IKEA has announced plans to install solar panels on five more of its United States locations — all of them in the Midwest. Pending governmental permits, installation is expected to begin this winter, with completion expected in summer 2012.

An efficient and lightweight rooftop solar hot-air collector — the Luba™ GL — is designed for supplemental outside air heating in commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities. Patented by Solarventi Ltd., the technology has a maximum thermal output of 247 Btuh/square foot.

Titus HVAC announced that it has expanded its Plexicon line of displacement ventilation systems to include solar capabilities. The solar Plexicon uses a wireless, energy harvesting process to power the unit.

Bob Solger of KU Solar introduced the company at its press conference. He said KU Solar is a manufacturer and distributor of solar air cooling and heating systems.

Mitsubishi Plastics Inc., in collaboration with Union Industry Co. Ltd., has developed what it says is an easy-to-install compact adsorption chiller with an integrated cooling tower (cooling capacity of 10 kW).

Concordia University has announced the opening of its new Solar Simulator-Environmental Chamber, a unique laboratory that the university said will revolutionize solar energy applications and building standards.

The United States topped China for the first time since 2008 as global clean energy investment reached a new record of $260 billion in 2011, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

eIQ Energy and Boots on the Roof have announced a partnership to introduce eIQ Energy’s vBoost modules and Parallel Solar technology to Boots on the Roof’s solar photovoltaic (PV) training program.

Rooftop solar panels are attracting a new demographic of customers who are choosing to lease rather than buy, and enjoying the reduced upfront costs and immediate savings, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

With the solar energy industry maturing and expanding to newer markets, the focus of innovation and investment has shifted from panels to installations — the final critical step for monetization, according to a Lux Research report titled, “Swimming Downstream: Evaluating Up-and-Coming Solar Installers and Developers.”