knowledge bank
29 January 2009
The US wind energy industry shattered all previous records in 2008 by installing 8,358MW of new generating capacity, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), even as it warned of an uncertain outlook for 2009 due to the continuing financial crisis.
Read full story
20 January 2009
Will the changes promised in last year's Energy Bill be delivered quickly enough? Michelle Thomas and Richard Moore, Eversheds’ Clean Energy and Sustainability Team, investigate.
Read full story
12 January 2009
Last year brought a substantial increase in private equity and venture capital investment in cleantech, with the value of debt-backed buys almost trebling to $10.153bn in 12 months, according to this global private equity report prepared by ZEPHYR and Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing exclusively for New Energy World Network.
Read full story
6 January 2009
The US has seen its position as the most attractive destination for investment in renewable energy nose dive, helping Germany move to joint first place according to Ernst & Young's latest renewable energy country attractiveness indices.
Read full story
3 January 2009
This report from the European Environment Agency assesses the key drivers, environmental pressures and some impacts from the production and consumption of energy, taking into account the main objectives of the European policy on energy and environment including: security of supply, competitiveness, increased energy efficiency and renewable energy, and environmental sustainability. The report addresses six main policy questions and presents trends existing within the EU compared to other countries.
Read full story
26 December 2008
This survey from the the Low Carbon Innovation Network (LCIN), identifies the challenges being faced by companies in the renewable energy sector and outlines the potential ways in which the government might develop the regulatory environment to catalyse appropriate market development and encourage innovation and investment in the sector.
Read full story
20 December 2008
A number of important factors have influenced the rising interest in power generation: security of supply, environmental issues and spiralling energy costs. Despite significant progress in the development and supply of certain energy sources, for example wind, the reality is that for Europe, an increase in gas-fired power is the only way of preventing a shortfall in generation capacity within the next decade, according to private equity firm 3i.
Read full story
18 December 2008
Venture capital investment in cleantech companies reached a record $4.6bn in the first three quarters of 2008, according to Ernst & Young's analysis of activity in the US, Europe, China and Israel based on data from Dow Jones VentureSource. This is an increase of 82 per cent compared with the same period last year and represents 13 per cent of all venture capital investment in these geographies.
Read full story
15 December 2008
Despite the negative ramifications of the credit crisis, declining investment activity and deal volumes, and the continuing lack of exit options for venture capital firms, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs expect increased revenues over current year, according to a recent survey from KPMG. Respondents indicated that China, India and Israel will be the most attractive regions for venture capital, while cleantech, life sciences, mobile and digital entertainment will remain the hot industries.
Read full story
11 December 2008
Leading entrepreneurs view climate change as a growing strategic concern according to a survey conducted as part of Ernst & Young's second annual global cleantech insights and trends report, which provides insights into global trends in cleantech investment, financing patterns and public policy.
Read full story
3 December 2008
The US utility industry will have to invest between $1.5tn and $2tn between 2010 and 2030 to maintain current levels of reliable energy service for customers throughout the country, according to a report from the The Brattle Group, sponsored by the Edison Foundation.
Read full story
24 November 2008
The global economic turmoil has started having an impact on the wind energy industry in Europe. Some companies are cutting down forecasts and production for 2009 and the market is showing the first signs of slowdown, according to Frost & Sullivan.
Read full story
21 November 2008
The photovoltaics industry is going through a transition phase: global subsidy programmes are being trimmed back, the polysilicon shortage is improving and the market share of thin-film modules is growing significantly, thanks to cost advantages. Bank Sarasin forecasts annual average global growth rates of 48 per cent for the PV market up to 2012, with the global market volume of newly installed systems rising from 4 GW in 2008 to 125 GW in 2020.
Read full story
17 November 2008
The past 12 months has seen a huge surge in interest in biomass in the UK. Growth has been spurred by the appetite of utilities and independent developers for a more diversified portfolio of renewable generating assets and by the need for waste generators to deal with their waste more effectively, according to this report from law firm Eversheds.
Read full story
15 November 2008
KPMG's report on M&A in the renewable energy sector has revealed an explosion in the number of deals. Analysts estimate that 2007 saw $55.7bn in M&A transactions, up by 47 per cent on the year before. Infrastructure funds, private equity firms and other financial investors are likely to be the most active M&A participants after power generating companies, according to this survey.
Read full story
10 November 2008
At the end of 2007, worldwide wind generating capacity stood at 94,000 MW. By 2020, close to $1tn in global investment is projected to bring global installed capacity to more than 500,000 MW, according to the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA). Will Canada be a major player in this green energy revolution?
Read full story
30 October 2008
This China Green Paper from Eversheds focuses on the newly announced formal arrangements for the implementation of clean development mechanism (CDM) projects in Hong Kong and their implications for companies that wish to pursue CDM projects in Hong Kong.
Read full story
28 October 2008
European venture investors are clearly enthusiastic about the future for cleantech, according to SJ Berwin. Investments are reported to have increased by 34 per cent to 808m Euro last year, and there is a continuing appetite from LPs in 2008. One of the key characteristics of this re-emergence of venture - perhaps the key difference to the technology boom - is the role of national government and European Union policy in creating opportunities.
Read full story
27 October 2008
Steve Wilson, head of Osborne Clarke's Silicon Valley office, examines the themes surrounding cleantech and considers whether it is the first truly transatlantic industry.
Read full story
24 October 2008
In March 2008, the FSA's Commodities Group published a report, ‘The emissions trading market: risks and challenges’ as a follow up to its 2007 paper, ‘Growth in commodity investment: risks and challenges for commodity market participants. The report discusses the emissions trading market's main areas of risk, how to mitigate them, and the role of the FSA in the market, writes Pinsent & Masons.
Read full story
New Energy World Network: Connecting Investors, Innovators & Deal-Makers worldwide
