IKEA, a retailer for home furnishings, has installed a solar energy system at its Paramus, New Jersey retail store. The 1063 kW system consists of 132000 square-foot solar array, which is made up of 4,620 panels.
The system will generate about 1359100 kWh of clean power per year. This power is equal to reducing 1033 t of carbon dioxide, providing electricity to 117 residences annually, or removing emissions of 184 cars.
In the US, IKEA has installed 17 solar projects including the Paramus project. The company operates all its solar systems at the top of its facilities. Moreover, solar projects are ongoing in 20 other places in the U.S.
The company has signed an agreement with REC Solar, a solar electric installer, to develop, design and install the solar system at the Paramus facility.
The company regularly assesses the places worldwide for energy conserving prospects. Innovative materials are integrated into product design and the products are flat-packed to distribute effectively.
The company has taken several efforts for sustainability and works closely with Global Forest Watch to manage resources such as usage of recycled building materials, skylights for warehouse regions, restrooms that save water, and lighting and HVAC systems with energy efficiency. In addition, the company has discontinued the sale of incandescent light bulbs and removed polythene bags from the check-out process. It helps its customers to recycle compact fluorescent bulbs. Furthermore, IKEA's nine stores in the Western U.S. have been installed with charging stations for electric vehicles.
Source: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/