Below are the key takeaways from the week in solar, grid edge, energy storage, and other energy news.
Solar News
1 Irked Installer
This week SolarCity was barred from participating in Nevada utility commission dockets on net metering. SolarCity argued it represents the state's 32,000 existing solar customers and therefore should be part of the discussion. The public utilities commissioner disagreed, however. (story)
Amendment 4
The ballot initiative passed this week in Florida that will exempt solar projects on commercial and industrial properties from both the state's tangible personal property tax and the ad valorem real estate taxes. (story)
$150 Million
The price GCL-Poly, a Chinese firm that produces solar polysilicon and wafers, paid to purchase SunEdison's high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon wafer business, a business unit once valued in the billions of dollars. (story)
$20 Million
The series C funding round for off-grid solar startup Bboxx, which currently has 36 retail outlets in the two East African countries. French energy giant, Engie, lead the investment round. (story)
Grid Edge News
$6.8 Billion
The value of the proposed Pepco Holdings-Exelon merger. This week, Julia Pyper provides an autopsy of the campaign against the merger that was orchestrated by a small group of advocates. (story)
33 Million Advanced Meters
The number that Enel plans to deploy across Italy by 2020. Enel announced this month that it will also start to build out a 600-mile fiber-optic network in Venice this fall, with its sights set on eventually bringing fiber to 220 cities across the country. (story)
23 Million Customers
The number in Europe served by utility RWE Electric. This week, RWE acquired grid-scale solar and storage provider Belectric to help expand its revenue streams beyond the traditional production and sale of electricity. (story)
$299
The price of a new home energy aggregation device from Massachusetts-based startup Sense. The device promises to sample energy data 1 million times per second, and then convert that data into granular information about what’s on and off in the home for consumers. (story)
4.3 Gigawatts
The forecasted microgrid capacity in the U.S. by 2020, according to a new report from GTM Research. (story)
Jeff St. John examined the report's findings in depth this week as only he can. (story)
Energy Storage News
1991
The year Sony released its first commercially available lithium-ion batteries. Sony is now exiting the battery business, having sold its technology to Murata Manufacturing. This week, Julian Spector considers why early adopters of lithium-ion manufacturing are exiting the market. (story)
201 Megawatts
The capacity of projects that won U.K. National Grid's first-ever enhanced frequency response tenders. Eight different vendors were awarded tenders as part of the program. (story)
€40 to €200 per Megawatt-Hour
The estimated levelized cost of energy for a new underwater pumped hydro storage system being developed by Germany's Fraunhofer Institute. (story)
Other Energy
Wind XI
The name of MidAmerican Energy's 2-gigawatt wind project to be built in Iowa. The project was approved by the Iowa Utilities Board this week, and when it fully comes on-line in 2019, it will be the largest wind project in the U.S. (story)
3.2 Gigawatts
The capacity of the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Britain. Last month officials pulled back on approving the project, with reports that the government is now looking for ways to shut it down. This week, Jason Deign asks whether solar thermal can help replace the nuclear capacity if the Hinkley Point C project does not get approved. (story)
