Ikea Nears Completion of Solar Plans

June 11, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Green on June 12, 2012

Swedish home furnishings retailing giant Ikea will install solar energy panels on two more U.S. locations, both distribution centers in the Eastern United States.

Installation will occur this Summer at the Ikea distribution centers in Perryville, Md., and Westampton, N.J. Both projects will rank among the largest commercial rooftop solar installations in the country, and their implementation will extend the Ikea solar presence to nearly 89 percent of its U.S. locations.

Collectively, the two distribution centers will total 4.92 Megawatts of solar generating capacity, more than 34,000 panels, and an annual output of 5,933,200 kilowatt hours of electricity: the equivalent to reducing 4,509 tons of carbon dioxide; and equal to eliminating the emissions of 802 cars or providing electricity for 510 homes yearly

Ikea already has 17 U.S. solar energy systems operational with 20 more underway.

"We are excited at the opportunity to increase our U.S. solar presence further with solar energy systems atop these two east coast distribution centers," 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. These plans for installing solar panels on the roofs of two additional distribution centers demonstrate that our sustainable commitment extends beyond just stores, into all facets of the retail operations."

For both projects, IKEA contracted with Inovateus Solar LLC, an industry-leading solar power distributor and integrator specializing in large-scale solar installations for businesses, universities, utilities and government entities. Headquartered in South Bend, Ind., and recently voted one of Indiana's Top Companies to Watch, Inovateus Solar has completed some of the largest solar installations across the United States. With a strong focus on electrical engineering and construction management, Inovateus Solar increased its portfolio of projects on large distribution centers in the commercial sector by nearly 50 percent in the past year.