IKEA expands US solar footprint

Home furnishings retailer IKEA has completed its 38th solar project in the US with installation of a PV array at its store in Stoughton, Massachusetts.

The company has installed 118,000 square foot PV array consisting of a 590.8 kW (DC) system, built with 4220 laminated panels. The project is expected to produce around 695,000 kWh of clean electricity a year. The development, design and installation of the PV array was undertaken by solar electric system design and installation company REC Solar. IKEA has one more solar installation underway, and when that completes, nearly 90% of company’s US locations will feature a PV system.

IKEA owns and operates each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings and has globally allocated US$1.8bn to invest in renewable energy through 2015. The company has installed more than 250,000 solar panels on buildings across the world and owns and operates approximately 110 wind turbines in Europe.

“We at IKEA believe in the neverending job of improving the sustainability of our day-to-day business,” said Frank Briel, store manager. IKEA’s sustainable efforts in the US include: recycling waste material; incorporating key measures into buildings with energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, warehouse skylights and water-conserving restrooms; and operationally, eliminating plastic bags from the check-out process, phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs, facilitating recycling compact fluorescent bulbs, and by 2016 selling and using only LED bulbs.