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IKEA is known for their cheap furniture. And while their products may not be high-end, they get the job done. IKEA can afford to offer furniture so cheaply because they significantly cut costs by flat-packing their products which reduces shipping and storage prices. The only sacrifice is that you have to put the furniture together yourself.
IKEA is now going to apply this same cost-cutting strategies to solar panels. Greentech, an IKEA spinoff company, will invest $75 million in solar companies, with hopes that the big blue box company will start selling the panels within the next two to four years.
Other environmentally-friendly technologies will also be sold from IKEA, including water-saving devices. This is excellent news for green technology. And if the prices of solar panels really do go down, maybe regular people will finally be able to afford them.
[via Gadget Lab at Wired.com]
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This is GREAT news, even if IKEA doesn’t find some great new solar panel tech (and they’ll probably find something), this is a great incentive for other companies to start investing more heavily in solar. Once a few companies start the solar ball rolling, we’re going to see great things appear.
Ikea should go to San Jose, CA and talk to the company that patented the process for rolling out solar panels. The new wave of solar panel and it needs a mass consumer outlet.
As long as we don’t have to assemble the solar panels ourselves, I think it’s a great idea! :)
How cool is that ?!?
IKEA rules !!!
I know IKEA intend to earn money on the solar panels – But I will become a devoted fan the day IKEA sees the light :-)
Yes, this is exciting news. And that company in San Jose, CA mentioned above – is that Nanosolar? I have read about them, seems like a good fit for the IKEA concept.
They claim to make solar cells so cheap they can now compete with electicity produced in coal-burning power plants!