Benefits of Clean Energy

We’ve called efficiency the unsung hero of the energy transition in the past. While the energy transition will happen first through the transition of energy usages, like the shift with transport, from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, or from fuel or gas boilers to heat pumps, we cannot ignore the utmost priority of the energy transition: efficiency. Efficiency is the greatest path to reduce our energy use, our impact on the world’s climate through CO2 emission reduction, and very importantly, the best way to make solid and practical savings. In its most historical form, energy efficiency is about better insulation, to reduce heating (or cooling) loss in buildings like family homes, warehouses, office high rises, and shopping malls. This is useful, but expensive and tedious to realize on existing installations. Digitizing home, buildings, industries and infrastructure brings similar benefits at a much lower cost and a much higher economic return. The combination of IoT, big data, software and AI can significantly reduce energy use and waste by detecting leaky valves, or automatically adjusting heating, lighting, processes and other systems to the number of people present at any given time, using real-time data analysis. It also allows owners to measure precisely progress, report automatically on their energy and sustainability parameters, and benefit from new services through smart grid interaction. And this is just the energy benefit. Automation and digital tools also optimize the processes, safety, reliability, and uptime leading to greater productivity and performance.

#Batteries are starting to dominate the evening peak in California's grid, charging up with daytime solar then discharging as solar ramps down. On 5th April they set another new record for share of supply, peaking at over 34% at 7pm. This represents a rapid progression - two years ago the record was just 13%. And they remained the largest source of supply on the grid from 6:35pm until 9:40pm. As more and more battery storage enters the mix, batteries will continue to play an increasing role in the state's grid, and continue to break more records. They are flexible and extremely quick to respond. By charging in the middle of the day they are soaking up excess solar and are then putting this to good use later, reducing the need for gas and imports in the nighttime hours. From just 0.5 GW in 2018, by late 2024 California already had over 13 GW of battery storage capacity, with more on the way. While that may sound like a lot, there is still some way to go with the California Energy Commission estimating the state will need around 52 GW of battery storage to meet it's 2045 target of getting all its power from carbon-free sources. Batteries will play an important role in the decarbonised grid of the future. As prices continue to fall we will see more and more batteries deployed, and are certainly seeing this happen in Australia - especially Western Australia. We are just on the cusp of much more widespread adoption. Onwards and upwards! #energy #sustainability #renewables #energytransition

This visual helps explain 3 concepts that A LOT of people forget about solar☀️   Solar energy’s fuel (sunshine) is free and delivered daily.   Therefore, electricity from solar does not include the cost of each marginal unit of fuel. That makes sense to people.   But the full implications of an energy system built upon a zero-cost, abundant fuel source are often still dramatically underestimated.   There are three other kinds of savings that solar provides:    Infrastructure Savings – As shown in the graphic, the world spends billions of dollars every year extracting oil, gas, and coal and transporting to the places it will be burned. The infrastructure to mine, refine, and move these fuels from point A to point B, whether by boat, rail, or pipeline, requires regular maintenance and TONS of investment. With solar, the sun does it all for us, delivering usable photons every morning.   Predictability Savings – When you’re relying on a globally traded commodity to produce electricity, the final cost of each gigawatt can fluctuate with the current price of oil and coal. Market uncertainty can send the price of these commodities (and the final price for electricity) soaring on a whim. But it doesn’t need to be this way. Once a solar farm is installed, the cost of each unit of electricity is basically fixed. This helps utilities better predict their costs and that’s a huge benefit to consumers.   Energy Independence Savings – Because oil, gas, and coal rely on complex international supply chains and lots of global infrastructure, there is a lot more that can go wrong. Geopolitical shocks, natural disasters, port congestion, and accidents (remember the Suez Canal blockage?) can all impact the predictability and reliability of coal and gas generation. No one can embargo the sun or interrupt its delivery to us, so solar energy is fundamentally more local and more independent.   I think it’s important to explain these hidden savings when talking to naysayers because, while they may understand that free sunshine = free fuel, they may not understand just how much they’re paying for the infrastructure, uncertainty, and volatility of fossil fuels.

Solar does not care about what happens in the Strait of Hormuz. Twenty-one miles of water carry roughly a fifth of the world's oil. When the strait closes, or credibly threatens to, prices move fast and economies feel it. That vulnerability is baked into two billion internal combustion engines. Solar doesn't share it. Oil is subject to depletion and geopolitics. Solar follows a learning curve. Azeem Azhar and Hannah Petrovic, PhD have written an excellent deep-dive I've read on where this curve goes next, including an interactive model you can test yourself. Worth your time: https://lnkd.in/ebA-rtqq For nearly five decades, every doubling of cumulative production has reduced module prices by around 24 percent, a relationship known as Wright's Law. From $1,000 per watt in 1958 to around seven cents today. Not ideology, not subsidy. Manufacturing at scale. The deployment numbers are striking. It took 68 years to reach the first terawatt of installed capacity. Two more years to reach the second. Module prices fell around 60 percent in the three years to 2025. Annual manufacturing capacity now exceeds one terawatt. Most forecasts got the trajectory wrong, and consistently in the same direction. They modelled solar as if it were a fuel, subject to resource constraints and diminishing returns. It isn't. It's a manufactured technology, and manufactured technologies get cheaper as you make more of them. Consider Cuba: bankrupt, under sanctions, running Soviet-era infrastructure. Between early 2025 and early 2026, it tripled its installed solar capacity in a single year. The learning curve does not ask for permission. At four cents per kilowatt hour, and one to two cents in the best locations, solar is already the cheapest source of new electricity across most of the world. Storage is on its own learning curve. Electrolysers are on theirs. The Strait will reopen. It always does. But each shock to oil markets improves the relative economics of electrification across transport, industrial heat, hydrogen and water. Each tightens the case for a system with no chokepoint and a compounding cost curve.

“For a moment, it seemed like America was serious about modernizing its infrastructure: The Biden administration tried to accelerate permitting, improve transmission planning and unlock hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding for upgrades. There was real momentum. Since then, the repeated brinkmanship over government funding and debt ceilings — and short-term budget deals that gut long-term investments — have thrown these gains into limbo. Funding for key offices at the Department of Energy and Department of Transportation have been delayed. The House of Representatives’ proposal to rescind billions in clean energy tax credits and claw back unspent Inflation Reduction Act funds has further chilled investor confidence. Developers are pausing contracts, and clean energy projects, which help improve the resilience and efficiency of our energy system, are in limbo. According to E2, a nonpartisan group representing business leaders, more than 13,000 clean energy jobs have been lost since the beginning of 2025, largely because of delays and uncertainty. Billions in investment have been held back as projects have stalled. The result? Momentum is lost — possibly for a long time.” https://lnkd.in/eD_w7xVb

🇪🇺 A Proud European Moment! 🇪🇺 Emissions are going down. The EU continues to demonstrate that sustainability and economic growth can go hand in hand. In the second quarter of 2024, our greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.6% compared to the same period last year, marking a significant step towards reducing our carbon footprint while boosting economic progress. Five out of nine economic sectors have reduced their emissions, with the biggest impact seen in: Electricity and gas supply: -12.1% Households: -4.2% What drove the change? ⚉Renewable Energy Expansion →In 2023, 37% of EU electricity came from renewables, up from 35% in 2022, leading to a 5% reduction in emissions from the energy sector. →The renewable energy sector created over 300,000 jobs and saw €100 billion in investments in 2023. →The clean energy transition contributed to a 1.5% GDP growth in 2023, showing the economic benefits of green energy. ⚉Energy Efficiency Measures →Energy efficiency improvements in buildings saved the EU €80 billion in energy costs annually. →The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) led to a 20% reduction in energy consumption, benefiting both the environment and the economy. →The energy efficiency sector added €30 billion to EU GDP in 2023, proving the economic value of sustainable investments. ⚉Decarbonisation of the Industrial Sector →The industrial sector reduced emissions by 5.8% since 2020, driven by low-carbon technologies and cleaner processes. →The circular economy initiative saved €7 billion and reduced industrial waste by 4%. →The sector’s green transition helped spur 3% GDP growth in 2023, as businesses embraced sustainable manufacturing practices. ⚉Sustainable Mobility →Electric vehicle (EV) sales grew by 40% in 2023, with EVs now accounting for 12% of total car sales, contributing to a 6.5% reduction in transport emissions. →The EU invested €10 billion in green transport infrastructure, creating jobs and reducing emissions. →The green transport sector contributed €15 billion to the economy in 2023, driving growth and innovation in sustainable mobility. ⚉Green Innovation in Households →The adoption of energy-efficient appliances resulted in a 15% reduction in household energy consumption over the past decade. →4 million households upgraded to smart energy systems, reducing energy bills by €300 per year on average, while also lowering their carbon footprint. →The green technology boom in households generated €5 billion in economic activity. The EU’s ability to decouple economic growth from carbon emissions highlights that sustainability and prosperity can coexist. Check out the full results here: https://lnkd.in/dh3vrhn9 European Commission #climateaction #sustainablegrowth #cleanair #renewableenergy #energyefficiency #sustainablemobility #decarbonisation Eurostat

Sitting in Phuket, I heard Devendra Fadnavis just inaugurated Maharashtra’s 45,000 solar pump milestone. Without us even seeing it coming, we’ve gotten here. I think something much bigger at play here because the economics in this sector are finally starting to make sense. As a Bombay boy (through and through) this makes me genuinely proud. Every now and then I’m on a zoom call with a founder when a black out happens. And, there’s one thing I’ve heard consistently from founders across T2/3 cities. All of them say: “Mumbai has the most stable electricity in India. We wish our city ran like that.” Just imagine what solar can unlock when that level of reliability becomes the norm across the country. We will have fewer outages, smoother operations, stronger local businesses, and a power ecosystem that works for growth instead of slowing it down. From a business POV this is a major milestone. It will add massive productivity to our country which was being lost in outages. Also, agriculture consumes 22%+ of India’s electricity, yet generates almost no revenue. DISCOMs buy power at ₹6–7/unit and sell it to farmers at ₹0–1.5/unit, bleeding ₹4.5–6 per unit for 15–20 years. This model has created ₹90,000–₹1,00,000 crore of annual losses across state utilities. No one could survive this math, Yet the system ran like this for decades. Now, solar flips the economics > One-time capex of ₹2–3 lakh per pump > Funded by ADB, AIIB, World Bank > Zero recurring subsidy leakage > 3–5 year payback just through avoided losses > 15+ years of pure savings after breakeven The scale is massive - 45,000 pumps in 30 days, that free up 300–400 million units of power enough to stabilise entire industrial clusters. Eventually, it will be 7.47 lakh solar pumps that bring 22 lakh acre land under irrigation. WILD Eventually we will see more predictable grids and voltage for businesses. And finally, it will create more jobs for people creating an enabling ecosystem. This is proof that PMF can exist even in an industry that looked broken for decades. This reason this initiative works, is because the unit economics work and everyone wins. Farmers, DISCOMs, industry all win. And most importantly, India’s efficiency curve shifts upward. As someone who believes that power should be a right not a luxury, I am happy to see this hard problem being solved with sustainable economics… This model is a case study I hope we study - whether we’re building D2C brands, investing, or redesigning systems at scale. I’ve been to Phuket 10x over the last 30 years. In most visits I would get so consumed with the Thai hospitality and tourism efficiency that I wouldn’t want to come back. Seeing this, I’m raring to take my flight home 🏠 Jai hind 🇮🇳 !

Last week 100,000 home batteries operated like a mid-sized power plant. On July 29, California aggregated more than 100,000 residential batteries and discharged them for two hours during the evening peak. The result: 535 MW of coordinated output, comparable to a gas peaker plant, but distributed across rooftops instead of built on a single plot of land. These were some of the most promising outcomes: Truly additive output: The batteries weren’t just doing what they normally do. Compared to the prior day’s profile, almost all 535 MW was additional discharge triggered by the event, which is clear evidence this was coordinated grid support, not incidental customer behavior. Stable performance: Telemetry showed steady power delivery for the full two-hour window with no noticeable drop-off. That’s the level of reliability grid planners typically expect from conventional plants. Well-timed to system stress: The event aligned with CAISO’s net peak (that’s California’s grid operator, balancing demand minus wind and solar). Hitting that window matters because this is when power is most scarce and expensive, and when the “duck curve” ramps hardest. Visible grid impact: Net load dropped measurably during the dispatch, demonstrating that thousands of small batteries can move the needle at the system level. Program design matters: Nearly 90% of participants were enrolled in California’s Demand-Side Grid Support program, with others in the Emergency Load Reduction Program. Incentive structures like these are what make broad participation possible across multiple aggregators and OEMs. The takeaway is bigger than one test: virtual power plants are crossing the line from pilot to planning-grade resource. If properly integrated—through refined dispatch algorithms, better coordination with CAISO, and markets that actually value flexibility—they can defer costly peaker plants, absorb excess solar, and flatten the evening ramp without the stranded costs of centralized infrastructure. The technology is ready. The economics pencil out. The question now is whether market design will catch up. ---- Read the full report from The Brattle Group here: https://lnkd.in/gwYbFiPz

Yesterday, I saw what tomorrow holds for India—a future growing on the land of Mr. Nirmal Das Swami, a farmer in Rajasthan.   Through a government program, Nirmal transformed his 9 hectares of farmland into a solar powerhouse, generating 1.04 megawatts of clean energy.    The impact? Beyond his crops and income, it’s lighting up his entire community:   → Salim, a welding business owner, doubled his working hours and revenue—hiring 6 new workers. → Firoz, a flour mill owner, increased daily production from 500 to 1,000 kg and is employing more people. → Women farmers like Gita, Anju, and Ghisi no longer have to wake up in the middle of the night, the only time power was previously available, to irrigate their crops.   Daytime power has replaced erratic nighttime electricity, enabling livelihoods to thrive.   Rajasthan is proof that changing energy changes lives, especially in rural India.   Today, India is betting big on a just energy transition—by deploying 500 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.    So far, they’ve achieved over 200 GW. Partnerships like the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), of which The Rockefeller Foundation is a member, are paving the way for even greater innovation and impact. For example, GEAPP is supporting 59 solar plants like Nirmal’s, providing 108 megawatts in support of 30,000 farms and enhancing 64,000 jobs across Rajasthan.   This kind of work doesn’t just transform lives—it transforms entire communities.   This is more than a story of one village. This is the future of India.

🔥 The housing and climate crises are one and the same—we can’t solve one without the other. 📰 Sharing this great piece where Giulio Ferrini, Head of Built Environment, Institute for Human Rights and Business, breaks down why sustainability and social responsibility in the built environment are inseparable. ✊🏾Personally, after years working at the intersection of social equity, sustainability, and urban resilience—whether through circular construction or affordable housing—I couldn't agree more: we can’t afford to keep these issues siloed. A truly inclusive, resilient city must tackle eco-equity in tandem ( 🚀I'm cooking something up on this—stay tuned...) 🚨 The dangerous myth? That "there’s a trade-off to be made between sustainability and social responsibility, when in fact our research shows that the two must go hand in hand," says Ferrini. 🇧🇪 A great example Guilio shares is Belgium’s energy-linked rent controls freeze rent on the least energy-efficient buildings while linking rent increases to energy performance. • Poor rating (E/F)? Rent is permanently frozen • Moderate (C/D)? Rent rises at half the rate of inflation • High efficiency (A/B)? Full inflation-based rent increase “Innovative models that enable large-scale renovation can offer huge financial savings and speed up decarbonization.” 💥 Now, some of you might be thinking about Toronto’s renoviction crisis and wondering if this would just lead to displacement. But Belgium is doing things differently. In the GTA, we see too many situations where landlords use renovations as a means to evict tenants and 2 or 3x rents, fueling displacement instead of sustainability. Weak protections mean tenants often bear the cost of so-called "improvements." 🚨 Belgium’s approach flips the script with a win-win-win scenario: ➡️ Lower energy bills keep housing affordable ➡️ Cities benefit from lower emissions and better housing stock ➡️ Rent increases are capped—no market resets post-renovation ➡️ Landlords are incentivized to invest in actual energy retrofits rather than cosmetic upgrades ⚪ This isn’t a silver bullet—strong enforcement is key. But compared to cities where renovictions and displacement are rampant, this proves sustainability and affordability can go hand in hand. 🤔 Could this work in the GTA? Would love to hear thoughts⬇️ . . . 💰 Giulio also discusses Austria’s successful cost-based housing model, where rental profits are capped based on costs, not market rates. Nearly 25% of the housing market operates this way and the private sector still thrives. 📈 Public-private partnerships need a rethink. Too often, public money funds affordable housing, only for it to be later privatized. We need models that protect longterm affordability rather than subsidizing private profit. 🚀 The bottom line? "It is impossible to guarantee social justice without tackling the climate emergency." – Giulio Ferrini Agree? ⬇️ #HousingCrisis #ClimateJustice #SustainableCities #UrbanEquity