Ikea to add solar panels at five more U.S. locations

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 1/13/2012 9:12:10 AM

Ikea plans to install solar energy panels on five more of its U.S. stores.

The work, pending government permits, would begin this winter and be completed in the summer at Ikea stores in Bloomington, Minn., Bolingbrook and Schaumburg, Ill., Canton, Mich., and Pittsburgh. It will give Ikea solar power in nearly 85% of its 38 U.S. locations.

Collectively, the five stores will have 20,400 solar panels and an annual output of 5.62 million kilowatt hours of electricity, the home furnishings giant said. It said the move is the equivalent of reducing 4,273 tons of carbon dioxide, eliminating the emissions from 760 cars or providing electricity to 484 homes yearly.

The retailer, with its U.S. base in Conshohocken, Pa., did not disclose its investment. Ikea already has solar energy systems operating at 12 of its 38 U.S. stores with 20 more systems on the way.