East Palo Alto, CA — IKEA has officially plugged in the solar energy system installed at its store in East Palo Alto, Calif., marking the seventh solar energy project for IKEA in the U.S.
East Palo Alto, CA — IKEA, a Sweden-based home furnishings retailer, has officially plugged in the solar energy system installed at its store in East Palo Alto, Calif. The 38,000-square-foot array consists of a 302-kW system, built with approximately 1,344 panels. IKEA East Palo Alto’s program will produce approximately 427,900 kWh of clean electricity annually — the equivalent of reducing 326 tons of CO2, eliminating the emissions of 58 cars or powering 35 homes yearly.
The East Palo Alto effort represents the seventh solar energy project for IKEA in the United States. Systems already are operational in: Brooklyn, N.Y.; Burbank, Calif.; Pittsburgh; Tejon, Calif.; and Tempe, Ariz., with both a solar energy system and a geothermal system operational at the Denver-area store opening this July in Centennial, Colo. Also, there currently are plans underway to install systems at five other IKEA locations in California as well as eight more in the eastern U.S.
For the development, design and installation of this customized solar power system, IKEA contracted with Gloria Solar, the U.S. operating group focused on the photovoltaic business within the family of E-Ton Solar Group.
Other sustainable efforts in the U.S. include: recycling waste material (paper, wood, plastic, etc.); incorporating environmental measures into the construction of buildings in terms of energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, skylights in warehouse areas, and water conserving restrooms; and operationally, phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs and facilitating recycling of customers’ compact fluorescent bulbs.
There are currently more than 320 IKEA stores in 38 countries, including 37 in the U.S. For more information, go to IKEA-USA.com.