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The South African energy services market, comprising small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) and energy efficiency, is driven by rising electricity costs and falling technology prices. The rooftop solar PV market is particularly strong in the commercial and industrial sector, with a projected total available market of R75 billion by 2035. Energy storage is identified as a future keystone of the SSEG market, with a potential value of R14.5 billion by 2035. Energy efficiency opportunities are estimated to reach R21 billion by 2035, with significant potential in green building and manufacturing. The report also highlights innovative financing mechanisms like Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) and the role of the Western Cape as a regional greentech hub.

This guide explains the role of electric utilities and Public Utilities Commissions in US energy policy, while detailing specific mechanisms like distributed generation, community solar, net metering, and decoupling that facilitate the transition to renewable energy.

The briefing proposes the use of Solar Investment Trusts (SEITs), structured as Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), to address financing barriers for small-scale rooftop solar projects in India. By pooling assets, SEITs aim to attract institutional investors, reduce the cost of equity by 300-350 basis points, and potentially mobilize USD 1 billion for the rooftop solar sector within five years. However, the document identifies significant barriers to immediate implementation, including SEBI's minimum asset value requirement of INR 500 crore and strict leverage limits of 49%, which currently exceed the capacity of even the largest Indian rooftop solar developers.

Sustainable Energy Bonds (SEBs) are proposed as a mechanism to bridge the debt financing gap for small-scale sustainable energy projects in India. By aggregating small projects through a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), SEBs reduce transaction costs and provide standardized impact reporting to attract impact investors. The analysis suggests that initial issuances, such as a proposed USD 5 million pilot by cKers Finance, require approximately 4% in public finance support—covering credit enhancement and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) costs—to maintain competitive lending rates of around 10% for project developers.

The briefing presents a business case for applying R-PACE financing to new residential construction to achieve net-zero energy (NZE) goals. It identifies key market barriers—such as high up-front costs and split incentives between builders and buyers—and proposes a policy framework to integrate R-PACE into new builds. RMI's analysis across six U.S. states suggests that NZE homes can be delivered with no additional up-front cost to the buyer, providing annual energy savings that exceed the PACE assessment payments.

RMI defends its research on grid defection, asserting that while full disconnection from the utility may currently only be economical in Hawaii, the declining costs of distributed energy resources (DERs) create a risk of stranded utility assets. RMI critiques a Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) study for focusing only on present-day costs and a limited set of DER options, arguing that the threat of future defection empowers customers and necessitates reforms in utility business models and retail pricing to achieve an integrated, cost-optimal grid.

The document outlines eight key areas for electricity innovation in 2017, focusing heavily on the integration, valuation, and management of distributed energy resources (DERs). It highlights the shift toward technology-agnostic DER valuation, the potential for electric vehicles to serve as grid assets, and the need for alternative capital planning to displace traditional infrastructure. The text also addresses the necessity of evolving utility business models, establishing distribution system operators (DSOs), improving customer engagement, and expanding DER access to low- and moderate-income customers.

The document outlines the economic drivers and practical implementation of solar PV for businesses in the Western Cape, noting that systems can reduce electricity costs by up to 16% with payback periods typically between 3 and 8 years. It details three financing models—self-funded, bank-funded, and power purchase agreements (PPAs)—and lists the municipalities in the province that support small scale embedded generation (SSEG). Additionally, it highlights available tax incentives, such as 100% accelerated depreciation, and the Western Cape government's goal to reach 135MW of rooftop PV capacity by 2020.

The South African energy services market is expanding due to rising electricity costs, decreasing technology prices, and supportive policies. Growth is primarily driven by the commercial and industrial sectors, particularly through rooftop solar PV and energy efficiency retrofits. While national regulations have lagged behind the rapid uptake of small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), local municipalities, especially in the Western Cape, are developing their own guidelines to unlock investment. Significant opportunities exist in public building retrofits, the water-energy nexus in municipal wastewater treatment, and industrial solar thermal applications in the food and beverage sector.

India requires $189 billion in additional investment to meet its 2022 renewable energy targets, with a specific need for $57 billion in equity and $132 billion in debt. While the total investment potential is $411 billion, expected investment is only $166 billion, leaving a gap of $23 billion. Foreign institutional investors have the capacity to fill 100% of the equity gap, and domestic institutional investors can meet 54% of the debt gap. However, significant barriers persist, including off-taker risk, currency volatility, and a lack of liquid investment instruments. The report proposes financial solutions such as payment security mechanisms, foreign exchange hedging facilities, and infrastructure debt funds, alongside policy reforms in land acquisition and transmission capacity.

The project seeks US$ 28.21 million in GCF grants to enable a shift toward a low-carbon economy in Mauritius. It is structured in two phases (2017-2024) across three components: institutional strengthening via the creation of the Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency (MARENA), upgrading the national grid to absorb up to 185 MW of intermittent renewable energy (including 25 MW of rooftop PV), and deploying solar PV mini-grids on Agalega. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4.27 million tCO2e over the investment lifetimes, leveraging US$ 163.18 million in co-finance from the Government of Mauritius, the Central Electricity Board (CEB), and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

Loans4SME is a proposed technology-driven peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform designed to bridge the USD 44 billion debt financing gap for Indian SMEs in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. By connecting borrowers directly with high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors, the platform aims to bypass traditional banking barriers such as stringent collateral requirements and slow sanction times. The instrument features a proprietary credit scoring algorithm that incorporates forward-looking financials and alternative data, which the report claims is more robust than traditional bank models. The analysis estimates that a 5% market share could mobilize USD 2.2 billion in private capital and add 800 MW of solar rooftop capacity by 2022. While deemed highly actionable with a feasibility score of 2.67/3, the report identifies regulatory uncertainty as a high-risk challenge since P2P lending remained unregulated in India at the time of publication.

The report outlines a financing facility to address debt capital shortages for India's rooftop solar sector, specifically targeting commercial and industrial segments. It proposes a mechanism to bundle small projects into a warehouse line of credit, which is then refinanced via asset-backed securities (ABS) to attract institutional investors. The facility aims to lower debt costs by 0.5-3.5% and add 500MW of capacity by 2022.

The report analyzes the third party financing model for rooftop solar in India, where developers install and own systems and sell power to consumers via long-term agreements. While the model is financially viable in most states for industrial and commercial segments—often achieving grid parity without incentives—its growth is hindered by limited debt finance, consumer credit risk, and inconsistent net metering implementation. The report suggests policy interventions such as training bank officials, involving DISCOMs in power purchase agreements, and creating specialized dispute courts, alongside financial instruments like peer-to-peer lending platforms and green bond securitization.

The report examines the growth of the South African energy services market, driven by rising electricity costs and energy security concerns. It highlights significant growth in rooftop PV, opportunities for energy efficiency in municipal wastewater treatment and public buildings, and the role of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs). The document also details the regulatory landscape, including tax incentives like the 12L allowance and the Western Cape's specific initiatives to reduce energy demand.

Rooftop solar in the United States experienced rapid growth between 2008 and 2014, driven by a 45% decrease in household system prices from 2010 to 2014 and the rise of third-party ownership models. The technology provides significant environmental benefits, including zero carbon emissions and minimal water use during electricity generation, while supporting a domestic industry that employed over 170,000 people by 2014. Growth is further sustained by federal and state policies such as net metering, feed-in tariffs, and a 30% federal investment tax credit.

The report argues that demand flexibility—the use of technology to shift electricity use across hours of the day—can significantly lower both customer bills and grid investment costs. In the U.S. residential sector, it could avoid $13 billion annually in grid and energy costs while reducing customer bills by 10–40%. The analysis highlights that 'flexiwatts' from appliances like air conditioning and water heaters can reduce peak demand and better integrate renewable energy. However, the report warns that demand flexibility may accelerate 'load defection' if utilities reduce compensation for exported rooftop solar PV.

The report analyzes 'demand flexibility' (DF)—the use of technology to shift electricity loads like air conditioning and EV charging to lower-cost times. It finds that widespread residential DF could avoid $13 billion annually in U.S. grid costs and reduce customer bills by 10–40%. Through four case studies (ComEd, SRP, HECO, and Alabama Power), the report demonstrates how DF can mitigate peak demand, integrate rooftop solar PV, and provide a lower-cost alternative to traditional grid infrastructure investments.

The briefing examines the transition from flat residential electricity rates to demand charges, which bill customers based on their peak power usage rather than total energy consumption. It argues that as technologies like rooftop solar and electric vehicles create diverse consumption patterns, demand charges can better align customer costs with the actual strain they place on the grid. The author highlights that such rates incentivize load shifting and the adoption of DERs, citing examples from utilities like Salt River Project and Black Hills Power.

Rooftop solar costs in the US have nearly halved since 2007, with projections suggesting that by 2017, more than half of US states could have rooftop solar as cheap as grid electricity without state or local incentives. The number of US homes with rooftop solar grew from 30,000 in 2006 to nearly 400,000 by 2013, with future projections ranging from 1 million by 2020 (EIA) to nearly 4 million (DOE) depending on cost reductions.