SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its store in San Diego, California. The 30,000-square-foot array consists of a 252-kW system, built with approximately 1,120 panels. IKEA San Diego’s program will produce approximately 366,400 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 290 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), eliminating the emissions of 50 cars or powering 32 homes yearly (calculating clean energy equivalents at www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html).
This investment by IKEA to purchase its solar photovoltaic energy system with Gloria Solar modules, and to install and operate it atop the San Diego store it owns, will lower the carbon intensity of the electrical grid. It also represents the tenth completed solar energy project for IKEA in the United States. Additional installations currently are underway at two 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. This project is the only IKEA installation in the 4,100-square-mile service area of SDG&E, the regulated public utility providing natural gas and electric service to approximately 3.5 million people throughout San Diego and Southern Orange Counties.
“We at IKEA believe in the never-ending job of striving to improve the sustainability of our day-to-day business,” said Jim Tilley, IKEA San Diego store manager. “The IKEA coworkers in San Diego are excited to help contribute to this goal with our newly operational solar energy system. We appreciate the support of the City of San Diego, SDG&E, and Gloria Solar, our partners in this project.”
IKEA, drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect of nature, believes it can be a good business while doing good business and strives for its operations to minimize impacts on the environment. Globally, IKEA evaluates all locations regularly for energy conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works with Global Forest Watch to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution. Specific U.S. sustainable efforts 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.
Located on 10 acres along I-8 between I-805 and I-15, the 198,000-s.f. IKEA San Diego opened in September 2000 and employs approximately 275 coworkers. In addition to 10,000 exclusively designed items, IKEA San Diego presents 32 different room-settings, a model home interior, a supervised children’s play area, and a 150-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a Children’s IKEA area in the Showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store.
IKEA strives to be ‘The Life Improvement Store,’ and since its 1943 founding in Sweden, has offered home furnishings of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. There are currently more than 320 IKEA stores in 38 countries, including 38 in the U.S. IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings company, incorporates sustainable efforts into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, go to IKEA-USA.com.