CleanTech Report September 12th 2019 |
AFRICANamibia Sets A Foundation For Sustainable Solar, Renewable Energy and Socioeconomic DevelopmentNew solar energy markets and industry are emerging worldwide as costs continue to decline, performance improves, supply chains expand, solar-plus-storage systems march towards economic viability and solar power gains credibility in the government and private sectors. Why Ignoring Africa’s Climate Change Problem Could Have Devastating EffectsClimate change is a global challenge that demands global solutions. But we must acknowledge the fact that the most under resourced parts of the world are bearing the brunt of climate change, despite bearing the least responsibility for rising emissions. The Land Of Opportunity For Off-Grid SolarAfrica is the land of opportunity for investors in decentralized off-grid solar, and two big deals in the past week suggest the market will continue to consolidate and scale up to address the continent’s 600 million people without reliable electricity. |
ASIAAsia Undermining Efforts To Reduce Coal DependenceOver 80 percent of new coal investments are in the Asia Pacific region, where governments are pushed to meet a fast-growing demand for power. China’s Data Centers Emit As Much Carbon As 21 Million CarsChina’s data centers produced 99 million metric tons of carbon dioxide last year, the equivalent of about 21 million cars on the road, according to a new report. Data centers store electronic information like emails, photos and videos, and worldwide they consume between 3% and 5% of total global electricity, and rival the airline industry in terms of carbon emissions. Is The Future Of Renewable Energy In Asia To Share It?From June to October, Nepal and Bhutan could export large amounts of hydropower to India, where energy demand peaks amid the summer heat. In the drier months, as hydropower production falls, the Himalayan states could then tap into the solar and wind energy generated in India. |
AUSTRALIACanberra Will Be Home To One Of Australia’s Biggest Batteries As ACT Weans Off Fossil FuelsThe ACT will gain one of the nation’s biggest batteries, capable of powering 25,000 homes for two hours, as it moves to end its reliance on fossil fuels. Australian Renewable Energy Investment Slows As Policy Uncertainty And Regulatory Challenges MountClean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said following the good news last week that the 2020 large-scale Renewable Energy Target (RET) would be met, there is currently no energy and climate policy to replace it – giving pause to many major investors. Australian Mineral Prices Fall Despite Renewable Energy FutureAustralia’s green future is closer with the Government’s large-scale renewable energy target set to be met by 2020. |
EUROPECurvy Solar Cells May Be One Step Closer To RealityA basic organic solar cell consists of a thin film of organic semiconductors sandwiched between two electrodes which extract charges generated in the organic semiconductor layer to the external circuit. It has long been assumed that 100% of the surface of each electrode should be electrically conductive to maximize the efficiency of charge extraction. Piraeus Bank Joins Multi-Million-Euro Investment Program For Greek InfrastructurePiraeus Bank, Greece’s biggest lender, announced on Wednesday that it will support a new 650-million-euro ($716 million) infrastructure investment program developed by the Hellenic Ministry of Development and Investments and the European Investment Bank. EIB To Invest In Social Housing, Clean Energy And Transport Across EuropeThe European Investment Bank has agreed on 11 September €7 billion of new financing, that includes support for new investment to improve social housing, clean energy and sustainable transport, telecommunications, health and education. |
LATIN AMERICAColombia Unveils List Of Bidders For Upcoming Renewable AuctionColombia has identified the full roster of firms vying for contracts from the country’s first ever tender for large-scale renewables, due next month after months of delay. Brazil Secures Huge EIB Funding To Accelerate Renewable Energy AdoptionThe European Investment Bank has agreed to provide Brazil with a €150 million credit to boost the country’s portfolio of renewable energy. The credit will be issued through EDP Renovaveis to support the development of wind and solar power generation plants. Why Chile Is Becoming Latin America’s Data Center HubChile is already home to numerous data centers belonging to big names like Google, Century Link, Huawei and HP as well as local telcos Entel and Gtd, who have tapped into booming demand from an increasingly technological corporate sector that is migrating to the cloud. |
MENAMasdar And EDF To Establish Joint Venture Energy Services CompanyAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, and French low-carbon electricity leader EDF have signed an agreement to establish a 50:50 joint venture energy services company (ESCO). PV Inverter Market Industry Revenue Is Anticipated To Hit Over $4 Billion By 2024The PV inverter manufacturing company reported that the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) market has huge growth potential and is growing rapidly with 12 GW of utility-scale solar contracts. Recent market studies further reveal that 21 GW is likely to be installed in the pre-contract phase, in turn creating huge space of PV inverter market players to source lucrative growth avenues. Investments To Power Global Renewables IndustryGlobal investment in new capacity for renewable energy is on course to reach $2.6 trillion by the end of this decade, more than triple the amount of the previous decade, a report commissioned by the UN Environment Programme says. |
NORTH AMERICAGoldman Sachs’ Renewable Company Scores US $4 Billion For Clean Energy ProjectsGoldman Sachs Asset Management has reached the final close on capital commitments to Goldman Sachs Renewable Power, a private company that invests in renewable energy assets. In total, Goldman Sachs Renewable Power received approximately US$1.9 billion of equity capital commitments and expects to have approximately US$4 billion of total capital to invest, including debt capacity. Los Angeles Takes Step Toward Developing The Largest Solar Energy Plant In The U.S.Los Angeles’s public utility struck a deal on Tuesday with developer 8Minute Renewables to build the largest solar and battery energy storage system in the U.S., which officials and environmental activists say will provide the city with cheaper and cleaner energy and move the city closer to having 100% renewable energy by 2045, as mandated by a state law. Companies Continue To Drive Demand For Clean EnergyFigures from BloombergNEF reveal that businesses have signed up to buy 8.6GW of clean energy up to the end of July, up from 7.2GW over the same period last year, suggesting that the market is set to comfortably exceed the 2018 total of 13.6GW, which was itself a record. |
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