I recently mentioned (Knightline, November 26) that some of Sharp’s top home-theatre dealers were being encouraged to train as installers of Sharp’s solar panels.

Things move fast in America. HTSA, the high-end consumer electronics buying group, formerly known as the Home Theatre Specialists of America, has kept the old initials but has rebranded itself as Home Technology Specialists of America.

This change reflects the fact that the group’s members continue to be home-theatre specialists, but also offer expertise in networking, internet-linked home security, solid-state lighting and energy management.

On my recent trip to the USA, it soon became apparent that many businesses were seizing the opportunities presented by all things “green.”

Kohls is a massive department store with more than 1,000 outlets across 49 states and a small share in the electrical retail market. 

However, Kohls is a leader in the use of renewable energy. It has leased roof space on many of its stores to an energy company that has installed thousands of solar panels at no cost to Kohls. The energy generated doesn’t need any expensive transmission system and Kohls purchases it at an advantageous rate, which lets the company promote itself as one that cares about the environment.

Wal-Mart, which owns Asda in the UK, is another company that has rented out some of its roof space to energy companies.

Previous Knightlines detailed how the roof panels on Sanyo’s UK HQ generate enough electricity to supply the building, with the surplus energy being sold to the National Grid. Perhaps we should all do the same?  With the encouragement of Sharp and other suppliers, the 100 independent dealers who make up the HTSA buying group are embracing and profiting from a clever combination of the new technologies. The HTSA group had a combined turnover of £300 million, thus proving that it is possible for small retailers to embrace the green market.

Check my blog for a link to the HTSA’s Guiltless Green Home Theatre – a superb video that demonstrates a solar-powered, hi-fi equipped house.

Another trend I noticed in an American Best Buy could well be copied over here.  The largest electronics retailer in the world now has self-service kiosks in-store, where customers can self-service bill payments and obtain other financial services.

The kiosks are relatively simple devices that are connected to the internet and can even be used to prepay for mobile phone connections. One employee told me the kiosks generate a lot of footfall for the store – a bit like having a post office in the shop.

In America, manufacturers have much more control over the way goods are sold on the internet. Samsung USA has just won an important judgement against internet retailer Broadway Photo. The firm has been banned from using Samsung’s product descriptions and photos and prohibited from providing misleading information about the manufacturer’s warranties.

Sure enough, when I checked the website at www.broadwayphoto.com, they were still selling Samsung products, but all the photos and descriptions had been removed. Samsung registered retailers must be pleased that Samsung has taken this court action to protect its brand and image.

The last day of January has never been a favourite with me. I suspect that many other self-employed people were not looking forward to the end of January either. It is the day our income tax becomes due. My accountant keeps trying to cheer me up by saying that if I had no tax to pay, I would only be making about three grand a year.

Graham Knight