ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → Green Living

Poor Countries install Renewable Energy two times faster than the Rich

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
October 29, 2014 - Updated on October 30, 2014
in Green Living, News, Renewable Energy, Technology
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

What is cyberpunk — and are we already living in it?
Beam me up Scotty – NASA researches tractor beam technology
What to do for a sore arm after the COVID-19 vaccine
Scientists finally confirm what’s inside the Moon – and it’s not cheese

Developing countries are catching up fast and there’s a lot the rich can learn, especially in terms of energy. A study of 55 nations found that developing countries like China, Brazil, South Africa, Uruguay and Kenya are installing renewable energy projects at almost twice the rate of developed nations. In many of these countries renewable energy is actually cheaper than conventional fossil fuel energy, and hopefully the same can be said on a global scale in the coming years.

Poorer countries are eating up renewables

renewable energy africa
Credit: National Energy Regulator of South Africa

Admittedly, however, developed countries have installed more renewable energy in absolute numbers having installed 213 megawatts  between 2008 to 2013, marking an 84% increase. Developing countries installed a combined 142 gigawatts from 2008 to 2013, a 143% growth, according to a report released today by Climatescope.

For most of these countries, the shift and pace is set by economic considerations and not climate responsibility, as we’d like to think. In the island state of Jamaica, wholesale power costs about $300 a megawatt-hour, but the equivalent power supplied by solar panels would cost half as much. A similar case can be witnessed in Nicaragua, where this time wind power is half the price of conventional energy.

Renewable resources currently provide just over 6 percent of total U.S. energy, but according to a report called  “American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security” new technologies that harness renewables are, or soon will be, economically competitive with fossil fuels. Annual global investment in “new” renewable energy has risen almost six-fold since 1995, with cumulative investment over this period nearing $180 billion. Despite these massive investments, the US is lagging far behind other developed countries like Germany, which gets 31% of its energy from renewables. Most embarrassing, however, is that the US – the world’s second largest polluter behind China – is actually emitting more greenhouse gases than it did in 1990.

So, while the US is waiting for renewable energy to becoming cost-effective, much poorer states aren’t blinking: for them solar or wind, by case, is already a cheaper option. South Africa, for instance, awarded 17 bids for projects about a year ago and has invested some $10 billion in the past two years. Combined, the 55 states included in the Climatescope study invested $122 billion last year, more than double the 2007 sum of $59.3 billion.

 

ShareTweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

Economics

Your nails could be a sign of whether a recession is coming or not

byMihai Andrei
8 hours ago
Science

Coffee Could Help You Live Longer — But Only If You Have it Black

byMihai Andrei
8 hours ago
Animals

These Moths in Australia Use the Milky Way as a GPS to Fly 1,000 Kilometers

byTibi Puiu
18 hours ago
Archaeology

A Giant Roman Soldier Lost His Shoe Near Hadrian’s Wall 2,000 Years Ago

byMihai Andrei
19 hours ago

Recent news

Your nails could be a sign of whether a recession is coming or not

June 19, 2025

Coffee Could Help You Live Longer — But Only If You Have it Black

June 19, 2025

These Moths in Australia Use the Milky Way as a GPS to Fly 1,000 Kilometers

June 18, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.