Swedish furniture store IKEA has completed its 35th solar project in the US at its store in store in the city of Sunrise in southern Florida.
The 1,057 kW rooftop PV array — which IKEA claims represents the largest PV system in the south of Florida — adds to the company’s strong solar portfolio in the US where 80% of its stores have been equipped with solar. With the completion of the Sunrise store along with its solar-equipped Orlando and Tampa stores, IKEA has also become the state’s largest non-utility solar owner.
The PV array covers an area of 9,455 square metres and is composed of 4,368 PV modules. As with a number of its other PV projects, IKEA contracted REC Solar to develop, design and install the system. It is estimated that the array will generate around 1,554,600 kWh of electricity every year.
The company is currently constructing additional PV systems at four more locations. When complete, 90% of its US stores will be equipped with solar with a total capacity of 38MW.
IKEA owns and operates each of its solar energy systems atop its buildings as opposed to a solar lease or power purchase agreement. Worldwide, the firm has allocated US$1.8 billion to invest in renewable energy through 2015.
