1. 92 Robb Report
A
lternative energy and green
pursuits, which used to be driven
by futurist think tanks, now offer
an increasingly viable investment
opportunity.Despitetherecentslide
infossilfuels,themarchtowardsgreendoesn’t
mean just planting more trees or taking
petroleum-powered cars off the roads. It
entails creating new markets, jobs and
investment opportunities.
In the realm of solar energy, increased
efficiency and reduction of equipment and
installation costs has fuelled a huge influx
of capital investment. Warren Buffett
himself started with a US$2.6 billion ($3.5
billion) investment which will increase to
US$30 billion by the end of next year.
Google is committed to solar power
investments to offset its immense electrical
energy usage by agreeing to fund more than
Renewable energy is now adding value to investments.
GREEN
MEANS GREEN
By ERIC STACHOWSKI
Google is committed to solar
power investments to offset its
immense electrical energy use.
Illustration OLEG BORODIN

2. 93June – 2015
US$1.5 billion in clean energy wind and
solar projects. Elon Musk funds his SpaceX
programmes with cash flow from SolarCity,
a leader in full-service solar power systems
for homes, businesses and governments in
the US. The technopreneur is also raising
billionsforhisambitiouslithium-ionbattery
factory in Nevada. Musk’s US$200 million
acquisitionofsolarpanelmanufacturerSilevo
ispartofhisstrategytobuildamodulefactory
in Buffalo.
The most profitable company in the
world, Apple, has also leveraged itself into
the solar space. The company has spent
US$3 billion on solar facilities in California
andArizona,partneringwithFirstSolarona
1,174-hectaresolarfarminMontereyCounty.
Its CEO Tim Cook remarked that the First
Solar project will produce enough power for
the company’s headquarters, all its retail
stores in California and other facilities.
Governmentpolicychangeshavebeen
amassivedriverforChina,theUS,EUand
Japan,creatingincentivesfordomesticand
international investment. In Malaysia,
recent legislation mandated a 40 per cent
reduction in carbon emissions by 2020.
Some stock plays and green funds are
proving to be excellent performers. Direct
investments in solar farms can be a superb
hedgeagainstconstantlyrisingcostsatthe
very least, if not fantastic returns. ≠
Some stock plays and
green funds are proving to be
excellent performers.