Scaling up solar: identifying renewable energy innovators in developing countries
Vinod Aggarwal, Professor
Political Science
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
While most developing countries have adopted renewable energy policies, adopters vary widely in their success to kickstart a renewable energy industry. Some have installed a lot of renewable energy like Thailand and Vietnam, while others like Indonesia struggle to sustain investment. This project leverages firm level data to understand how some developing countries have become competitive in renewable energy while others remain dependent on fossil fuels. Are countries that attract foreign investment ultimately the most successful? Can small domestic renewable energy companies compete against international firms with economies of scale?
Role: URAP students will work with the Project Director to pair solar installation data with information on investor characteristics, to map the determinants of successful solar deployment. Students will be responsible for collecting government documents, news articles, and policy reports related to specific solar projects, and identifying key information (i.e. country of origin, size, industry) on investors. This semester, we will verify investor metadata for all solar projects in middle income countries included in the S&P World Electric Power Plant Database. Students will learn how to conduct systematic web searches, work with Excel (R if desired), and query the ORBIS business database. Students will meet with the PD once a week via Zoom.
Qualifications: Students should have expertise with Microsoft Office software, especially Excel. Preference for students with experience in R or other statistical analysis software. Applicants should have a strong interest in international political economy and the environment; students who have completed PolSci126A with Professor Aggarwal are especially welcome to apply, as well as students with an interest or background in climate policy and renewable energy.
Hours: 9-11 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: Work will be entirely remote during the Fall 2022 semester.
Related website: https://basc.berkeley.edu/
Social Sciences