PARIS: Despite the global credit crunch in 2007, new investment in clean energy industries like wind and solar power rose sharply to break through the $100 billion barrier for the first time, a research group, New Energy Finance, said Wednesday.

Michael Liebreich, chief executive of the group, which is based in London, said investments had risen 35 percent to reach $117.2 billion in 2007, from $86.5 billion the year before.

The sector had performed well because important factors that drive investment in clean energy, like fears about dwindling supplies of traditional sources of energy, remained strong even as financial markets plunged into turmoil amid the crisis over subprime mortgages in the United States in the second half of the year.

Liebreich said a "wave of liquidity washing through the sector shows no signs of abating," adding that significant technological strides were taking place in areas like wind, solar, biomass and energy efficiency.