From 2GreenEnergy Intern Louis de Saint Phalle: Global Investment Overview

I started out researching renewable energy and general sustainability topics thanks to Craig’s books, especially his first one which I immediately felt gave me an idea of what to do with my career. After meeting and speaking with him, we both agreed on the “following the money” aspect of all this energy stuff, which it turns out was another one of his books!

Speaking of money, the more I talk with people in the industry, the more I get the sense that financing and investment for renewable energy is the most important issue when it comes to accelerating their development. At this point I feel the policy is already considerably there for the main renewables, and we are starting to get there with the finance.

Before you start following something, you have to know where it’s coming from. I didn’t know that much on the subject, and in light of the newly released REN21 global status report on renewables, I thought it might be a good opportunity to get a graphic overview of investment flow basics. Hopefully you will get some good information out of it; I hope to address this in much further detail if it is agreeable to Craig. (Note: it’s absolutely agreeable to me.  -ed)

Global Investment 

Source: Pew – who’s leading the clean energy race? 2013
Marine (wave and tidal) energy was left out because it contribution is relatively negligible and would not be visible (approx $0.1 billion. This graph also excludes large hydro.

Global New Renewables Investment, 2004-2013

Apart from a small decline in 2012 and 2013, investment in renewable power and fuels has increased rapidly. Solar is in a good place right now, it is starting to progress in the technology maturation cycle and is ripe for the taking. Although investment figures for solar vary for 2013, global figures are usually between $113 and $130 billion worldwide in 2013.

Let’s also look at from which regions the money is coming from:

Source: Ren21, Pew 2014

I am planning on looking at the United States in much more detail very shortly, to include all investments by state and by funding source. Very interesting stuff indeed.