Home furnishings retailer IKEA has announced plans to install solar panels atop its future Jacksonville, Fla., store opening this fall. Panel installation will begin this summer, and the project will represent IKEA’s fifth solar array in Florida and 49th in the U.S.
IKEA says the Jacksonville store’s 251,206-square-foot solar array will consist of a 1.89 MW system, built with 5,472 panels, and will produce approximately 2,753,070 kWh of electricity annually for the store. The company selected REC Solar to develop, design and install the project.
“We are excited about furthering our sustainability commitment and contributing to a low-carbon society with solar atop our future Jacksonville store,” states Lars Petersson, IKEA U.S. president. “We have a mission to create a better everyday life for the many, and IKEA Jacksonville can add to this goal and keep us Florida’s largest non-utility private solar owner.”
The installation will contribute to the IKEA solar presence atop nearly 90% of its U.S. locations, with a total generation of more than 42 MW. IKEA notes it owns and operates each of its PV systems atop its buildings – as opposed to a solar lease or power purchase agreement – and globally has allocated $2.5 billion to invest in renewable energy through 2020. Consistent with the goal of being energy independent by 2020, IKEA has installed more than 700,000 solar panels on buildings across the world and owns approximately 300 wind turbines, including 104 in the U.S.
