Here are the key takeaways from the week in solar and grid edge news.
Solar News
1,665 Megawatts
Solar capacity additions in the U.S. in Q1 2016. That number beat the combined additions of coal, natural gas, and nuclear over the same time period. (story)
2.2 Gigawatts
Forecasted solar PV additions in Latin America in 2016, a 55 percent growth over 2015, according to GTM Research. (story)
$1 Billion
Potential funds that could be mobilized by the U.S. government to support off-grid solar development in India. (story)
>5%
The share of solar in the U.K. generation mix for May 2016. May was the first full month that solar outpaced coal generation in the country. (story)
£100,000 to £120,000 per Megawatt
The minimum import price (MIP) on solar panels imported into the EU, including the U.K. A potential "Brexit" could see the dissolution of the MIP in the U.K., helping to spur solar development in the country. (story)
$77 Million per Year
The estimated compensation of SolarCity CEO, Lyndon Rive. That is roughly 3.5% of the company's market cap and equivalent to the total annual income of NBA star LeBron James. (story)
Grid Edge News
50 Megawatts
Total planned microgrid development in Texas by Enchanted Rock and Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Partners. The two companies recently partnered to form a microgrids-as-a-service business for commercial and industrial customers. (story)
10,000 Battery Systems
The total number of shipments announced earlier this year by Germany-based battery system provider, and Tesla competitor, Sonnen. This week, GE Ventures placed a “mid-double-digit million-euro” investment in the company. (story)
58.933195
The relative atomic mass of cobalt, a key ingredient in lithium-ion batteries. This week, Tam Hunt asks whether global cobalt supplies can scale with EV market growth. (story)
65o F
The temperature to set your thermostat at in order to achieve "room temperature." Last week, Tony Fadell, the CEO of Alphabet's smart thermostat subsidiary Nest, abruptly resigned from the company. Jeff St. John looks at what the change in leadership will mean for the company. (story)
45 Minutes
Estimated time it takes to install Aquanta's new smart water heater device. The device retails at $150, and the company hopes to do for water heaters what Nest has done for home heating. (story)
18.3 Megawatts
The capacity of grid-interactive energy storage installed in the U.S. in Q1 2016, a year-over-year increase of 127 percent, according to GTM Research. (story)
7 Recommendations
The number of recommendations that the energy storage industry's trade association sent to FERC to address changes that should be considered for energy storage participation in wholesale energy markets. (story)
Other Energy News
14,000 Megawatts
The global wind, solar, natural gas and energy storage portfolio of independent power producer Invenergy. Last week, Invenergy's CEO, Michael Polsky, sat down with the Energy Gang to discuss what he sees as the future of energy. (story)
