Skip to content

Category Archives: Finance & Commerce

Self-serve kiosks provide automated dry cleaning

(Finance & Commerce, November 7, 2011)—You swipe a credit card at a vending machine-sized kiosk. A clothing rack whirls around inside until your shirt or blouse appears. A robotic arm plucks it from the rack by the hanger and passes it to a glass enclosure in front of you. You pop open a door, grab [...]

Posted 07 November 2011 † Dan § Business § Entrepreneurs § Minnesota § Technology ‡ Comments (0) °

Solar suppliers try to find place in the sun

(Finance & Commerce, October 24, 2011)—On their way to becoming solar-electric panels, more than half of the world’s silicon solar cells produced today reportedly pass through a furnace made by a century-old Lakeville manufacturer. What’s more, the company only started supplying the solar industry four years ago. Despatch Industries now owns more than 60 percent [...]

Posted 24 October 2011 † Dan § Business § Cleantech § Energy § Manufacturing § Minnesota ‡ Comments (0) °

How will Silicon Energy and TenKsolar manage in oversupplied solar panel market?

(Finance & Commerce, October 24, 2011)—Silicon Energy became Minnesota’s second solar-electric panel manufacturer when it started shipping rooftop units from its Iron Range factory in mid-September. It joins Bloomington-based TenKsolar, which began selling its commercial systems in 2010. The companies are getting a boost from a made-in-Minnesota solar rebate program for Xcel Energy customers. And [...]

Posted 24 October 2011 † Dan § Business § Cleantech § Energy § Entrepreneurs § Environment § Manufacturing § Minnesota ‡ Comments (0) °