The PV installations, planned for stores in Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania, are expected to be complete this summer. IKEA will own and operate each of the PV systems, which will bring the Swedish furniture retailer’s total level of installations to almost 85 percent of all its U.S. stores.
Solar panels atop an IKEA store in Switzerland. Photo Credit: IKEA
The company already has 12 operational PV systems, with 20 more underway. With the 5 new store installations, IKEA’s total generating capacity will reach 31.6 MW in the U.S.
“We are pleased that solar energy systems already have proven successful at IKEA locations and are thrilled we now can complete the solar coverage of all our Midwestern stores,” said Mike Ward, IKEA U.S. president.
“With only 44 locations nationwide, we try to contribute whenever and wherever possible to creating a better everyday life for the many. So — from a sustainability perspective — we are open to ideas for incorporating key environmental technologies and look forward to considering other opportunities as they arise too.”
IKEA contracted with REC Solar and SoCore Energy for these installations.
The increasing presence of solar panels at IKEA stores adds to the firms’ other sustainability efforts in the U.S. These include other environmentally-friendly construction techniques (such as recycled construction materials) and operational changes (such as phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs).
