Business Briefs for the Week of Sept. 1, 2008

Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar plans to expand its manufacturing operations and development facilities at its Perrysburg, Ohio, facility. The expansion will add approximately 500,000 square feet of manufacturing, research and development, and office space, as well as up to 134 new jobs.

Helix Electric, Sacramento, Calif., was awarded an electrical contract for the new Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, which is building its new Building and Corporation Yard with sustainable features in hopes of obtaining a silver certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Helix will be installing underground main utilities and joint duct banks/vaults for cable, telephone, and power.

San Diego-based Borrego Solar has been selected by the University of California, San Diego, to install a 1.2MW solar electric system as a central component of the university’s sustainable energy program. The $9-million system, financed through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Solar Power Partners, Mill Valley, Calif., will supply about 1.5 million kilowatt hours of green energy per year.