Ikea plugged in the solar energy system installed at its South Florida store in the City of Sunrise, which when combined with Ikea projects already completed atop stores in Orlando and Tampa, will make Ikea the state’s largest non-utility solar owner, according to the company.
The 101,774-sq-foot PV array consists of a 1,057 kW system, built with 4,368 panels.
Ikea Sunrise’s program will produce approximately 1,554,600 kWh of electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 1,181 tons of carbon dioxide.
This installation represents the 35th completed solar project for Ikea in the US, with four more locations underway, making the eventual US solar presence of Ikea nearly 90% of its US locations with a total generation of 38 MW.
Ikea owns and operates each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings — as opposed to a solar lease or power purchase agreement, and globally has allocated $1.8 billion to invest in renewable energy through 2015. Consistent with the company’s goal of being energy independent by 2020, Ikea has installed more than 250,000 solar panels on buildings across the world and owns/operates approximately 110 wind turbines in Europe.
For the development, design and installation of the Sunrise store’s customized solar power system, Ikea contracted with REC Solar.
As part of its commitment to energy efficiency, Ikea is phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs, facilitating recycling of customers’ compact fluorescent bulbs, and by 2016 selling and using only LED bulbs.