In August 2022, the first batch of TCL solar-powered low-carbon campuses were established in Xixiang County, Hanzhong, Shaanxi.

This year, China has outpaced the world in the shift to clean energy, and it’s quickly progressing into a new phase.

Rural communities will be key to this development. They not only bear the brunt of climate impacts but also hold enormous potential to drive economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental gains. Yet they face persistent energy transition challenges and remain overlooked, with an annual funding gap of roughly 2 trillion RMB [US$282 billion] that government resources alone cannot fill. Addressing this gap requires smart, targeted interventions that can stretch limited funds into transformative impact.

New Energy Nexus China’s “Small Money, Big Change” shows how modest, strategically deployed investments can unlock far larger capital flows. By blending policy, market, and philanthropic resources—and grounding projects in local trust and participation—small sums can generate outsized impact: boosting incomes, cutting emissions, improving living standards, and creating inclusive industries.

China’s rapid clean energy expansion illustrates the power of these approaches, offering lessons that extend across the Global South. Here are five key takeaways:

1. Clean energy boosts rural livelihoods.

Renewable energy is more than a climate solution. When projects address concrete community needs, they create new income streams, strengthen resilience, and improve quality of life.

We learned it from the TCL Foundation’s low-carbon campuses.

1.6 MW of solar power was installed across 27 schools, cutting 40,000 tons of CO₂ and generating 17.4 million RMB (US$2.5 million) for education. This showed how philanthropic capital can fund sustainable infrastructure that benefits communities directly.

2. Blended finance makes the impossible possible.

The biggest wins come when public, market, and philanthropic capital work together. Each plays a unique role, and real breakthroughs happen where they intersect, bridging funding gaps and reducing risk.

We learned it from the Dalad Banner Wind Cooperative.

In Inner Mongolia, 132 village collectives co-invested with the government and banks in a 75.6 million RMB [US$10.7 million] wind farm. Each village received guaranteed annual dividends, demonstrating how blended finance can create both financial viability and equitable local benefits.

3. Technology and governance unlock hidden potential.

Digital tools, fintech, and transparent governance models help rural communities access capital, manage risk, and scale solutions faster. Technology alone isn’t enough—participatory management ensures long-term sustainability.

We learned it from Trina Solar and MYbank’s AI-enabled solar financing model.

Data-driven risk models lowered loan rates by 21% for small PV distributors in the “last mile”, expanding access to solar for households while maintaining zero defaults, illustrating how innovation in financing and governance unlocks local potential.

4. People must be at the center.

A just energy transition puts communities, workers, and women at the heart of clean energy projects. Training, shared ownership, and empowerment ensure projects deliver dignity, opportunity, and lasting benefits.

We learned it from the Tianmen women drone pilots.

A 30,000-RMB (US$4,237) seed fund trained over 100 women to operate agri-drones servicing more than 1 million hectares annually, creating new income streams and reducing pesticide use, showing the power of people-focused interventions.

5. Ecosystems scale solutions, not isolated projects.

Long-term transformation requires collaboration across government, finance, enterprises, and communities. When capital flows, policy innovation, and local participation align, isolated projects evolve into replicable ecosystems.

We learned it from Tencent SSV’s solar trust model.

A “charity + capital” trust funded rooftop PV, while surplus revenues supported health and education programs, providing a blueprint for integrated, community-centered clean energy ecosystems.

Small investments, when paired with trust, technology, and collaboration, can generate systemic impact—showing how inclusive, sustainable clean energy is possible for communities across China and the Global South. Read more about these initiatives and how we can make a bigger impact: Download our casebook today.

New Energy Nexus in China

New Energy Nexus (NEX) is a world-leading clean energy accelerator dedicated to advancing the global energy transition. In China, NEX China carries this mission forward with a local, hands-on approach—providing tailored consulting, business matchmaking, and support to governments, industrial parks, universities, and enterprises of all sizes. By identifying and scaling innovative energy transition solutions, integrating resources, and building both online and offline collaboration platforms, NEX China connects entrepreneurs, investors, research institutions, and policymakers.

Learn more about clean energy opportunities in China here.

Giang Hoang represents HKG Energy at a 2024 AIS4EE event.

When we first met Giang Hoang, she wasn’t just leading a startup – she was building one from the ground up.

Giang is the CEO and co-founder of HKG Energy, one of New Energy Nexus Vietnam’s corporate partners, which hosted interns through our NEXGen 2024 and Youth Internship Pilot 2025 programs. But even as she helped give young innovators hands-on experience in the country’s fast-growing clean energy, she was still in the process of learning herself; particularly on how to find success in one of the most challenging corners of climate tech.

Giang launched HKG Energy on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2024, and it proved to be more than a coincidence. Working in tech, an industry where women hold only a quarter of CEO positions globally, she has faced her fair share of challenges.

“Being a founder is hard, especially in deep tech,” she said. “In my first three months, most people told me I’d quit within a year. No one trusts you until you deliver. But while some of those voices have since been laid off in today’s tough job market, we’re still here, growing and gaining traction.”

HKG Energy lab in South Korea

Faster charging, better EVs

HKG Energy’s core innovation, Terra Silicon, is a patent-pending nanomaterial that increases battery energy density by up to 80%, helping electric vehicles drive farther, charge faster, and cost less. Beyond mobility, the technology can improve energy storage systems, consumer electronics, and even robotics, expanding access to cleaner, more efficient power.

Since its founding less than two years ago, HKG Energy has moved fast: entering proof-of-concept phases with global OEMs and battery makers, securing millions in LOIs, and receiving clean energy grants from both Vietnam and the US. Moreover, they’re now a member of Greentown Labs, a leading climate incubator based in Boston.

Sample cells made by HKG Energy

But her journey didn’t start in America. Giang’s career began in Vietnam, working her way up toward a leadership position in the Vietnamese EV company VinFast and managing a US$2-billion supply chain.

Now, through HKG Energy’s partnership with New Energy Nexus Vietnam, Giang is paying it forward by opening doors for young people to enter the clean energy sector.

“We’re truly grateful for [New Energy Nexus Vietnam]’s commitment to building a sustainable startup and talent ecosystem. Your support goes beyond programs; it’s a belief in the potential of founders and future leaders.”

Vietnam on the rise

For Giang, success isn’t just about building a company; it’s about building capacity for a nation ready to lead in deep tech.

“Vietnam has a unique window to leap ahead, not just as Southeast Asia’s gateway, but as a global hub for deep-tech manufacturing. The key is not waiting for the ecosystem to mature, but actively building it: invest early in high-quality startups, fund national labs and pilot lines, and de-risk commercialization. It’s not a burden, it’s an opportunity to lead.”

Her vision for Vietnam’s role in the clean energy transition is bold, drawing from her experience managing a US$2 billion supply chain for Vietnamese EV company VinFast.

“From my time at VinFast… I saw Vietnam’s speed and scale. But to lead globally, we must shift from assembly to deep-tech leadership. HKG Energy brings that shift – building homegrown IP and advanced battery materials that can power Vietnam’s rise in the global battery value chain.”

Giang Hoang presents HKG Energy to Julien Guerrier, European Union Ambassador to Vietnam.

Giang’s story goes beyond her success in her tech. She is one of many women and Southeast Asian leaders breaking glass ceilings across the globe. As they do this, more innovators can bring forth solutions that can make the clean energy transition go faster – ensuring a better, more sustainable future for everyone.

“Clean energy isn’t just necessary for the planet, it’s a sound investment. It’s already cheaper than fossil fuels and will define the future of industry. For the next generation, stepping into this space isn’t just a mission – it’s a smart, strategic move.”

Looking for more clean energy stories in Vietnam and beyond? Or are you a founder searching for opportunities? Find out more from New Energy Nexus Vietnam here.

Written by Jie Xiao, Country Director at New Energy Nexus China

I’ve just come back from three of the world’s biggest climate gatherings — New York Climate Week, Bangkok Climate Action Week, and Shanghai Climate Week — and one thing is crystal clear: the center of gravity in the global energy transition has shifted decisively to Asia. Everywhere I went, the same figures echoed: half of the world’s electricity is already consumed in this region, with Southeast Asia on course to account for 25% of global energy demand growth between now and 2035. The question is no longer whether Asia will lead the energy transition, but how.

And here’s the problem. Much of the conversation still focuses on supply and demand — China providing the technology and capital, Southeast Asia absorbing and applying it — rather than on what they can build together. That picture is badly outdated.

If Asia is to decarbonise at the speed required, this relationship must become a partnership of ecosystems, not just markets. What I saw across these climate weeks was the urgent need for entrepreneurship, collaboration, and shared innovation, not simply more shipments of solar panels across borders.

Asia already sits at the centre of this shift. Southeast Asia’s electricity demand is surging, growing nearly twice as fast as the global average. If these countries choose to lock in new fossil infrastructure, the world loses. If they leapfrog straight to clean energy, the world wins.

From left: Jason Dong, Executive Director of the Shanghai Climate Week Climate Lighthouse Professional Committee; Peter du Pont, Board Member at New Energy Nexus; Leo Horn-Phathanothai, Founder & Convenor of Bangkok Climate Action Week; Jie Xiao, General Manager of New Energy Nexus China; Ian Shih, Member of the Shanghai Climate Week Executive Committee, and International Advisor to the UNITAR Prosperity Alliance (Shanghai); and Dr. Manaswee Arayasiri, Sanitary Engineer at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

That is why the relationship between China and Southeast Asia is so pivotal. What the climate weeks in Bangkok and Shanghai showed me is that Southeast Asia is not a passive recipient, but a laboratory for innovation. Local entrepreneurs are building new business models: rooftop solar sold on installment plans, mini-grids designed for island communities, efficiency solutions adapted to local commercial buildings.

And yet, the connective tissue between China’s and Southeast Asia’s clean energy innovation ecosystems remains thin. Chinese companies bring unmatched scale, capital, and supply-chain sophistication. But too many still see Southeast Asia as another export market due to limited understanding of local markets and policies, rather than a partner in co-creation. On the other side, Southeast Asian startups are inventive but often under-capitalised, locked out of manufacturing scale, and slowed by fragmented regulation. Both sides would benefit from deeper integration: shared accelerators, joint venture funds, mutual performance guarantees, and training exchanges that allow ideas to flow in both directions.

One moment in Bangkok captured what cross-border collaboration can look like in practice. At an event co-hosted by organisers of Shanghai and Bangkok Climate Weeks with New Energy Nexus China, we saw Chinese and Thai innovators meet not as exporters and buyers, but as partners in the clean energy transition. Corporates like TCL, LONGi, and Saint-Gobain showed how they’re digitalising factories and decarbonising supply chains, while startups such as Brick Technology, i2Cool, and Thailand’s Altotech shared solutions for smart, energy-efficient buildings. In that exchange, a new ecosystem took shape — built on trust, shared learning, and the belief that Asia’s net-zero future will be co-created, not imported.

Altotech (Bangkok) provides an integrated AIOT energy management platform for building cooling and air-conditioning system management. It automates building management all in one place, reducing electricity cost by potentially 20-30%. Altotech participated in our Smart Energy Hackathon, Smart Energy Accelerator, the Decarbonize Thailand Sandbox, as well as the NEX COP28 Climate Tech Startup Accelerator.

What struck me most after these three climate weeks is how stark the choice is. Asia can double down on a transactional model — hardware shipped one way, demand absorbed the other — or it can step up to build a genuine partnership of entrepreneurs and innovators. The former may look efficient, but it risks a brittle transition that cannot withstand shocks. The latter is harder, messier, slower to start. But it is the only way to build the resilient and adaptive clean energy systems that can carry half the world’s population into a decarbonised future.

Noel Rosal, Governor of Albay Province, Philippines, at Bangkok Climate Action Week 2025, discusses how local communities and institutions across the Asia Pacific are driving climate adaptation and mitigation through finance, leadership, and practical solutions.

China has much to gain from this shift: opening new markets, diversifying demand, and learning from the hard realities of diverse Southeast Asian geographies. Southwest Asia, in turn, gains access to proven technology and capital, while embedding its own innovators in global supply chains. This is not dependency; it is mutual advantage.

What New York Climate Week – with its big names and Western donors – offered was the view from the top: big finance, global politics, systemic frameworks. But it was Bangkok and Shanghai that offered the view from the ground: dynamic, entrepreneurial, urgent. If we want this to be the Asian decade of climate leadership, that is where our focus must be.

The lesson is simple. Southeast Asia’s clean-tech future will be built on ecosystems of entrepreneurs, investors and innovators working across borders, taking risks together, and co-creating solutions suited to the region’s realities. That was the palpable change I felt in Bangkok and Shanghai, and it is the change we must now scale.

New Energy Nexus CEO Andrew Chang talks about three emerging themes he observed at Bangkok Climate Action Week, during The NEX Gigawatt event on October 2, 2025.

The clean energy transition is well underway, and nowhere is this clearer than in Asia. From China’s record-breaking renewable capacity to Pakistan’s fast-growing solar movement, this side of the Pacific is setting the pace for the global shift.

But as the region races toward Net Zero, one thing is clear: solutions are needed faster than ever, and collaboration among leaders and innovators will determine how quickly we get there.

With this urgency in mind, New Energy Nexus convened leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors from across Asia-Pacific at the first-ever Bangkok Climate Action Week – spotlighting the people and partnerships at the forefront of this transition.

“This is an incredible time for New Energy Nexus to represent the chapters, the solutions that are happening on the ground,” said Andrew Chang, CEO at New Energy Nexus.

From the week’s panels and startup pitches, Andrew observed three emerging themes: each a driving force toward Asia’s clean energy future.

Attendees listen intently to a talk during the Climate Lighthouse Asia Kickoff event on September 29, 2025.

Convergence: A transition beyond borders

“Convergence of technology, convergence of people, convergence of collaborators all across the board.” — Andrew Chang

In a region separated by the sea but bound by shared challenges, no country should face the clean energy transition alone. Convergence can usher in progress faster and together.

This narrative shaped the discussion at Climate Lighthouse Asia Kickoff: Scaling Innovation for Sustainable Cities & Industries, where leaders from Shanghai and Bangkok came together to demonstrate what cross-border collaboration can do for the region’s energy transition.

The session highlighted end-to-end decarbonization, showcasing clean energy tech from East and Southeast Asia, and calling for stronger ecosystems supporting Asia’s innovators.

“I think [Shanghai and Bangkok] share a sense that the energy transition is not something that any city or country can achieve on its own. It only makes sense if you look at the challenge regionally and come together to address this together.” — Leo Horn-Phathanothai, Founder & Convenor of Bangkok Climate Action Week and Founder & Executive Director at Just Transition Incubator

New Energy Nexus China General Manager Jie Xiao highlighted how events like these generate opportunities for intersectional collaboration:

“We brought the whole Shanghai Climate Week crew, including founders, big corporates, and small startups, to Thailand to share best practices on green supply chains, industrial parks, and green buildings.”

For startups like i2Cool, a Hong Kong-based venture developing electricity-free cooling solutions, this convergence opens doors to scale their impact.

“From building sectors to the industrial sectors, they all suffer from the heat problem. That’s why we need the cross-border collaboration… so that [our] technology can be well applied in different parts of the world.” — Martin Zhu, CEO and Co-founder of i2Cool

From left: Jason Dong, Executive Director of the Shanghai Climate Week Climate Lighthouse Professional Committee; Peter du Pont, Board Member at New Energy Nexus; Leo Horn-Phathanothai, Founder & Convenor of Bangkok Climate Action Week; Jie Xiao, General Manager of New Energy Nexus China; Ian Shih, Member of the Shanghai Climate Week Executive Committee, and International Advisor to the UNITAR Prosperity Alliance (Shanghai); and Dr. Manaswee Arayasiri, Sanitary Engineer at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Pragmatism: A transition that works for everyone

“Being pragmatic, and understanding… who’s our audience, the communities that we want to support, making sure our solutions can connect with them.” — Andrew Chang

Clean energy capacity growth is already outpacing fossil fuels, but ensuring a just, equitable transition requires more than breaking records. It demands pragmatism, a focus on solutions that work on all fronts: policy, economics, and for people.

At Small Money, Big Change: Catalysing Solutions for a People-Centric Energy Transition, co-hosted by New Energy Nexus, AVPN, and The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), speakers emphasized that financing, inclusion, and agency are just as crucial as innovation.

“When we think about people-centric [energy transition], the word that comes to mind is agency… We really need to be thinking about what resources are already there in these communities and what they’re already doing to help champion for themselves.” — Natasha Allen, Southeast Asia Programme Expert at the Alliance for Rural Electrification

“The lack of knowledge, lack of awareness… makes it difficult for people to really invest in this. Energy workers actually need the reskilling and upskilling in order [for us] to support them, and to be included in the future workforce planning.” — Patrick Yeung, Director, Climate Action at AVPN

“We talk about carbon, investment, communities… but in the end, that is all to make sure all the people are benefiting from the energy transition – by getting affordable access to clean energy,” — Lucky Nurrahmat, Indonesia Country Lead at GEAPP

The discussion reinforced a simple truth: the clean energy transition relies on hard decisions rooted in the lived realities of local communities. Pragmatism isn’t just a buzzword; it’s an approach that will shape how quickly and fairly the transition occurs.

For more on how clean energy can be realistic while centering communities, read New Energy Nexus China’s casebook, Small Money, Big Change: A Casebook on Rural Revitalization through PV Poverty Alleviation, Village-owned Wind Power Projects, and Youth and Women Empowerment.

From left: Patrick Yeung, Director, Climate Action at AVPN; Warisa Sihirunwong, Regional Project Advisor for the Clean, Affordable and Secure Energy Programme, GIZ; Jirapat Horesaengchai, Country Manager at New Energy Nexus Thailand; Natasha Allen, Southeast Asia Programme Expert at the Alliance for Rural Electrification; and Korbinian Stinglhamer, Project Leader at Boston Consulting Group.

People Power: A transition shaped from the ground up

“Last one is people power… People science is just as important as technology science.” — Andrew Chang

At our last event, The NEX Gigawatt: Tapping into ASEAN’s Clean Energy Innovation Ecosystem, people power took center stage.

Entrepreneurs from Vietnam and Thailand showcased breakthrough clean energy solutions, ranging from sand batteries to AI-driven energy management, and grounded in the realities of their own countries and communities.

A highlight of the session was a panel featuring New Energy Nexus leaders from Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, China, Supercharge Australia (our collaboration with EnergyLab), and NEX Ventures (a venture fund based in Singapore). Each shared how their local ecosystems are empowering entrepreneurs to drive the clean energy shift.

“New Energy Nexus is unique to have chapters and people on the ground, building these relationships, deploying these technologies, supporting entrepreneurs,” Andrew said. “That’s our superpower.”

From the Philippines, Country Director Brenda Valerio reflected on how people-centered approaches unlock scale:

“New Energy Nexus in the Philippines is creating an ecosystem for different stakeholders, particularly startups and clean energy enterprises. We’re supporting early-stage clean energy startups and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that are working on climate and clean energy.”

In Thailand, Country Manager Jirapat Horesaengchai added:

“The role of New Energy Nexus Thailand is to facilitate the whole process of different stakeholders coming together… and grow the ecosystem for clean energy entrepreneurs.”

The event also bore witness to the solar energy revolution in Pakistan through the lens of industry leader Renewables First. The company is partnering with New Energy Nexus to back the next generation of clean energy innovators in the country. (Find out more about our joint program, Climate Innovation Pakistan, here.)

Together, these voices underscored that true transformation starts with people: founders, workers, and communities co-creating solutions that work in their local contexts and ripple outward across the region.

Speakers, panelists, and attendees of The NEX Gigawatt event.

A transition we’re accelerating

Across Asia and beyond, clean energy entrepreneurs are redefining what’s possible. At New Energy Nexus, we’ve not only seen this happen – we’re greasing the wheels on their progress.

For over 20 years now, we’ve supported over 10,000 of these entrepreneurs, helping them turn big ideas into real impact through capital, training, and partnerships.

The insights from Bangkok Climate Action Week are more than talking points and takeaways. They form a roadmap for how to fast-track the transition, and where clean energy innovators come in. When they are empowered to connect across borders, engineer solutions according to people’s needs, and lead from the ground up, they can spark change that scales far beyond their own localities.

In backing their success, New Energy Nexus is not just supporting startups – we’re charting a course towards 100% clean energy for 100% of the population.

Want to get involved? Check out our programs here, and get first dibs on clean energy opportunities when you sign up for our newsletter.

A new milestone in green jobs training has placed Mindanao at the forefront of solar workforce development: Woodrow Solar Power Philippines, a training partner of the New Energy Academy, has become one of the first solar companies in Mindanao to secure the Certificate of TVET Program Registration (CTPR) under TESDA’s Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) program.

TESDA’s EBET program ensures that private training providers like Woodrow Solar Power align with national standards, enabling graduates to receive credentials that carry industry-wide recognition and greater employment opportunities.

The awarding ceremony was witnessed by leaders from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), underscoring the government’s commitment to building a stronger clean energy workforce.

(From left to right) Atty Russel A. Jallorina, Asst. Regional Director DOLE-IX; Tarhata S. Mapandi, CESO III, Regional Director, TESDA IX; Ms. Manie Pino, Co-owner of Woodrow Solar Power; Engr. Alan T. Bacatan, Asst. Regional Director / Provincial Director PO-Zamboanga del Norte, during the signing of Memorandum of Agreement.

Partnership with New Energy Academy

Since January 2024, Woodrow Solar Power has been a training partner of the New Energy Academy – a learning platform powered by New Energy Nexus, GSES, and OpenSolar. New Energy Academy collaborates with solar companies across the Philippines to deliver blended solar training: online courses that cover the fundamentals of solar technology and business, combined with localized hands-on training delivered by partners such as Woodrow.

Woodrow Solar Power Philippines x New Energy Academy Solar Training Program Batch 1 – Hands-on Practical Training

This partnership allows learners in Mindanao to benefit from both global best practices and real-world industry experience. Under the leadership of Engr. Woodrow Pino, Woodrow Solar Power has conducted training programs since February 2024, producing 12 batches of graduates who are equipped with job-ready skills.

TESDA accreditation validates the quality of Woodrow Solar Power and New Energy Academy’s training. With the TESDA seal now featured on every graduate’s certificate, participants gain professional credibility, higher employability, and greater mobility within the solar industry. Beyond recognition, this milestone positions Woodrow to potentially become a TESDA-accredited assessment center, further strengthening its role in certifying the next generation of solar workers.

Milestone for Mindanao

By securing TESDA CTPR accreditation, Woodrow Solar Power sets a precedent for renewable energy training providers in Mindanao. The recognition validates years of effort to professionalize solar training and empower local communities with skills critical to the country’s energy transition.

Woodrow Solar Power Philippines x New Energy Academy Solar Training Program Batch 2 graduates

With TESDA’s support, New Energy Academy’s nationwide training ecosystem, and a growing pool of skilled graduates, the Woodrow Solar–NEA partnership is poised to strengthen its role as a leader in solar training. Their journey reflects a shared mission – to accelerate the energy transition by equipping Filipinos with the knowledge, experience, and skills needed to thrive in the solar industry.

New Energy Nexus builds ecosystems worldwide to support clean energy entrepreneurs, helping them scale through mentorship, connections, and access to capital. Through the New Energy Academy, we are not only developing a pipeline of new innovators and bridging the skills gap in renewables, but also transforming ideas and industry interest into real-world impact.

The energy transition is gaining momentum in the Philippines and across the globe, with clean energy innovators driving change at the frontlines. Having supported more than 10,000 entrepreneurs already, we’ve seen firsthand what’s possible when vision meets opportunity. With initiatives like the New Energy Academy, we’re preparing even more changemakers to lead the charge toward a future powered by 100% clean energy for all.

Want to get involved? Check out more inspiring stories and opportunities in the Philippines here.