IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, is to install solar energy panels on ten additional United States locations — its entire presence in the Southern U.S. Pending governmental permits, installation can begin this winter, with completion expected in Summer 2012.
Collectively, the nine stores and one distribution center will total 10.7 Megawatts (MW) of solar generating capacity, nearly 45,360 panels, and a projected annual electricity output of 15,248,334 kilowatt hours (kWh).
This investment in IKEA Solar reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability and confidence in photovoltaic (PV) technology. IKEA solar will own and operate each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings — as opposed to a solar lease or PPA (power purchase agreement) — now including its three Texas stores (Frisco, Houston and Round Rock), three Florida stores (Orlando, Sunrise and Tampa), three other stores (Atlanta and Charlotte, and in Woodbridge, VA), and the IKEA solar Distribution Center in Savannah, GA.
IKEA already has 12 U.S. solar energy systems operational with 11 more underway. Adding solar to ten more locations increases the company’s solar presence to 75% of its U.S. locations and a total solar generating capacity of approximately 26.8 MW. “IKEA believes we can be a good business while doing good business,” said Mike Ward, IKEA U.S. president. “This investment extends our solar presence to the Southern U.S., further reducing our carbon footprint and the intensity of the electrical grid.”
by Solarbuzz
