Latest Ikea solar announcement pushes company closer to goal

Ikea solarAs global furniture retailer Ikea gets closer to its goal of powering 90 percent of its United States locations with solar energy, its announcements about new solar installations have escalated.

Less than a month after the Swedish company declared that its Maryland store was home to the largest solar photovoltaic array in the state, Ikea has flipped the switch on another 118,000-square-foot solar PV array in the Boston area.

While much smaller than the Maryland installation, the solar on top of the Ikea store’s roof in Stoughton, Mass. will produce enough electricity to power 60 average homes.

It’s Ikea’s 38th solar installation on one of its U.S. locations. All together, Ikea’s has installed 38 megawatts of solar, equivalent to 1 megawatt per store, and now boasts that 85 percent of its U.S. locations are outfitted with solar.

“We at Ikea believe in the never-ending job of improving the sustainability of our day-to-day business,” said Frank Briel, Stoughton store manager. “The Stoughton coworkers are excited to help contribute to this goal with our newly operational solar energy system.”

The company credits its Swedish heritage for its tenacious environmental policies. In a time when many businesses opting to add solar are doing it through power purchase agreements, Ikea believes in owning and operating its own solar arrays.

Globally, the company has allocated $1.8 billion to invest in renewable energy projects through 2015.

“This investment reinforces the long-term commitment of IKEA to sustainability and confidence in photovoltaic technology,” according to a release from the retailer.

Ikea leadership has committed the company to reaching complete energy independence by 2020, a realistic goal with an aggressive renewable energy investment program like the one it has.

In addition to the 250,000 solar panels the company has installed on its store locations around the world, Ikea owns 110 wind turbines in Europe.

While it invests in renewable energy generation, the company also constructs its buildings with the goal of energy conservation in mind. According to the release, all of Ikea’s locations include energy-efficient HVAC systems, high R-level insulation, natural lighting and LED bulbs.