Integrated Electrical Services opens data center office in Silicon Valley
Integrated Electrical Services, Inc., the Houston-based electrical contractor, opened an office in Silicon Valley that will provide data center service capabilities. With data center and other mission-critical projects for some of the leading U.S. companies in the region, IES has opened a Santa Clara, Calif., office to support recent large IES data center projects for customers in Silicon Valley as well as the overall growing data center market. The new Santa Clara office accommodates data center design engineers and project management and site service personnel, and it also functions as a material warehouse and pre-fabrication facility. IES Communications also boasts a full offering of related technology services including networking hardware design and installation, rack/stack and lights-out support services, security/surveillance, and audio/visual systems.
Solar installs up 85% in first quarter
Installations of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems increased by 85 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared with 1Q 2011, according to a release from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). A total of 18,000 solar systems generating 506MW were installed in the quarter. The association raised its forecast for all of 2012 based on the accelerated project timelines in utility-scale installations and now expects to see 3.3GW installed this year. That’s 11 percent of the group’s global forecast of 29.9GW. New Jersey posted the largest gain among states, with 174MW installed, passing California.
Grainger sales pop 13% in May
W.W. Grainger Inc., Lake Forest, Ill, reported a 13% sales increase for May 2012. Results for the month included a five-percentage point contribution from acquisitions and a one-percentage point decline from foreign exchange. Organic sales on a daily basis increased 9%, including six points from volume and three percentage points from price.
Irby moves into new headquarters
Irby has opened this new 85,000-sq.-ft. headquarters in Jackson, Miss., just one block behind the original facility where the company was founded in 1926.