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SFCE 9/24
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Solar Panels Market Forecast to Reach $180.7 Billion by 2021
Sep 23, 2015 | Market Watch
The stability of the solar panels market leads to a new and irreversible positive thrust and market development is certain to occur, only with a question of 'how fast?' says this 2015 research that forecasts a $180.7 Billion value by 2021. -
Solar Weaklings Shudder on Tianwei Collapse
Sep 23, 2015 | Alt Energy Stocks
By Doug Young
...The bigger picture to this story is that Beijing now appears willing to let weaker and less efficient solar panel makers and their suppliers fail, in an effort to create a more solid foundation for the remaining stronger players. The government already allowed an earlier round of failures that included former giants Suntech and LDK, but no major closures have come since then. But that looks set to change now. -
How the U.S. and China Can Join Forces to Fight the Common Enemy -- Climate Change
Sep 23, 2015 | Huffington Post
By Wang Tao
In just over 20 days after celebrating, in different ways, their 70th anniversary of victories in WWII, President Xi will meet President Obama in Washington for his first state visit to the U.S. as Chinese president. Unlike 70 years ago, the common enemy the two countries face this time is no longer Japanese militarism, but instead, economic uncertainty and climate change. -
Why Big Business Is Taking Climate Change Seriously
Sep 23, 2015 | Time Magazine
By Justin Worland
Politicians and policymakers have long explained their opposition to action on climate change as an effort to protect the economy and jobs. Reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions would require devastating economic losses, their argument goes. -
Unlikely Coalition Forms To Back Renewable Energy
Sep 23, 2015 | Huffington Post
By Jenny Che
Nine of the country's biggest companies just helped set a new standard for corporate sustainability. -
Nike, Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, And Others Join Pledge For 100% Renewable Electricity
Sep 23, 2015 | Clean Technica
By Joshua S Hill
Big-name Fortune 500 companies like Goldman Sachs, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, and others, have pledged to 100% renewable electricity. -
Total Plans $500 Million Annual Investment in Renewable Energy
Sep 23, 2015 | Bloomberg
By Javier Blas
Total SA plans to invest $500 million a year in renewable energy, a step by Europe’s second-largest oil and gas company to expand in biofuels and solar. -
UK government says 4% returns are plenty for solar
Sep 23, 2015 | PV-Tech
By Liam Stroker
The UK government’s response to a petition calling for dramatic feed-in tariff cut proposals to be reversed has been criticised after it insisted expected returns of 4% would be “appropriate” for the industry to operate. -
India cabinet set to approve aggressive 40% renewable goal
Sep 23, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
India’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is rumored to be considering the approval of aggressive new clean energy targets that would require the nation to source 40% of its power from renewable sources by 2030. -
Zambia Set To Adopt Feed-in Tariffs For Renewable Energy
Sep 24, 2015 | Clean Technica
By Smiti Mittal
The Zambian Government is in the final stages in the development of a comprehensive feed-in tariff regime for renewable energy projects.
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Solar Panels Market Forecast to Reach $180.7 Billion by 2021
Sep 23, 2015 | Market Watch
The stability of the solar panels market leads to a new and irreversible positive thrust and market development is certain to occur, only with a question of 'how fast?' says this 2015 research that forecasts a $180.7 Billion value by 2021.
Complete report on solar panels market spread across 537 pages, analyzing and profiling 42 companies and supported with 212 tables and figures is now available at http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/345439-solar-panels-market-shares-strategies-and-forecasts-worldwide-2015-to-2021.html .
Worldwide solar panels market is growing as units become more efficient and less costly for generating electricity. Rapid adoption of solar panels, globally, is occurring as systems provide peak power efficiently. Solar panels market driving forces relate primarily to the prospect of inexpensive, lasting energy from the sun. In 2015, analysts agree, a tipping point has been reached, solar panel markets are at the critical point in the market development, where an inevitability of adoption is certain. Solar panels market has been an up and down evolving situation that was completely dependent on government subsidies.
Solar panels market has crossed a threshold and gains will possibly have significant momentum, triggered by the technology. Solar panel adoption is now a dynamic process of innovation, insight, and influence through advocacy. The critical point in solar panel market adoption is a process that is now unstoppable. The growth of solar has been driven by a single paradigm at the federal and state levels worldwide. Now, with China so entirely dedicated to making solar less expensive than coal electrical generation, solar energy will take hold worldwide. Almost all solar has taken advantage of and needed to take advantage of -- state-level incentives. China has had government subsidies for a long time. This continues to be the case, but in China now, grid parity is a result of taxing coal electrical generation, making solar panels attractive. The US is poised to see rapid adoption of solar panels market in various regions.
Solar companies profiled in this solar panels market 2015-2021 report include A Power Energy, Abengoa Solar, Akeena Solar, Anwell Group / SunGen, Applied Materials, Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., ATS, Canadian Solar, China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC) / TIANWEI New Energy Holdings Co., Ltd. (TWNE), Conergy AG, Daqo New Energy, Dyesol, ET Solar, First Solar, Gintech, Global PVQ SE, created to take over the assets of Q-Cells SE, Hanwha Q Cells, Hoku Scientific, JA Solar, JinkoSolar, Juwi, Kyocera, Magaldi, Mubadala / Masdar, MEMC, Motech, Panasonic / Sanyo Solar, Petra Solar, Scatec Solar, SENER Sharp Solar, SMA Solar Technology AG, SolarWorld, Suniva Inc., SunPower, Tata Solar, Torresol Energy, Trina Solar, VDE, Yingli Green Energy and Shunfeng Wuxi Suntech Power SunTech. Order a copy of Solar Panels Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2015 to 2021 research report athttp://www.reportsnreports.com/Purchase.aspx?name=345439 .
Regionally, analysts forecast the solar panels market in the APAC region to grow at 11.5% CAGR over the period 2014-2019. The research titled Solar Panel Market in the APAC Region 2015-2019 [http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/344472-solar-panel-market-in-the-apac-region-2015-2019.html ] segments the market based on end-user and type. A solar panel (also called a PV module) is a collection of solar cells engraved from silicon wafers that generates electricity by capturing the sunlight. Solar panel systems include solar PV inverters, which connect numerous solar panels to a power grid to ensure improved efficiency and increased reliability in the grid. There are two types of solar cells: crystalline silicon and thin-film. Thin-film cells can be deposited as thin layers that measure less than 1 micron. These cells are less expensive compared to silicon and help manufacturers build solar panels of different sizes and shapes depending on the requirement.
Jinko Solar, Sharp, Suntech Power Holdings, Trina Solar, Yingli Green Energy, Bosch Solar Energy, Hanwha SolarOne, HHV Solar, JA Solar Holdings, LDK Solar and Panasonic are companies mentioned in this regional solar panels market report focused on APAC, spread across 78 pages, supported with 31 data exhibits and available at http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/344472-solar-panel-market-in-the-apac-region-2015-2019.html .
Explore more solar energy market reports [http://www.reportsnreports.com/tags/solar-energy-market-research.html ] and other newly published research on overall energy and power industries athttp://www.reportsnreports.com/market-research/energy-and-power-supplies .
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Solar Weaklings Shudder on Tianwei Collapse
Sep 23, 2015 | Alt Energy Stocks
By Doug Young
News that solar panel material maker Baoding Tianwei is on the brink of collapse has sent shudders through the entire sector, as everyone guesses who might be next to fall in a looming new clean-up of China’s bloated industry. Tianwei has been in trouble for a while now, after the company became the first state-run firm to ever default on a domestic bond interest payment back in April.
That development certainly didn’t bode well for Tianwei, but it remained unclear if the local government or Beijing would ultimately step in to bail out the company and save its investors. Now we finally have the answer to that question, following media reports that Tianwei and 3 of its business units are formally filing for bankruptcy. (English article;Chinese article)
The bigger picture to this story is that Beijing now appears willing to let weaker and less efficient solar panel makers and their suppliers fail, in an effort to create a more solid foundation for the remaining stronger players. The government already allowed an earlier round of failures that included former giants Suntech and LDK, but no major closures have come since then. But that looks set to change now.
According to the latest reports, Tianwei announced its insolvency and inability to pay its debts on the website Chinamoney.com.cn, a website of the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. The company cited the slowdown in the broader global economy, as well as overcapacity in the solar panel sector for its decision.
Tianwei was traditionally a maker of electrical transformers, but more recently got into the business of making polysilicon, the main material used to makes solar panels. Such a move may sound puzzling to many westerners, but is actually quite common for big Chinese state-run companies that often rush into new business areas that Beijing sets as priority areas for development.
In this case, Tianwei and many other state-run firms piled into the solar sector, only to incur big losses when their mass action created a huge oversupply on the global market. Tianwei reported a loss of 10.14 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) last year, with total debt at 21 billion yuan, far higher than its total assets of 13 billion yuan.Solar Sell-Off
Tianwei’s bankruptcy announcement sent shivers through stocks of US-listed solar panel makers, as investors worried over what the bankruptcy might mean for the rest of the sector. In this case it’s quite easy to tell which companies are the biggest sources of concern by looking at the magnitude of their share declines.
Leading that group was the wobbliest company, Yingli (NYSE: YGE), whose shares plunged 24 percent on the news. Yingli is one of the few major solar players that failed to return to profitability as the sector downturn eased, and previously warned that it could be in danger of going out of business. Adding to the worries, the company’s headquarters are also in the northern Chinese city of Baoding where Tianwei is based, indicating the local government may not step in to provide any relief.
The other big loser in the Friday sell-off was the loss-making ReneSola (NYSE: SOL), whose shares tumbled 14 percent to close below the symbolically significant $1 threshold. Most other solar companies also got caught up in the sell-off but to a smaller extent, with stronger names Canadian Solar (Nasdaq: CSIQ) and Trina (NYSE: TSL) both down by around 7 percent.
Shareholders are correct to be worried about weaker names like Yingli and Renesola, as these companies clearly could face growing difficulties if their financial situation continues to deteriorate. But I question the sell-off for the strong names like Canadian Solar, since these companies could be well positioned to buy up assets at bargain prices from failed companies like Tianwei and others that could soon follow into bankruptcy.
Doug Young has lived and worked in China for 15 years, much of that as a journalist for Reuters writing about Chinese companies. He currently lives in Shanghai where he teaches financial journalism at Fudan University. He writes daily on his blog, Young´s China Business Blog, commenting on the latest developments at Chinese companies listed in the US, China and Hong Kong. He is also author of a new book about the media in China, The Party Line: How The Media Dictates Public Opinion in Modern China.
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How the U.S. and China Can Join Forces to Fight the Common Enemy -- Climate Change
Sep 23, 2015 | Huffington Post
By Wang Tao
In just over 20 days after celebrating, in different ways, their 70th anniversary of victories in WWII, President Xi will meet President Obama in Washington for his first state visit to the U.S. as Chinese president. Unlike 70 years ago, the common enemy the two countries face this time is no longer Japanese militarism, but instead, economic uncertainty and climate change.
This is the third formal meeting between Xi and Obama, and it is likely to be the last. The first one was in June 2013, the "private" meeting held in at the Sunnylands, California. The two reached an agreement to build the "Sino-U.S. new type of major power relationship," and together with the development of their personal relationships, provided an impetus to build mutual trust and set a clear strategic direction for Sino-U.S. relations.
The second was in November 2014 during the Beijing APEC summit, when President Obama made a state visit to China. The outcome was very successful, including the "U.S.-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change," a landmark moment after years of international climate change negotiations, bringing a bright prospect to the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris at the end of 2015.
For the third meeting between President Xi and Obama, both countries and the international community have good reason to have high expectations.
However, this meeting is also taking place at a time with more difficulties and complications. Since 2015, Sino-U.S. differences on a range of issues have deteriorated. Although some progress was still made in June during the 7th round of Strategic Economic Dialogue, inevitably hot-button issues negatively affected the bilateral relations.World Economy in Flux
Yet a series of recent fluctuations in the Chinese and the world economy reminded everyone of the necessity for the two countries to cooperate. The Shanghai A-share index has fallen about 40 percent from the high point in June. Prices of mass commodities, including crude oil, experienced another sharp fall after an unexpected devaluation of the Chinese renminbi in August, followed by disruption in European and American stock markets.
Weak demand from China also dampened the expectations of oil prices, adding threat to the U.S. shale boom, which it has based its economic recovery upon. The road to transitioning the Chinese economy to a "new normal" is anything but flat, and the expectation of the Fed raising rates has complicated overall implications on the world economy, especially for the emerging economies. Economic decision-making in the world's two largest economies in the coming months may have decisive impacts on the world economy as it approaches 2020. Reaching a coordinated and common understanding of respective economic policies at the third meeting between presidents Xi and Obama will have immense importance in stabilizing the world economy.Critical Moment for Climate Change
The climate change negotiations have also reached the most critical time. After Xi's visit to the U.S., there's just over 10 weeks before the UN climate conference in Paris. Whether Xi and Obama could bring further consensus and cooperation between thetwo largest emitters is also a question warmly expected by international community.
Ironically, the world now faces a similar economic difficulty as before Copenhagen in 2009, only the U.S. and China have switched positions. Back in 2009, the Chinese economy outperformed the rest of the world under the 4 trillion yuan stimulus package, while the U.S. and Europe were struggling in financial turmoil. The 2008 economic crisis was regarded as one of the reasons for the failure in Copenhagen 2009. Now the Chinese economy is a real concern to many with worrying indicators in industry and energy demand, whereas the U.S. economy is on track for strongrecovery partly driven by the shale oil and gas boom, with employment rate better than expected. Could there be a different outcome to 2009 due to this role reversal?
The Chinese government needs to make hard choices in the second half of 2015. Is it to go back to the old path of heavy industrialization and investment to stimulate the economy, or insist on restructuring, implementing the long awaited reform in production factor pricing and state-owned monopoly enterprises? The former means greater environmental risk, possibly making the early conservation efforts in vain, while the latter means enduring greater pain in economy in the short term. Given the scale of the Chinese economy and environmental impacts, either choice would have global implications. However, environment conversations and economic development are not necessarily an either-or choice. Good investment can also drive good economic transitions.
If the Chinese government could make better use of market mechanisms to control pollution, providing a supportive environment for clean energy and environment technologies, China's environmental protection efforts and carbon reduction targets could turn into huge economic opportunities. The Chinese economy is a real concern to many with worrying indicators in industry and energy demand, whereas the U.S. economy is on track for strong recovery partly driven by the shale oil and gas boom.
It is estimated that the total environmental investment needed during the "Thirteenth Five Plan" in China is expected to be more than 1 trillion U.S. dollars, while the Chinese government can only provide 15 percent of the funds. The United States can use their own experience and technology to help China to achieve this goal, while bringing greater market opportunities for their own business.
Investment and technical cooperation in key areas have been identified and agreed by both governments in the latest SED, including heavy-load truck fuel standards, electric vehicles, shale gas, industrial boiler efficiency, and smart grids. The Chinese government hopes to promote public-private partnership projects in these areas as primary means of stabilizing economic growth, but inadequacy in protecting private investment and poor coordination in project management between private and public partners are still prevailing barriers. The Chinese government could learn from U.S. experience in effectively utilizing market forces to guide and encourage private investment towards these areas.
China also needs to deepen the reform in the energy sector. Since the Third Plenum of the Eighteenth Party Congress, President Xi has repeatedly pledged to carry out reform in monopolizing state owned enterprise, and to let the market be the decisive power in allocation of resources. Progress was made in the past two years, but only slowly. If China wishes to replicate the shale boom of U.S., it needs to break down the restrictions of access to oil and gas resources, to establish a vibrant oil and gas trading system, while continuing to push for reforms in oil, gas and power markets.
As a cleaner fossil energy, natural gas can make contributions to both environmental protection and economic prosperity, but the main obstacle is not price nor supply, but the market and trade restrictions, as well as distorted pricing of alternative energy. It is evident that with adequate supply and declining prices in the first half of 2015, growth of natural gas demand fell from 8.9 percent in 2014 to 1.4 percent. The national carbon trading market that China plans to establish in 2016 would help to partially alleviate this distortion, but the most important thing is promote the much needed reform of in the power sector.Energy security, especially oil and gas supply security has always been one of the major concerns of the Chinese government.
Energy security, especially oil and gas supply security has always been one of the major concerns of the Chinese government. This also to some extent explains the Chinese firm stance on the issue of South China Sea. With clearer prospects of the U.S. exporting to the Asia-Pacific market, China and the U.S. would have common interests in safeguarding oil and gas supply security in this region. Even though oil is not mentioned in the "U.S.-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change," coordinating the two countries' oil policies, including in the evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions, unconventional oils and managing the consumption of its by-product of petroleum coke, requires institutionalizing cooperation and communication between the United States and China. This would ease Chinese concerns on energy security, contributing to the two countries' common target on climate change and encourage China's participation in international energy governance.
Collaboration on clean technology, energy sector reform and energy security could provide new impetus to China's economic transition, but also provide more support for the U.S. economic recovery, and at the same time contribute to the stability of the world's economy and efforts in tackling climate change.
Professor Yan Xuetong, president of management board of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy commented in July 2013 that, "providing public good to the international community is the foothold for a healthy competition between China and the United States." Seventy years ago, China and the U.S. fought side by side during the anti-fascist war, but confined by different battlegrounds, direct cooperation was limited. Seventy years later, facing economic uncertainty and climate change that put the world's prosperity and sustainability at great peril, the United States and China have to work much closer to provide the much needed public good for the world.
This should be the essence of "Sino-U.S. new type of major power relationship," and the most anticipated outcome of the third meeting between Xi and Obama.
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Why Big Business Is Taking Climate Change Seriously
Sep 23, 2015 | Time Magazine
By Justin Worland
Politicians and policymakers have long explained their opposition to action on climate change as an effort to protect the economy and jobs. Reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions would require devastating economic losses, their argument goes.
But in recent years large corporations have changed their tune, slowly eroding the economic argument for inaction. On Wednesday, nine Fortune 500 companies announced plans to switch to sourcing 100% renewable energy, joining a growing group of corporations recognizing the risks of climate change.
“In the early 90s there was a sense that business was holding us back and governments were trying to push forward,” says David Levy, a professor at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. “Now, companies are coming forward to say, ‘This is important.'”
Companies have been aware of the risks climate change poses to their businesses for years—even decades—but developments this year may leading to a tipping point, experts say. Last month, the White House announced a series of landmark regulations to address global warming, and negotiators from around the world are expected to reach a historic agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions in United Nations negotiations in Paris later this year.
Companies taking part in Wednesday’s announcement, a list that includes household names like Walmart, Goldman Sachs and Starbucks, have set individual time frames to go 100% renewable, from a 2015 deadline set by Voya Financial to a 2050 deadline set by Johnson & Johnson.
“Companies have looked at climate change and said, ’It’s not if we have to address it, but when,'” says University of Michigan School of Business Professor Andy Hoffman. “A lot of them are looking at the shift in the conversation and thinking now is the time to start.”
Businesses have a number of reasons to act on climate change. In addition to gaining positive publicity, companies hope to mitigate some of the financial risks climate change poses to their businesses. A Citigroup reportreleased last month found that minimizing temperature rises could minimize global GDP loss to the tune of $50 trillion in the coming decades.
“Lowering risk, protecting against price rises, saving millions and boosting brand is what shaping a low carbon economy is all about,” says Mark Kenber, CEO of the Climate Group, which organized Wednesday’s announcement.
The full list of companies that committed to go renewable Wednesday includes NIKE Inc., Procter & Gamble, Salesforce and Steelcase.
The threat climate change poses to the world economy may be why some companies have committed to steps beyond just sourcing renewable energy. Microsoft, for instance, sources entirely renewable energy and buys carbon credits to make up for it carbon emissions in other areas like travel. Marks & Spencer, one of the United Kingdom’s largest retailers, went entirely carbon neutral in 2012, reducing its energy usage and offsetting what it did use by funding projects that reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, said Mike Barry, the company’s director of sustainable business, at a press conference on Tuesday.
“If we’re going to get tens of thousands of companies to do it, they have to see the business case,” he said. “We can’t just ask them to do it.”
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Unlikely Coalition Forms To Back Renewable Energy
Sep 23, 2015 | Huffington Post
By Jenny Che
Nine of the country's biggest companies just helped set a new standard for corporate sustainability.
Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Salesforce, Starbucks and Walmart are among the handful of hugely recognizable names that on Wednesday committed to using 100 percent renewable energy, with several expecting to reach their goals within the next decade.
Goldman Sachs set a target of 100 percent renewable energy by 2020, while Nike aims to hit that by 2025, and Johnson & Johnson by 2050. Procter and Gamble set its sights on a short-term goal for 30 percent renewable energy by 2020, while some companies, like financial services firm Voya International and furniture maker Steelcase, are closing in or have already reached a full reliance on renewable energy.
That these Fortune 500 firms have thrown their significant weight behind RE100, a global campaign to cut down on CO2 emissions by turning to renewable sources of energy, suggests a major shift in corporations' awareness of their responsibility to lead their respective industries away from carbon.
And companies are realizing the business boost gained by placing financial incentives on themselves to use renewable sources. A recent report by the environmental nonprofit CDP, which organizes RE100 in partnership with The Climate Group, found that the number of companies putting a price on their carbon emissions has tripled since last year.
"Lowering risk, protecting against price rises, saving millions and boosting brand is what shaping a low carbon economy is all about," Climate Group CEO Mark Kenber said in a statement.
The corporate sustainability movement is gaining speed: RE100 launched last year with 13 members, including Ikea, H&M, Nestle, Unilever and Mars. That number has since grown to nearly 40, with groups joining from across various industries. Recent members include financial services provider UBS and Dutch sciences company Royal DSM. Ikea, everyone's favorite furniture go-to, has installed 700,000 solar panels on its buildings and last year generated renewal energy to match 42 percent of its total energy consumption. H&M, among the many retail outlets facing pressure for contributing to wasteful fast fashion, plans to cut its electricity usage by 20 percent by 2020.
Companies are finding various ways to harness efforts to reduce their carbon footprint as an economic opportunity. Under The B Team, a nonprofit led by top business leaders, companies like Unilever and Virgin are seeking to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
And as part of a coalition to promote sustainable business practices, HP expects to hit its emissions target early after partnering with SunEdison to rely on wind power, while L'Oreal is expanding its use of solar panels at various facilities across the globe. Kellogg will implement water reuse projects at one-fourth of its sites and has committed to zero net deforestation.
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Nike, Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, And Others Join Pledge For 100% Renewable Electricity
Sep 23, 2015 | Clean Technica
By Joshua S Hill
Big-name Fortune 500 companies like Goldman Sachs, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, and others, have pledged to 100% renewable electricity.
As part of Climate Week NYC, a number of big-name Fortune 500-listed companies have joined RE100, “an ambitious global campaign led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP, to engage, support and showcase influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity.”
“Research shows that the most ambitious companies have seen a 27 percent return on their low carbon investments – no wonder new names keep joining RE100,” said Mark Kenber, CEO of The Climate Group. “Lowering risk, protecting against price rises, saving millions and boosting brand is what shaping a low carbon economy is all about. Today these companies are signalling loud and clear to COP21 negotiators that forward-thinking businesses back renewables and want to see a strong climate deal in Paris.”
Launched a year ago at Climate Week NYC 2014, RE100 began with 13 original corporate partners — IKEA Group, Swiss Re, BT Group, Formula E, H&M, KPN, Nestlé, Philips, RELX Group, J. Safra Sarasin, Unilever and YOOX Group – as well as Mars, Incorporated, the first US business on board.
Today, 36 major businesses from around the world have joined the campaign.
Newly added to the campaign are companies including Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, NIKE, Inc., Procter & Gamble, Salesforce, Starbucks, Steelcase, Voya Financial, and Walmart, following in the wake of Elion Resources Group, the first Chinese company, which came on board in March, and Infosys, the first Indian company which joined in May. Swiss financial services provider UBS joined last week, while earlier this week the first science-based participant, Royal DSM joined.
“Climate change is a global issue that requires global solutions,” said Eric Sprunk, Chief Operating Officer, NIKE. “We believe that collaboration is important to accelerate and scale sustainable innovations that have potential to change the world, and Nike is proud to join the leading global brands in RE100 with our commitment to reach 100% renewable energy.”
“As a leading global financial institution, we have had a long standing commitment to finance and invest in clean energy around the world to help the transition to a low carbon economy,” said Kyung-Ah Park, Head of Environmental Markets at Goldman Sachs. “We are also committed to reducing our own carbon footprint, and will target the use of 100 percent renewable power to meet our global electricity needs by 2020. We’re proud to be part of the RE100 initiative as a way to partner with leading companies in expanding the deployment of clean energy.”
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Total Plans $500 Million Annual Investment in Renewable Energy
Sep 23, 2015 | Bloomberg
By Javier Blas
Total SA plans to invest $500 million a year in renewable energy, a step by Europe’s second-largest oil and gas company to expand in biofuels and solar.
The French company said in a presentation to investors it wanted to take “advantage of fast growing renewable market” to build a profitable business.
Total bought a majority stake in SunPower Corp., one of the largest manufacturers of solar panels in the U.S., for about $1.4 billion in 2011. The company earlier this year said it would invest 200 million euros ($223 million) to transform its unprofitable La Mede oil refinery into a biofuel plant.
The $500 million commitment announced Wednesday comes four months after Total Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne pledged to lift spending in renewable. Ambition is to modify Total’s future energy mix and become part of the solution to climate change.
The spending in renewable energy is, nonetheless, a fraction of the company’s overall investment of as much as $24 billion for this year. Total and some of its European rivals, including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc, have taken small steps into renewable energy, partly in response to shareholder concerns about climate change.Oil Companies
Earlier this year, the heads of BP, Eni SpA, Shell, Statoil ASA, Total and BG Group Plc signed an unprecedented letter to call for governments to agree on carbon pricing at a United Nations climate summit culminating in December. That opened a schism with their American rivals.
“Climate change is a critical challenge for our world,” the heads of six European energy companies wrote to the top UN official in charge of climate talks. "We need governments across the world to provide us with clear, stable, long-term ambitious policy frameworks."
The push by Total and its European peers comes as efforts to reduce fossil-fuel investments and spur renewables such as solar have gathered pace in the past two years, with oil companies sitting largely outside the debate. The European firms are more sensitive to environmental issues because governments in the region are leading the way on climate and voters and shareholders are demanding action.
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UK government says 4% returns are plenty for solar
Sep 23, 2015 | PV-Tech
By Liam Stroker
The UK government’s response to a petition calling for dramatic feed-in tariff cut proposals to be reversed has been criticised after it insisted expected returns of 4% would be “appropriate” for the industry to operate.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change was forced into an official response after the petition attracted more than 10,000 signatures less than a week after it was launched. The response lays bare government thinking behind a proposed 87% reduction to the small-scale feed-in tariff.
DECC stated that the new tariff – just 1.63p/kWh for installations up to 10kW in size – has been designed to give investors a return on their investment of between four and 9%. It also argued that once savings on energy bills and the export tariff were taken into consideration, the overall reduction in revenue amounted to 40%; a figure which the department believes “still provides an appropriate return on investment”.
However Paul Barwell, chief executive at the Solar Trade Association, said returns of 4% across rooftops would be “simply too low a hurdle rate” for domestic homeowners and commercial customers to tempt them into installing the technology.
“With the way DECC have modelled these assumptions, 4% is a best case scenario using very high yields of 990kWh/kWp with no degradation, high retail electricity price of 17.4p and over a 30-year period.
“The intention is to dramatically curtail growth, and with an 85% drop in tariffs, an 85% drop in volume caps, that leaves a 98% reduction in the proposed new budget – it is in effect a closing down sale.
“[The] bottom line is we cannot expect to entice homeowners and customers to put their cash into solar at these proposed new levels, and we have made this point loud and clear in meetings with DECC,” Barwell said.
The government also extolled how the feed-in tariff had been successful in meeting deployment projections and said the cost control measures would not mean solar PV missing its 2020 deployment range.
“Even with the actions proposed in the FIT Review we are on track to deliver at least 30% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2020. At the end of 2013, our share of electricity generation from renewable energy was 14.9%. In 2014 this figure rose to 19.2%, and a record of 22.3% was recorded in the first quarter of 2015,” the government said.
DECC does however go on to state that the proposals are merely “part of the consultation process” and that it welcomed further evidence from industry stakeholders based on its assumptions, echoing calls energy secretary Amber Rudd and energy minister Andrea Leadsom made during an oral and topical questions session in parliament last week.
Barwell said that engagement with “rational alternatives” to the feed-in tariff must be a priority, but concluded that they can only work if businesses can continue to operate and “see a light at the end of the tunnel”.
The official petition continues to collect signatures and has now gathered the support of more than 20,000 people. Petitions run for six months with the aim of obtaining 100,000 signatures, after which it will be considered for debate in parliament.
“We need even more people to sign this petition in order to get it onto the agenda at parliament, and so we encourage everyone to share it with their networks to maximise the number of signatures,” Barwell added.
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India cabinet set to approve aggressive 40% renewable goal
Sep 23, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
India’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is rumored to be considering the approval of aggressive new clean energy targets that would require the nation to source 40% of its power from renewable sources by 2030.
The target would see India substantially shake up its energy mix, with solar capacity reaching 250 GW by 2030, and wind power capacity hitting 100 GW. Under India’s National Solar Mission (JNNSM), the country is targeting a solar PV capacity of 100 GW by 2022 – meaning a further 150 GW would need to be deployed in just eight years if India was 'only' on track by that stage.
The NDA’s national power capacity projection puts India’s energy needs in 2030 at 850 GW. Ahead of the UN climate talks in Paris later this year, a 40% renewable energy target would satisfy global pressure for leading industrialized nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2020 based on 2005 levels. Currently, India has agreed to target a 20-25% reduction by that date.
India’s renewable aim of 350 GW by 2030 largely omits hydro and nuclear power, with these two sources combined only expected to grow to around 80 GW by that date, a NDA source told newspaper Business Standard. Coal, wind and solar PV will form the backbone of India’s energy growth, the official said.
Vinay Rustagi, managing director of strategy consultants Bridge to India, could not verify the report, but told pv magazine that NDA’s aim is very much a work in progress, stressing: "We know the Indian government is trying to make a drastic change in its approach to climate change negotiations, and that partly means accepting more responsibility and ownership rather than just asking the western world for help."
Rustagi continued: "India desperately needs more energy and actually has very few options. The two main pillars of growth are going to be solar and coal. I see no reason why 250 GW is not achievable in 15 years. I believe the financial and operational issues are relatively more manageable. The key is going to be ensuring the transmission grid is robust enough to incorporate this and of course, there is the intermittency issue. If storage can become commercially attractive in 4-5 years, the biggest impediment to growth of renewables in India will be overcome."
Narendra Modi’s administration is expected to formally submit India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), required under the Paris agreement, to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change this week.
The world will be keenly watching what India does next, given its expanding influence in global geopolitics and its potential climate impact as the economy grows. The U.S. has already submitted its INDC, which outlines a declaration to reduce emissions by 24-26% by 2025, with the EU aiming for a 40% reduction on 1990 levels by 2030.
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Zambia Set To Adopt Feed-in Tariffs For Renewable Energy
Sep 24, 2015 | Clean Technica
By Smiti Mittal
The Zambian Government is in the final stages in the development of a comprehensive feed-in tariff regime for renewable energy projects.
The Zambian Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water Development has been working with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for over a year to develop the feed-in tariff program. The Zambian Department of Energy, and the Energy Regulation Board also had a crucial role in the development of the program.
Through this program, the government hopes to significantly increase the amount of electricity it can procure from independent small-scale solar power producers. Zambia has ample renewable energy resource potential in wind, solar, and small hydro technologies but this potential remains largely untapped. The new feed-in tariff program aims to make it much more attractive for investors to develop renewable energy projects.
Several international developers and financial institutions are looking to invest in small-scale and utility-scale solar power projects in African countries.
Zambia, too, has announced an ambitious plan to expand its solar power capacity. Last month, the Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water Development announced that the Zambian Government will facilitate the development of 1.2 GW worth of solar power capacity by August, 2016. The capacity would enable the government to meet rising energy demand and reduce dependence on imported electricity.
Zambia has received support for the development of a solar power sector from other countries and international financial agencies. Recently, the International Finance Corporationpledged to provide debt financing to two solar power projects with 50 MW capacity each. The projects will be set up by Industrial Development Corporation Zambia, which has been tasked to set up 600 MW of solar power capacity to bridge the power supply-demand gap.
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