Commentary

Achieving market competitiveness in the solar industry

With the season for New Year’s resolutions also comes the inevitable resigned sighs of policymakers in the region approaching solar. Yes it is good for you.

Commentary

Achieving market competitiveness in the solar industry

With the season for New Year’s resolutions also comes the inevitable resigned sighs of policymakers in the region approaching solar. Yes it is good for you.

Commentary

5 factors that make cities greener

The current world population of 7.2 billion is projected to increase by 1 billion over the next 12 years and is estimated to reach 9.6 billion by 2050[1]. As of 2010, more than half of the population lives in urban areas.

Commentary

Here is what's wrong with geothermal development in Indonesia

Earlier this year, I was a speaker in the GreenPower conference which took place in Jakarta which was devoted to the geothermal space in both Indonesia and the Philippines. (https://www.greenpowerconferences.com/GE1306ID). As one of the keynote speakers I listened to the sessions for about three days before it was my turn.

Commentary

How the falling yen hurts energy storage value chain in the short term

Currency fluctuations have always impacted international business, but these fluctuations can have significant effects if a portion of a technology’s value chain is heavily concentrated in one currency. Recently, the energy storage market has seen perturbations, for better or for worse, from the Japanese Yen’s 22% decline over the U.S. dollar in the past 12 months.

Commentary

What you don't know about solar PV projects in China (Part 2)

The 2011 Feed-in-Tariff (Solar)

Commentary

What carbon capture and storage technology can do

Much of the world’s future energy growth, especially in the power sector, will be in Asia. The use of fossil fuels to meet this demand – unless coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology – will lead toeven more dangerous levels of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere and harmful climate change.

Commentary

What you don't know about solar PV projects in China (Part 1)

China has one of the largest markets of renewables in the world and possesses rich solar resources. Although China has been initially slow to develop its own solar energy market, the start of 2010 saw this market start to gather momentum.

Commentary

What you must know about Japan's Smart Mansion Assessment System for apartment buildings

In August 2013, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and industry (METI) announced the launch of a Smart Mansion Assessment System for multi-unit residential (MURB) buildings. “Smart Mansions” are apartment buildings that have an integrated building energy management system (BEMS) capable of “operating the building as a whole.”

Commentary

Asia amidst nuclear power development craze

Prospects for nuclear power are impressive, and it is a positive moment for Asia. Let's start with the fact that nuclear power is really one of the most environmentally friendly: during normal operation, the environmental impact of nuclear power plants is three times less than that of the traditionally popular thermal power plants.

Commentary

How ASEAN countries deal with evolving energy landscape

ASEAN’s energy sector is facing major challenges. Demand for energy is expanding on the back of economic and population growth and greater urbanization, while indigenous resources are steadily shrinking.

Commentary

How a strong regulatory push can jumpstart Indonesia's biomass sector

The electricity demand is expected to grow in the world’s 16th largest economy and the fourth most populated country, Indonesia at an average of 10.1% per annum till 2031. In December 2012, Indonesia had a total installed capacity of 32,951 MW.

Commentary

Power projects in Indonesia you should know about

Based on even the most conservative estimates of Indonesian growth, demand for power in the already under-supplied archipelago will grow by 7% each year for the foreseeable future. While this would appear to make for a guaranteed return on new investment, systemic difficulties remain.

Commentary

How China is managing a critical crossroad

At the same time countries such as Iran proclaim nuclear energy development is “a matter of national pride”, China is evolving practical approaches to a new Asian power paradigm. While not yet abandoning fission and thermal plants, burning over 3.5 billion tons of coal in 2012, and exploring oxymoronic “synthetic natural” gas-i.e. “sin gas”, China is the first developed nation to comprehend and act upon the tightly interwoven environmental true costs of conventional electrical generation, fuel processing, and food production.

Commentary

What the CSR Bill under Companies Act 2013 means

Recently concluded Monsoon session of Indian parliament saw a spate of bills getting through. One of them was landmark, Companies Bill 2013. This bill has now got presidential assent and has become Companies Act 2013. One of the aims of this bill is to encourage Indian companies to use CSR to integrate economic, environmental and social objectives with their operations and growth. Thus, this bill seeks to actively engage top management by constituting a CSR board committee of 3 or more directors, with at least one of them being an independent.

Commentary

What you must know about the power of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Sunday 8 September was an exciting day in Japan. In the early hours the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Tokyo will host the 2020 Olympic Games for a second time (first time was in 1964).

Commentary

What you don't know about the Ring of Fire

Bandung 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement, Sukarno, Nehru, Tito, Nasser, etc. – like leaves from a sepia photo album faded as time moved on. Yet in the interconnected global economy where international investments and financing routinely ignores borders, is there room to dust off the “South-South” paradigm for energy development? Especially in a sector such as renewable energy where the challenge and risk profiles are similar along a “South-South” axis, there may yet be some juice left in that old model.

Commentary

Asia can take a starring role in war against carbon

The world can no longer afford to be intimidated by the magnitude of the climate crisis, nor into believing that we must choose between economic prosperity and environmental security. Climate change presents one of the greatest challenges in human history, one that transcends national boundaries, income, ideology, ethnicity. But these challenges should be viewed as economic opportunities.

Commentary