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The enee.io energy monitoring system identified that a 48V VRLA battery bank in Lagos, Nigeria, was being overcharged, reaching a maximum of 2.35vpc (56.4v) and remaining there indefinitely. This overcharging caused energy loss of 6.2kWh per day and reduced the estimated battery life from 4.0 years to 2.1 years. By adjusting voltage regulation and implementing ongoing monitoring, the system estimates total daily savings of $7.12, consisting of $4.64 from extended battery life and $2.48 from reduced diesel consumption. The enee.io system, costing $340 USD for hardware and the first year's subscription, offers a projected return on investment of 48 days.

Malaysia possesses significant untapped solar resources that could reduce its reliance on volatile fossil fuel prices and improve energy security. While the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) targets 70% renewable capacity by 2050, the report suggests that more ambitious targets, such as those proposed by IRENA, could further benefit the country. In Peninsular Malaysia, solar generation costs dropped 64% between 2016 and 2021, becoming 53% cheaper than fossil fuel options by 2023. To manage the 'twin peaks' of daily demand (4 pm and 8 pm), the report advocates for a combination of solar for daytime peaks and hydropower and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for evening peaks. Key barriers include the need for grid interconnections between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak, as well as the requirement for clearer policies on wheeling charges and BESS bankability.

Japan is transitioning its Africa strategy from Official Development Assistance (ODA) toward private sector-led investment, specifically targeting critical minerals and green energy. This shift is driven by strategic competition with China, particularly regarding supply chain security for rare earth elements and the G7's desire to provide alternatives to Chinese infrastructure loans. While the Japanese government is actively promoting this 'business-based' approach through initiatives like the Green Growth Initiative for Africa and the Minerals Security Partnership, the transition is hindered by high risk perception among Japanese companies.

The briefing examines how battery energy storage systems (BESS) can replace fossil fuel generation to ensure grid reliability. It details three primary functions of batteries: balancing variable renewable energy supply and demand, providing stability services like frequency and voltage regulation, and enabling 'black start' capabilities to restore power after blackouts. The author contends that batteries often offer lower costs and faster response times than thermal plants. To maximize these benefits, the document recommends that utilities conduct analytical studies to identify specific reliability needs and utilize all-source procurement processes to ensure the most cost-competitive resources are selected.

The report addresses the barrier of limited grid capacity in Europe's energy transition, proposing the use of hosting capacity maps to help developers of renewables, electrolysers, and data centres select optimal connection locations. It notes that while EU legislation now mandates these maps for TSOs and DSOs, there is a lack of specificity in their design. The authors provide a framework for an "ideal" map, recommending substation-level granularity, open-source data access, and the inclusion of planned grid investments to improve network efficiency and investment speed.

RMI conducted a pre-feasibility analysis on a high-capacity coal plant in Indonesia, finding that replacing the plant with solar and storage is the preferred solution for maximizing CO2 abatement and investor cash flow, provided sufficient land is available. The analysis highlights the necessity of blended financing to maintain affordable electricity costs during early retirement and notes that biomass co-firing is generally less profitable than other repurposing options. The study emphasizes that land characteristics and regulatory frameworks are critical determinants of a site's repurposing potential.

The Gavin Coal Plant, owned by Lightstone Generation (a Blackstone and ArcLight Capital Partners joint venture), faces significant financial instability due to declining revenues in the PJM Interconnection market and high debt burdens. The plant is also subject to substantial EPA-mandated cleanup costs for coal ash contamination following a June 2024 court ruling. With the broader U.S. coal industry in decline and institutional investors divesting from thermal coal, the report urges pension funds to pressure owners to retire the plant responsibly to avoid the community and financial losses seen in other coal plant closures.

The document outlines the critical role of copper in India's infrastructure and clean energy transition, predicting a potential doubling of demand by 2030. It recommends a multi-pronged approach including diversifying primary supply through strategic partnerships with countries like Chile and Australia, reforming trade duties to support domestic smelting, and rationalizing the GST on copper scrap to promote a circular economy.

The report forecasts that Africa will create between 1.5 and 3.3 million new direct green jobs by 2030 across 12 material value chains. The energy and power sector is the primary driver, with solar energy alone projected to generate up to 1.7 million jobs. The analysis highlights a significant need for both unskilled labor (40% of total) and specialized skills (30%), particularly in solar, climate-smart agriculture, and waste recycling. Five focus countries—South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the DRC—are expected to contribute up to 720,000 of these jobs, with South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria showing the highest potential. The report emphasizes that while long-term estimates suggest up to 100 million green jobs by 2050, immediate investment in human capital and vocational training is required to realize this growth.

RMI conducted a pre-feasibility analysis on a coal power plant in Indonesia's Java-Bali region, evaluating four transition scenarios: baseline operation, early retirement without repurposing, early retirement with clean energy repurposing, and biomass co-firing. The analysis found that early retirement is financially feasible, especially with blended financing, and that clean repurposing via solar PV and battery storage offers the highest value and emissions reductions, provided land constraints are overcome. Conversely, biomass co-firing was found to be generally unprofitable due to high retrofit costs.

The document highlights the risk of insufficient electricity generation during summer heat waves in North America, driven by projected peak load growth of 38 GW through 2028. It proposes Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)—aggregations of distributed energy resources (DERs)—as a key tool to enhance grid reliability and community resilience. VPPs are presented as more affordable than gas peakers or batteries and can be deployed in 6-12 months. The briefing outlines three essential policy principles: expanding the DER asset base, ensuring fair compensation, and enabling value stacking. Case studies from the US and Canada demonstrate VPPs' ability to provide peak capacity, reduce infrastructure costs, and offer backup power during extreme weather.

The Virtual Power Plant Flipbook provides a resource for utilities to implement VPPs—aggregations of distributed energy resources like batteries and electric vehicles—to enhance grid reliability and decarbonization. It offers case studies on various technologies, compensation frameworks, and partnership models to serve as a starting point for program managers and grid operators.

The document argues that the U.S. coal fleet is already in a sustained economic decline, making the EPA's emissions rules a catalyst for prudent utility planning rather than a source of economic or reliability risk. It asserts that the 2032 compliance timeline is sufficient for utilities to procure replacement resources, citing hundreds of gigawatts of 'shovel-ready' projects in interconnection queues. The authors maintain that 'baseload' coal is no longer necessary for grid stability, as portfolios of wind, solar, battery storage, and low-utilization gas can meet peak loads and growing demand without compromising reliability.

Completed in May 2022, a project on Mayreau Island utilized ComAp's InteliSys NTC Hybrid system to operationalize a previously dormant hybrid microgrid consisting of photovoltaics (PV), a 100 kW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and four diesel generators. The system allows for the maximization of solar energy and the shutdown of diesel generators under certain conditions, reducing fuel costs and noise pollution for the local community.

The report finds that while burning hydrogen in power plants is technically feasible, it is likely not a cost-effective solution for bulk power production or load following. The authors highlight significant inefficiencies, such as a 24% round-trip efficiency for electrolytic hydrogen, and high costs for necessary geological storage and transport infrastructure. Lifecycle emissions reductions for hydrogen derived from natural gas with carbon capture are limited (averaging 50%) due to upstream methane leaks. The report concludes that clean hydrogen production should be prioritized for heavy industry and transportation rather than the power sector, where clean firm generation (e.g., nuclear, geothermal) or other storage options (e.g., pumped storage hydropower) are generally more economical.

The report evaluates the transition plans of Enel, ENGIE, EPH, Iberdrola, and Statkraft, finding that none have committed to phasing out fossil gas power in Europe or the OECD by 2035. While Iberdrola and Statkraft are highlighted as following better practices by focusing on sustainable power solutions, EPH is identified as an industry laggard with a strategy heavily reliant on coal and gas. Enel and ENGIE are described as having conflicting strategies that combine renewable growth with continued fossil gas development and reliance on immature technologies like hydrogen and CCUS. The analysis emphasizes that current CAPEX allocations for several utilities remain too high for fossil fuels to meet the IEA's Net-zero Emissions by 2050 scenario.

The Madagascar Integrated Energy Access Planning (IEP) Electrification Report outlines a strategy to reach universal electricity access. It identifies a baseline scenario for 2030 and a conservative scenario for 2040. The plan relies on four primary modalities: grid densification, grid expansion, mini-grids (MV and LV), and standalone solar systems (SSS). SSS is the dominant modality, projected to serve 52% of the population by 2030. The report provides detailed geospatial modelling for project identification, cost assumptions for infrastructure, and financing requirements, estimating a total CAPEX of over $7 billion for the 2030 goal. It also assesses the potential for small-scale hydropower to support off-grid mini-grids, particularly on the eastern coast.

The briefing examines how distributed solar, particularly through schemes like PM Surya Ghar and PM-KUSUM, can mitigate the financial distress of Indian Discoms by reducing the cost of supplying subsidized consumers and lowering power procurement costs. It highlights the potential for distributed solar to contribute significantly to India's 2030 renewable energy purchase obligations (RPO) and suggests that the adoption of virtual power plants (VPPs) and battery storage could further modernize the grid and manage peak demand.

Germany invested USD 89.12 billion in clean technologies in 2023, representing 29% of total EU investment. While China dominates wind and solar PV, Germany maintains a leadership position in the EU for battery and heat pump manufacture. The document highlights a significant global investment opportunity, with renewable technologies and battery storage potentially reaching USD 5.68 trillion by 2050. However, Germany faces risks from the aggressive industrial policies of the US (such as the Inflation Reduction Act) and China, which may lead companies like Tesla and Northvolt to scale back German operations. The briefing argues that a more robust industrial strategy is required to prevent a repeat of the collapse seen in Germany's solar and wind sectors around 2012 and 2016.

The document examines the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) Program, which provides up to $250 billion in low-interest loans to transition the US power sector to clean energy. It proposes a 'capital recycling' method where utilities use EIR loans to refinance 'low-quality' rate base components—such as the costs of retiring fossil plants—into 'high-quality' clean energy assets. Through case studies of Alliant Energy in Iowa and Ameren in Missouri, the report demonstrates that moderate EIR leverage combined with capital recycling can significantly reduce ratepayer costs (by 13% to 18% in the examples) while maintaining stable, lower-risk earnings for shareholders. The brief also compares EIR to securitization, noting EIR's lower transaction costs and interest rates, and outlines federal compliance requirements including NEPA, the Davis-Bacon Act, and the Cargo Preference Act.