Financing Initiatives Toolkit

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What clean energy companies are currently active in my country?

OpenEI Registered Clean Energy Companies

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What renewable energy and climate finance projects are currently going on in my country?

Featured Project Databases

UNEP-Risoe CDM/JI Pipeline Analysis and Database: The UNEP Risoe CDM/JI Pipleine Analysis and Database is a website that provides analysis results and lists of projects submitted to the Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation Kyoto Protocol mechanisms of the carbon market. The website includes lists of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects organized by country and project type. The lists can be downloaded as Excel spreadsheets. The website also includes a library of CDM guidebooks that can be downloaded as PDF files.

UNFCCC/UNEP-Risoe CDM Bazaar: The UNFCCC/UNEP-Risoe CDM Bazaar is a platform for exchange of information on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project opportunities.

How can I better understand the costs associated with my project?

Featured Tools

Cost of Renewable Energy Spreadsheet Tool (CREST): The Cost of Renewable Energy Spreadsheet Tool (CREST) is an economic cash flow model designed to enable utility regulators and the renewable energy community assess projects, design cost-based incentives (e.g., feed-in tariffs), and evaluate the impact of tax incentives or other support structures. CREST is a suite of three analytic tools for solar (photovoltaic and solar thermal), wind, and geothermal technologies, respectively. CREST was originally designed for the U.S. market but could be applied elsewhere if metric conversations are made (e.g., currency is measure in U.S. dollars).

RETFinance: RETFinance, developed at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is used to calculate cost of energy of renewable electricity generation technologies such as biomass, geothermal, solar, and wind.

RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis Software: RETScreen is a Microsoft Excel-based model for decision makers to evaluate clean power projects using renewable energy, cogeneration, district energy, heating and cooling technologies as well as energy efficiency projects. The software is intended for energy professionals involved in analyzing the financial viability of potential projects, and allows for analyzing energy production and/or savings, project costs, emission reductions, financing options and sensitivity/risk analysis. The software is available for free, includes extensive training materials, and is available in 35 languages. RETScreen provides access to global climate and equipment datasets.

Solar Advisor Model: The System Advisor Model (SAM) is a performance and financial model designed to facilitate decision making for people involved in the renewable energy industry: 1) project managers and engineers; 3) incentive program designers; 3) technology developers; and, 4) researchers. SAM makes performance predictions and cost of energy estimates for grid-connected power projects based on installation and operating costs and system design parameters that you specify as inputs to the model. Projects can be either on the customer side of the utility meter, buying and selling electricity at retail rates, or on the utility side of the meter, selling electricity at a price negotiated through a power purchase agreement (PPA).

The current version of the SAM includes performance models for the following technologies:

Photovoltaic systems (flat-plate and concentrating)
Parabolic trough concentrating solar power systems
Power tower concentrating solar power systems (molten salt and direct steam)
Linear Fresnel concentrating solar power systems
Dish-Stirling concentrating solar power systems
Conventional fossil-fuel thermal systems
Solar water heating for residential or commercial buildings
Large and small wind power projects
Geothermal power

How can I find out what finance programs are currently available for my project?

Featured Finance Programs and Initiatives

CTI Private Financing Advisory Network: The Climate Technology Initiative, Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) provides technical assistance and coaching to clean energy project developers in developing and transition economies to assist with the preparation of project financing proposals which will meet the standards of the international financing community.

Climate Investment Funds - Country Investment Plans and Targeted Programs: The Climate Investment Funds website provides information on Country Investment Plans and Targeted Programs under the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and Strategic Climate Fund (SCF).

Ex-Im Bank Environmental Export Financing: The Export-Import Bank of the United States provides a number of enhanced products and services for financing of environmental exports.

Finanzas Carbono (Carbon Finance): The knowledge platform's main objective is to become a tool for decision making to strengthen the knowledge and skills of key actors in public and private sectors of Latin America and the Caribbean to participate in Carbon Markets (regulatory and voluntary).

Natural Resources Canada list of international funding and finance organizations for renewable energy: This Natural Resources Canada website provides a list of both public and private organizations that fund and finance renewable energy projects.

NREL's Renewable Energy Project Finance Website: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Project Finance team conducts research, performs analysis, and produces content aimed to inform decision makers in the renewable energy field. We cover topics ranging from: 1) project-level finance (terms, structures, and innovations); 2) renewable energy policy at the international, national, state and municipal level; 3) state-of-the-market for most commercial and some emerging renewable technologies; and, 4) high renewable penetration scenarios. Our audience includes: potential and existing investors in renewable energy generation projects; utilities and their regulators; and, policymakers. The website features weekly articles, in-depth analysis, finance tools, and a robust database of related resources.

OECD Financing Climate Change resources

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Africa: Carbon Finance Guide: The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership developed this guide as an introduction to finance of EERE projects in Africa for the private and public sector, banks and donor organizations.

UNDP-Climate Finance Options Platform: This Platform aims at providing comprehensive guidance on financial options available for climate action in developing countries.

UNEP-GEF Renewable Energy Project Financial Risk Management in Developing Countries: The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) partnered for this targeted research project to promote new risk management ideas for renewable energy projects in developing countries. The website provides a number of resources for RE risk management in developing countries.

UNEP Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative: The UNEP Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative seeks to provide financiers with the tools, support, and global network for conceiving and managing clean energy technology investments in a quickly evolving marketplace.

UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion: The United Nations Industrial Development Organization's work in Investment and Technology Promotion provides a service module to address government and market failures to promote investment in developing and transition economies in order to alleviate these problems. The services are designed to address the specific needs of developing and transition countries according to their respective stage of industrial and technological development.

World Bank Renewable Energy Toolkit: The World Bank Renewable Energy Toolkit, or REToolKit, is a collection of downloadable documents and links to web resources designed to assist World Bank staff and their country counterparts in their efforts to improve the design and implementation of renewable energy projects. The information includes case studies, standards specifications, terms of reference, and project reports that may serve as useful references to renewable energy professionals around the world.

What role can microfinance play in local renewable energy development?

Featured Publications

Renewable Energy for Microenterprise Guide: This guide is targeted to the many types of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and microenterprise support organizations that are interested in improving the profitability of their members’ microenterprises through renewable energy (RE) technologies. In addition, RE suppliers and technical organizations can use this guide to strengthen efforts to incorporate microfinance institutions and practices into rural electrification programs.