Ikea switches on 1.2-MW solar system at Florida store

Jul 12, 2012 - Swedish furniture retailer Ikea on Thursday officially powered up a 1,189-kW solar system at its store in Tampa, Florida.

The facility, developed and installed by US solar systems provider REC Solar Inc, consists of almost 5,000 photovoltaic (PV) panels. It is expected to generate about 1.79 million kWh of electricity per year, offsetting 1,362 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

This is the fourth US store, where the furniture group switches on a PV installation this week. Including the Tampa facility, it now has 22 completed solar energy systems in the country. Projects are underway at a further 17 sites, which when completed will bring Ikea's solar capacity in the US to 38 MW. The company owns all of the solar systems installed atop its buildings.

Ikea has more than 330 stores in 40 countries, of which 38 in the US.

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