If any domestic firm is to become a global player in clean energy the smart money would be on industrial giant Johnson Matthey (LSE: JMAT). The company may not be a household name but with over £3bn in annual sales and a market-leading position in emissions control devices for diesel engines it has the know-how and balance sheet to profit from our changing energy needs.

The company’s most intriguing bet is on the future dominance of high capacity batteries made to power electric vehicles or efficiently store solar energy for households. To see the potential importance of batteries for renewable energy you need look no further than Tesla’s $5bn investment in its own battery production facility in the US.

Johnson Matthey won’t be dominating the market any time soon as its new business division, which includes batteries, only brought in £157m in sales last year. However, this was a 73% increase on the previous year and with substantial investments being made in this high opportunity venture alongside traditional emissions control, the company is one to watch in the coming years.

Wind power

Greencoat UK Wind (LSE: UKW) is the more classic example of a renewable energy company through its ownership of 19 wind farms across the UK. Thanks to government regulations that stipulate utilities must source a certain amount of their energy from renewable sources, Greencoat has a relatively reliable source of income, which allows it to return a hefty chunk of its earnings to shareholders.

These dividend payouts currently yield a whopping 5.5% and with relatively low debt and a growing portfolio of farms under ownership look quite safe. That said, the company isn’t aiming for global dominance and is focused solely on the UK, which naturally constrains its growth prospects. However, for more risk-averse investors who want more direct ownership of tangible assets and steady income potential, there are worse options than Greencoat.

Utility Good Energy (LSE: GOOD) is trying to profit from consumers’ increasing awareness of climate change by sourcing its energy from renewable sources and then feeding it back into the national grid. So far the plan is working well and customer numbers bumped up 36% year-on-year over the past six months.

More meters led to a 40% rise in revenue and full 72% jump in EBITDA over the same period. Unlike more staid traditional utilities, those increased earnings aren’t being passed on to shareholders just yet. Interim dividends stayed level and are expected to yield a miserly 1.5% this year.

Rather, Good Energy is investing large sums in expanding its own power generation capabilities. Power generated from the company’s assets increased 19% year-on-year through June and numerous large solar and wind projects are currently in development. Good Energy is by no means an ordinary utility with higher debt and growth prospects than larger rivals, but for socially conscious investors the company’s business plan may prove an interesting one.

So, it’s a good job that the company is committed to a renewable future. National Grid was recently awarded a top spot on Newsweek’s Top Green Companies in the World 2015 list. National Grid ranked 29th overall but was the highest scoring utility. 

The Newsweek Green Rankings rank the 500 largest publically traded companies globally on their overall environmental performance using eight specific indicators. Based on these indicators, National Grid scored an impressive 71.4%.

If you’re looking for a large-cap green investment, National Grid is one of the best picks around. The company currently trade at a forward P/E of 14.7 and supports a dividend yield of 5.2%. 

Wind power

Greencoat UK Wind (LSE: UKW) owns a portfolio of interests in 16 windfarms around the UK. The company’s principal goal is to provide investors with a steady, predictable income. 

The revenue that operating wind farms receive in the UK is made up of two key components: the sale of power produced, and green benefits accredited. All are sold under long-term agreements to utilities who are obliged by law to procure a certain percentage of power from green sources. This gives Greencoat a stable, predictable income and cash flow stream. 

When Greencoat came to market during 2013, management announced that the group would be paying an annual dividend yield in the region of 6%. The payout will increase in line with inflation for the foreseeable future. At present, Greencoat supports a dividend yield of 5.3%, and analysts have pencilled in a yield of 5.5% for 2016. 

Biggest supplier 

SSE (LSE: SSE) is the leading generator of electricity from renewable sources in the UK. The company had 3,326MW of renewable capacity by the end of March 2015 — to put that into perspective, Greencoat’s net capacity is a lowly 271.5MW. 

SSE’s green drive and contribution to renewable energy generation in the UK has not gone unnoticed. The company has made it into the top 10% of the Climate Performance Leadership Index; one of the most important annual assessments of how large global operations impact on the environment.

SSE’s growth and output of renewable electricity contributed to a 15% fall in the group’s carbon emissions during 2014.

SSE currently trades at a forward P/E of 13.9 and the company supports a dividend yield of 5.7%.

Customers come first 

Small-cap utility Good Energy (LSE: GOOD) generates all of its electricity from renewable sources. What’s more, the company is also loved by its customers and has one of the highest customer satisfaction rates around. 

Still, with only 51,500 electricity customers at the end of 2014, Good is an energy minnow. Revenue jumped by 43% during 2014, and gross profit rose by 38%. However, due to a fall in demand for energy over warmer periods, Good’s profit before tax slumped by a third.

Unfortunately, erratic earnings growth is set to continue for the next two years. The City believes that Good’s earnings per share will fall 15% this year, before rebounding by 53% during 2016. Over the same period, revenue is set to grow by a quarter. 

Good currently trades at a forward P/E of 14.7 and supports a dividend yield of 1.5%.