Solar energy is being deployed on a massive scale by the most iconic brands and best-managed companies in the U.S. in order to help lower operating costs and increase profits.

A team of engineers at the University of Maryland have developed a battery made from a sliver of wood coated with tin. Watch the video.

IKEA officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its store in Stoughton, Massachusetts.

IKEA officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its store in Stoughton, Massachusetts.

IKEA plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its store in Houston, Texas – which, when combined with IKEA projects atop stores in Frisco and Round Rock, will make IKEA the state’s largest solar owner. IKEA Houston’s 116,400-square-foot PV array consists of a 813-kW system, built with 3,388 panels.

IKEA officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its Detroit-area store in Canton, Michigan – the state’s largest such photovoltaic array. The 122,200-square-foot PV array consists of a 977.6-kW system, built with 4,160 panels.