Photo by Nasa on Unsplash

Hi Again,
Welcome to a new edition of the State of Charge Newsletter. A concise monthly overview of the renewable energy transition and the advent of electric mobility.

This month we read about the top 40 renewable energy markets and how urban life is changing because of Covid19. We also explore conflicting views on the future of our global energy mix. Lastly, don't miss National Geographic's amazing photo series on environmental accomplishments.

Photo by Alex Eckermann on Unsplash

How does renewable energy fair in these challenging times, what are the short and long-term impacts on the market, and what countries are most attractive in 2020 for investments in renewable energy? Find the answers to these questions, and more, in the annual ranking of the top 40 renewable energy markets worldwide, which is based on EY's Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI). 

Spoiler alert: for the first time since 2016, the United States has overtaken China to claim the top spot.
 

These statistics only include 100% Electric Vehicles, no hybrids. Statistics are provided by our partner
 ev-volumes.com. The Electric Vehicle World Sales Database.

Photo by Andreas Bruecker on Unsplash

SoC Good Reads

There seems to be little consensus about how Covid19 will impact our global energy mix. 

The Guardian supports the idea that the oil crisis has accelerated the shift to renewable energy but, rather conflictingly, also believes it has slowed it down. 

Reuters reports that China may struggle to meet its climate pledges this year as it turns to heavy industry and carbon-intensive projects to shore up its coronavirus-stricken economy.

Forbes and the NY Times both agree that renewables have now overtaken coal. But for how long; the Environmental Protection Agency just announced a sweeping relaxation of environmental rules in the US.

🤷 What do you think? 

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

The first article, describes how South Africans created their own way of coping with drought and demonstrated remarkable resilience. The authors talk about "partial functional redundancy" to highlight how a private system parallel to the public one has contributed to the general wellbeing. 

The second article reflects on the culturalization of climate change. The authors discovered how historical events, embedded in local memory and identity, have a surprisingly strong impact on how climate change is perceived and acted upon today. 

SoC Other News

Last month we celebrated the 50th edition of Earth Day 🥳. As a tribute, National Geographic published 50 amazing photos of environmental accomplishments. Have a look!

It's time for another roundup of recent inventions that may have an impact on how we produce energy in the near future.

• Scientists in Australia are working on improving the durability of solar windows powered by perovskites.
• Perovskite solar cells are also being used by scientists at Rice University (Texas) to create hydrogen for fuel by splitting water. 
• Meanwhile, in California, some experts argue that using dead and diseased trees to produce biomass energy will help to restore forests and reduce CO2 emissions.

Photo by Jongsun Lee on Unsplash

This month, we've selected an episode from the MIT Energy Initiative. MIT Professor Jessika Trancik and postdoc Gökşin Kavlak discuss what are the drivers of sustainable technology over time with a special focus on photovoltaics. What's the role of the government? Do we have all the technology we need to address climate change?
 

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