Energy, Climate and Clean Technology

Energy, Climate and Clean Technology

Future IndustryYes
Africa Relevance80 / 100

Energy, Climate and Clean Technology is the industry focused on generating, storing, and managing energy systems while reducing environmental impact and supporting global sustainability goals. It includes technologies that enable cleaner power production, efficient energy use, and climate change mitigation.

This industry covers renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power, as well as energy storage systems, smart grids, carbon capture technologies, and hydrogen energy solutions. It also includes innovations in energy efficiency and environmental monitoring systems.

The Energy and Climate industry includes companies developing power generation systems, battery technologies, grid infrastructure, electric utilities, and climate tech platforms. These systems support both industrial energy needs and consumer energy consumption globally.

Key areas include renewable power systems, energy storage batteries, smart grid technology, carbon reduction solutions, electric infrastructure, and climate analytics. These technologies are essential for transitioning toward low-carbon and sustainable economies.

As global energy demand evolves, this industry creates careers in renewable energy engineering, environmental science, energy systems design, climate technology development, and sustainability consulting.

Explore Energy, Climate and Clean Technology companies, systems, and careers driving the global transition to sustainable energy.

Market Data

Table of 15 market-data points for this industry.
MetricValueYearNotes
Global Clean Energy Investment 1,800 USD Billion2023 Total clean energy investment globally in 2023 including solar Source: wind
Projected Clean Energy Market (2030) 4,000 USD Billion2030 Total clean energy transition market projection across power generation Source: grid infrastructure
CAGR – Renewables Market (2024–2030) 10.2 Percent2024–2030 Solar and wind capacity additions are on an accelerating trajectory; battery storage growing faster at ~25% CAGR Source: BloombergNEF New Energy Outlook 2024
Global Solar Capacity Added 425 Gigawatts2023 New solar photovoltaic capacity installed globally in 2023; a record year; China installed ~230GW alone Source: International Energy Agency (IEA) Renewables Report 2024
Global Wind Capacity Added 117 Gigawatts2023 New wind capacity installed globally in 2023 including onshore (106GW) and offshore (11GW); China dominant Source: Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) Global Wind Report 2024
Clean Energy Jobs (Global) 35,000,000 Jobs2023 Total clean energy employment globally in 2023; exceeded fossil fuel employment for the first time on record Source: International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) World Energy Transitions Outlook 2024
US Inflation Reduction Act Clean Energy Funding 369 USD Billion2022 Total US government climate and clean energy investment committed under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Source: US Department of Energy (DOE) IRA Summary 2022
Green Hydrogen Market Size 14.5 USD Billion2024 Early-stage market for green hydrogen production; electrolyzer capacity growing but costs remain high vs grey hydrogen Source: Hydrogen Council / BloombergNEF Hydrogen Insights 2024
Median Annual Salary (Energy Engineer – US) 100,000 USD2024 Median annual salary for energy engineers and renewable energy project developers in the United States Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) OES 2024
Africa Renewable Energy Investment 16.8 USD Billion2023 Investment in renewable energy projects in Africa in 2023; solar dominant; South Africa and Egypt lead deployment Source: IRENA Africa Renewable Energy Status Report 2024
Global Battery Storage Capacity Added 42 Gigawatt-hours2023 New grid-scale battery storage installed globally in 2023; growing exponentially from near-zero in 2018 Source: BloombergNEF Energy Storage Monitor 2024
Electric Vehicle Global Sales 13,900,000 Vehicles2023 Total new electric vehicle sales globally in 2023; 18% of all new car sales; China accounts for ~60% Source: International Energy Agency (IEA) Global EV Outlook 2024
Carbon Capture Market Size 2.5 USD Billion2024 Market for carbon capture Source: utilization
Global Cumulative Solar Capacity 1,600 Gigawatts2024 Total installed solar PV capacity globally at end of 2024; solar now the largest source of new electricity generation Source: IEA Electricity Market Report 2024
Nuclear Energy Capacity Under Construction 65 Gigawatts2024 Global nuclear power capacity under construction; China building majority; Small Modular Reactors emerging Source: World Nuclear Association 2024

Companies in this Industry

Acciona Energía

Madrid, Spain · 2021

One of the world's largest pure-play renewable energy companies, operating 12 GW+ of wind, solar, hydro, and biomass assets in 40+ countries.

High

ACWA Power

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · 2004

Saudi Arabia's leading developer and operator of power and desalination projects, with 50 GW+ in development across renewables and gas in 13 countrie…

High

Ballard Power Systems

Burnaby, Canada · 1979

Pioneer in PEM fuel cell technology for heavy transport, with 650 MW+ of fuel cell modules deployed in buses, trucks, trains, and marine vessels.

High

Bboxx

London, UK · 2010

UK-based clean tech company connecting 3 million+ people to solar energy through pay-as-you-go home systems and mini-grids across Africa and Asia.

High

Bloom Energy

San Jose, CA · 2001

Manufacturer of solid oxide fuel cell Energy Servers delivering clean on-site power to data centres, manufacturers, hospitals, and utilities worldwid…

High

Brookfield Renewable

New York, NY · 1999

One of the world's largest pure-play renewable energy companies, with 34 GW+ of hydro, wind, solar, and storage assets across 30+ countries.

Medium

BYD Energy

Shenzhen, China · 2000

Energy storage division of BYD, delivering blade battery technology and MC Cube-T utility-scale systems across global markets.

High

Canadian Solar

Guelph, Canada · 2001

One of the world's largest solar module manufacturers and utility-scale project developers, with 100 GW+ shipped globally.

High

CATL

Ningde, China · 2011

The world's largest battery manufacturer, supplying EV and grid-scale energy storage systems to virtually every major automaker and utility globally.

High

Commonwealth Fusion Systems

Cambridge, MA · 2018

MIT spin-out developing compact SPARC tokamak fusion reactors using the world's strongest superconducting magnets, backed by $1.8B+ in funding.

High

CrossBoundary Energy

Nairobi, Kenya · 2015

Pan-African renewable energy investment platform with 62 MW+ deployed across 10 African countries, including a landmark 223 MW solar-BESS project in…

High

Cummins New Power

Columbus, IN · 2019

Clean energy division of Cummins offering hydrogen fuel cells, electrolysers, and zero-emission powertrains for trucks, buses, trains, and marine ves…

High

d.light

Nairobi, Kenya · 2006

Global pioneer of off-grid solar products and pay-as-you-go financing, having served 160 million+ people across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

High

Daystar Power

Lagos, Nigeria · 2017

West African solar energy service provider delivering fully-financed solar and battery storage to C&I clients across Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and Tog…

High

EDP Renewables

Madrid, Spain · 2007

One of the world's largest renewable energy producers, operating 28 GW+ of wind, solar, and storage assets across 20+ countries.

High

Electric Hydrogen

Natick, MA · 2020

Massachusetts startup manufacturing HYPRPlant PEM electrolysers backed by $380 M+ to make green hydrogen cost-competitive at gigawatt scale.

High

Energy Vault

Westlake Village, CA · 2017

Developer of gravity-based long-duration energy storage and hybrid battery systems, with deployments in China and the U.S. and a $300M strategic inve…

High

ENGIE Renewables

Paris, France · 2008

One of the world's largest renewable energy developers, operating 50 GW+ of wind, solar, and hydro assets with a growing green hydrogen portfolio.

High

Enphase Energy

Fremont, CA · 2006

Global leader in microinverter-based solar and home battery storage systems, with products deployed in over 140 countries.

High

ESS Inc

Wilsonville, OR · 2011

Oregon-based manufacturer of long-duration iron flow batteries using iron, salt, and water for 8-100+ hour utility-scale energy storage.

High

First Solar

Tempe, AZ · 1999

America's largest solar manufacturer, producing thin-film CdTe photovoltaic modules and developing utility-scale solar power plants worldwide.

High

Fluence

Arlington, VA · 2018

Global energy storage technology and AI software company, deploying grid-scale battery systems in 40+ countries for utilities and IPPs.

High

Form Energy

Weirton, WV · 2017

U.S. startup developing iron-air batteries capable of 100+ hours of storage, enabling multi-day grid backup for utilities at low cost.

High

Fusion Fuel

Dublin, Ireland · 2020

Irish energy group evolved from a green hydrogen developer into a diversified energy services platform with operations across Europe and the Middle E…

Medium

GE Vernova

Cambridge, MA · 2024

Energy technology company spun off from GE in 2024, supplying wind turbines, grid solutions, and electrification technology to 100+ countries.

High

Goldwind

Beijing, China · 1998

China's largest and the world's top-three wind turbine manufacturer, with 110 GW+ of permanent magnet direct-drive turbines installed globally.

High

Helion Energy

Everett, WA · 2013

U.S. fusion startup building the world's first commercial fusion power plant, with a $570M+ raised and a signed power purchase agreement with Microso…

High

Husk Power Systems

Patna, India · 2008

Developer of solar-biomass mini-grids serving rural communities across India and Sub-Saharan Africa, targeting 5,000 grids by 2030.

High

Iberdrola Renewables

Bilbao, Spain · 1992

Spain's global renewable energy leader, with 65 GW+ of wind, solar, and hydro capacity and targets of 100 GW by 2030.

High

Invenergy

Chicago, IL · 2001

North America's largest private renewable energy developer, with 30 GW+ of wind, solar, and storage projects built or in construction.

High

ITM Power

Sheffield, UK · 2001

UK-based PEM electrolyser manufacturer and operator, supplying industrial-scale green hydrogen systems with partnerships including Linde and Snam.

High

JA Solar

Beijing, China · 2005

Global top-tier manufacturer of high-efficiency DeepBlue solar modules, with 130 GW+ shipped to 135+ countries.

High

JinkoSolar

Shanghai, China · 2006

The world's largest PV module supplier by shipment volume, pioneering N-type TOPCon technology across 160+ countries.

High

Lhyfe

Nantes, France · 2017

France's leading producer and supplier of green hydrogen, operating RFNBO-compliant production sites across Europe with revenue nearly doubling in 20…

High

Lightsource bp

London, UK · 2010

One of the world's largest solar energy developers and operators, backed by bp, with a 25 GW+ global development pipeline.

Medium

LONGi Green Energy

Xi'an, China · 2000

World's largest solar technology company, leading global monocrystalline silicon production and repeatedly setting solar cell efficiency records.

High

M-KOPA

Nairobi, Kenya · 2012

Africa's leading pay-as-you-go solar and fintech platform, serving 5 million+ customers across Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa.

High

Masdar

Abu Dhabi, UAE · 2006

Abu Dhabi's clean energy powerhouse with 23 GW+ operational and targeting 100 GW by 2030 across solar, wind, and green hydrogen in 40+ countries.

High

Nel Hydrogen

Oslo, Norway · 1927

Global pure-play hydrogen company providing alkaline and PEM electrolysers for green hydrogen production, and hydrogen fuelling stations for transpor…

High

NextEra Energy

Juno Beach, FL · 1925

The world's largest producer of wind and solar power, with 34 GW+ of clean energy capacity and a 20 GW+ development backlog.

High

Nordex

Hamburg, Germany · 1985

Leading manufacturer of onshore wind turbines with 45 GW+ installed in 40+ countries, known for its Delta4000 and AW series platforms.

High

Octopus Energy

London, UK · 2015

UK-founded clean energy and technology platform valued at $9B+, serving customers in 6+ countries through its Kraken OS and 100% renewable tariffs.

High

Ørsted

Fredericia, Denmark · 2006

The world's largest offshore wind developer, transforming from a fossil fuel utility into a global renewable energy powerhouse with 15 GW+ installed.

High

Pacific Fusion

Fremont, CA · 2023

California fusion startup building pulsed magnetic fusion systems on breakthroughs from U.S. national labs, raising $900M in one of the largest fusio…

High

Plug Power

Latham, NY · 1997

Builder of end-to-end green hydrogen ecosystems, combining electrolysers, liquefaction, and fuel cells for logistics, transport, and data centres.

High

PowerGen Renewable Energy

Nairobi, Kenya · 2011

Nairobi-based developer and operator of solar-hybrid mini-grids electrifying rural Africa, backed by the African Development Bank and PIDG.

High

Redwood Materials

Carson City, NV · 2017

Battery recycling and materials company founded by Tesla's ex-CTO, recovering critical minerals and manufacturing cathode and anode materials for EVs.

High

ReNew Energy Global

Gurugram, India · 2011

India's largest pure-play renewable energy IPP with 13.5 GW+ of wind, solar, and hybrid capacity, expanding into green hydrogen.

High

Scatec

Oslo, Norway · 2007

Norwegian renewable energy developer with 4.5 GW+ of solar, wind, and hydro projects in emerging markets across Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

High

Schneider Electric Energy

Rueil-Malmaison, France · 1836

Global leader in digital energy management, smart grid, and microgrid solutions, enabling the energy transition for utilities and enterprises in 100+…

High
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