Global investment in clean energy was US$ 50.5 billion in the first quarter of 2015, down 15% from Q1 2014 (US$ 59.3 billion), as deal-making slowed in big markets such as China, Europe and Brazil. The statistics from research company Bloomberg New Energy Finance show fewer large-ticket transactions in the January-March period of this year than in Q1 2014.
Financings of wind projects and public market equity raisings by clean energy companies were particularly subdued, although there were some bright spots, including small-scale solar worldwide and renewable energy project investment in South Africa. The Q1 figures show that investment in Europe slipped 30% compared to first quarter 2014, to US$ 9.7 billion, while that in China fell 24% to US$ 11 billion. Investment in the US edged up 2% to US$ 9.6 billion, but Brazil slid 62% to US$ 1.1 billion and the rest of the Americas dropped 17% to US$ 2 billion. The strongest performance came from South Africa, where investment in Q1 surged to US$ 3.1 billion from almost nothing in the same quarter a year earlier. By sector, the Q1 2015 investment figures show solar up 7% from a year earlier, at US$ 31.8 billion, wind down 30% at US$ 15.1 billion, biomass and waste-to-energy up 94% at US$ 1.7 billion, and biofuels down 64% at US$ 447 million. Investment in energy smart technology companies slumped 91% to US$ 281 million.
