News Brief: SolarCity, First Solar, SunPower Solar, Solyndra, and IKEA

SolarCity Selected by KIUC to Build Hawai’i Solar Facility on Grove Farm Land to Help Reduce Kaua’i's Oil Dependency

SolarCity will build a 14-MW PV facility on 67 acres near Koloa, for the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative. The system is expected to meet about 6 percent of the island’s average daily energy load and reduce the utility’s oil imports by more than 1 million barrels over its lifetime.

First Solar Launches New Advanced Global Power Plant Operations Center

First Solar has begun operating a global center to monitor and control 14 plants around the world, with 460 MW of peak generating capacity. By the close of 2013, the center will govern 27 plants with 2,200 MW of capacity.

13.78- Megawatt SunPower Solar Power Plant at NAWS China Lake Begins Operations, Expected to Reduce Costs by $13 Million

SunPower has completed a 13.78-MW (DC) PV system at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California. The system is designed to provide 30 percent of China Lake’s annual energy load, helping to reduce costs by an estimated $13 million over the next 20 years.

Solyndra Wins Court Approval of Bankruptcy Exit Plan

A week after suing Suntech, Trina and Yingil for $1.5 billion, Solyndra has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a court-approved plan to discharge debt to leading creditors.

IKEA Group unveils new sustainability strategy: People & Planet Positive

IKEA, the global home furnishings retailer, released a plan to generate enough renewable energy to power all its stores by 2020, while promoting energy-saving products (LED lamps, for instance) to its customers.