues. See whether you need a permit for solar panels.

Commercial banks and other schemes

As of October 2026 we found no commercial bank loan and no donor or government scheme for household solar. That does not prove none exists. Ask your own bank directly whether it lends for solar, in which currency, and against what security. For the wider lending picture, see whether commercial banks give mortgages in 2026.

Check the roof before you borrow. According to the head of the Lebanese Real Estate Authority, speaking in September 2026, a roof's structural capacity and fixing method should be checked first, especially in old or damaged buildings[4,6]. Once you have panels, the Ministry of Energy and Water says generator owners may not charge you extra fees for also using solar[11].

How to finance solar through a BDH renovation loan

  1. Check that you qualify. You need a registered home on which BDH can hold the title deed and a first-degree mortgage[1]. For the LBP loan, check the income band and the 150 m² limit[2,7].
  2. Get a written quote and a roof check. Ask the installer for the system size, battery and inverter in writing, and ask an engineer to look at the roof. The quote shows whether the system alone reaches the loan's minimum.
  3. Collect the co-owners' written approval. In a shared building, BDH asks for the written approval of 75% of co-owners[1,2,3]. Keep a signed copy from each owner who agrees.
  4. Ask BDH about the ministry approval. BDH asks for approval from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities[1,2,3], but the form is not published. Ask the branch exactly which document it wants and who issues it.
  5. Apply at BDH. The full document list is in how to apply for a BDH loan. Ask the branch to confirm the current rate, since BDH states both rates as subject to amendment[1][2,7].
  6. Register the mortgage and draw the loan in two stages. The bank pays only after it holds the deed and the mortgage certificate, in two instalments as the work progresses[1]. Pay your installer in step with those instalments.

It depends on

  • The currency you borrow in. The USD loan has a USD 20,000 minimum and a grace period of up to 12 months[1]. The LBP loan has income limits and a 3-month grace period[2,7]. Ask BDH which suits your income.
  • A shared building or your own house. In a building, you need 75% of the co-owners' committee; for a construction loan, 75% of the property's shareholders[1,2,3].
  • Who owns the home. BDH holds the deed and a mortgage, so the loan suits owners of registered property[1]. The LBP loan also accepts a home owned by your spouse or a child who lives with you[2,7]. BDH's pages do not mention tenants, so ask BDH, and agree any solar works with your landlord in writing.
  • Building a model-design house. Under Law 294/2022, houses built to the official model designs get 50% off built-property tax for five years if, among other options, solar panels are approved[12]. The law runs for five years from its publication in April 2022, so until about April 2027. Ask the Ministry of Finance whether it still applies to your house.
  • Rules still to come. The electricity regulator now handles small solar systems[4,5,6]. Ask your municipality what applies on the day you apply.

Common questions

Does Banque de l'Habitat finance solar panels?

Yes, as part of a renovation loan rather than a separate product. In US dollars it lends up to USD 50,000 over 7 to 10 years[1], and the loan may include a solar system.

Can a tenant get a loan for solar panels in Lebanon?

We found no loan for tenants. BDH pays its renovation loan only after it holds the title deed and a first-degree mortgage certificate, so it suits owners of registered property[1]. BDH's pages do not mention tenants, so ask BDH directly.

Do my neighbours have to agree before BDH lends for solar?

Yes, in a shared building. BDH asks for the written approval of 75% of the building's co-owners' committee, plus approval from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities[1,2,3].

How much does a home solar system cost in Lebanon?

Our sources include no installer price list. Al Jazeera reported in October 2026 on one household that paid about USD 3,000 (6 panels, one household)[8].

Sources

Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.

  1. 1.
    Banque de l'Habitat - Renovation Loan (USD) details

    Banque de l'Habitat S.A.L. · undated · read 17 Oct 2026

  2. 2.
    Banque de l'Habitat - Renovation Loan in LBP: loan details

    Banque de l'Habitat (BDH) · undated · read 17 Oct 2026

  3. 3.
    Banque de l'Habitat - Construction loan details

    Banque de l'Habitat S.A.L. (BDH) · undated · read 17 Oct 2026

  4. 4.
    Solar energy: the government drops the decision and regulation continues

    IMLebanon (Nidaa al-Watan) · 12 Sept 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026

  5. 5.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.
    LBP 300 billion of renovation loans from the Housing Bank

    An-Nahar · 22 Aug 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026

  8. 8.
  9. 9.
    Managing the ownership of floors and flats (Dr Nader Abdel Aziz Chaffi, Army Magazine issue 302-303, August 2010)

    Lebanese Army (Army Magazine, "We and the Law" section) · August 2010 · read 17 Oct 2026

  10. 10.
    Legislative Decree No. 88 of 16/9/1983 on co-ownership of built property

    Joseph Wanis Official Site (lawyer Joseph Wanis) · 22 Mar 2019 · read 17 Oct 2026

  11. 11.
    Private generator tariff for September 2026

    Beirut24 (reproducing National News Agency / Ministry of Energy and Water statement) · 1 Oct 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026

  12. 12.
    Law 294 of 14/4/2022: temporary reduction of fees for some building permits built to model designs

    Lebanese University Legal Informatics Center (DGU copy of Law 294/2022) · 14 Apr 2022 · read 17 Oct 2026