Got a few solar panels on your shopping list? No problem! Just pick up a few at your local
Sam's Club or swing by
IKEA. (Note to self: some assembly required!)
Sam's Club -
Wal-Mart's wholesale division - is
offering solar panels and other energy saving products at nine
Home Efficiency Centers in southern California. By partnering with
Borrego Solar Systems Inc., which designs and installs systems, and
BP Solar, a leading provider of photovoltaic solar panels, Sam's Club will offer a discount on the systems, resulting in an average of $500 in savings in addition to applicable federal, state and local rebates and tax credits.
IKEA doesn't yet have solar panels on the shelves but the Swedish furniture company
has invested €50 (about $73.6) million in cleantech startups, with the goal of eventually selling solar panels, smart meters and other technology in its stores.
Long known for inexpensive furniture delivered in assemble-it-yourself flat packs, IKEA has also introduced pre-fab houses in the UK, so expect to see clean technology integrated from the ground up.
Don't forget your screwdriver!