As the clean energy revolution gathers steam, the sector with attract trillions of dollars’ worth of investments, says S&P.

GE got orders 20 new wind turbines last month; 2016 is the tipping point for SSDs; ARM’s new low-power chip can process 4K video; and Tesla is dead set on selling directly to consumers. Those stories and more in today’s roundup of eco-links.

Clean tech and green finance poised for $16.5 trillion take-off

The global energy transition has begun, with renewables, clean technology and green finance sectors set to receive at least $16.5tr of investment as countries embark on climate plans agreed as part of the Paris Agreement, according to a new report from influential ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P).

General Electric Company Energy Segment Booked 20 Wind Turbines in December 2015

General Electric Company’s renewable energy segment confirmed on Wednesday that it closed 1.4 Gigawatts (GW) wind turbines deals during December 2015. The company will install 20 new wind turbines in Brazil, US, India, Germany, France, UK, and Turkey against different agreements.

Switch Data Center in Michigan to Run on Renewable Energy

Switch has agreed to buy renewable energy for its future data center in Michigan. The Las Vegas data center provider, known for its massive high-security campus in the Sin City, will start by procuring bundled energy and Renewable Energy Credits through the Green Generation program by Consumers Energy, the utility that serves the area in Michigan where the Switch data center will be built, Adam Kramer, the company’s executive VP of strategy, said.

E-waste Problem Lingers, But Hopeful Signs Emerging

The problem of e-waste, which has been growing for decades, shows no signs of receding in terms of the amount of retired products that are produced. The good news, however, is that the current focus on environmental issues appears to be creating an atmosphere in which more substantial actions are possible.

How investment legend KKR champions environmental innovation

Legendary investment firm KKR has prized “eco efficiency” among its portfolio companies for more than eight years. Now, it is encouraging them to look beyond programs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, conserve water and manage waste to initiatives that champion environmental innovation.

2016 is the year when SSDs will truly take off

SSD doesn’t seem to have a single defining factor why decision-makers are using it. Instead, it’s a combination of energy efficiency (39 percent), data case management (35 percent) and data center expansion (33 percent). Reliability, price and performance were key consideration points.

ARM launches low-power graphics processor that can run 4K displays

That is an interesting accomplishment because it takes a lot of performance to drive 4K displays, which account for about 20 percent of all TVs sold now. At the same time, ARM chips are known for their power efficiency, so you can likely run that display without consuming a ton of power.

This is why Tesla is so insistent on selling direct to customers

“Any discussion of why Tesla sells directly comes back to our mission. Our mission is quite specific. It is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable transportation.” – Todd Maron, general counsel for Tesla

Technological hope vs fear in Davos

Clean energy now accounts for more than half of all new energy supply, according to Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency. Speaking in Davos on a panel entitled “The Transformation of Energy”, Birol revealed the bulk of new installations – more than two-thirds – come from emerging countries. “To meet climate change and growth targets, around 40% of future energy supply must come from zero-emission technologies.”

Child Labor Behind Smart Phone and Electric Car Batteries Exposed

PRESS RELEASE – Major electronics brands, including Apple, Samsung and Sony, are failing to do basic checks to ensure that cobalt mined by child laborers has not been used in their products, said Amnesty International and Afrewatch in a report published today. The report, “This is What We Die For: Human Rights Abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Power the Global Trade in Cobalt”, traces the sale of cobalt, used in lithium-ion batteries, from mines where children as young as seven and adults work in perilous conditions.