Ikea U.S. enters consumer solar energy market

Ikea U.S. is partnering with a solar technology and energy services provider to begin selling home solar energy solutions to select customers.

The U.S. subsidiary of the Swedish furniture and home goods giant is teaming up with SunPower Corp. to enable embers of the Ikea Family customer loyalty program to purchase home solar solutions, available through SunPower, at select stores in California.

Customers can learn more about the home solar offering in Ikea California stores and online, and then work directly with SunPower to obtain solar energy packages developed specifically for Ikea Family loyalty members. The four packages include various combinations of solar, energy storage and electric vehicle (EV) charging.

Each of the offerings include a SunPower Equinox Solar System; access to the mySunPower app to monitor energy production or manage storage use; a limited warranty. A SunPower solar advisor will assess the customer’s electricity bills, energy goals, and roof configuration to design a custom solar package.

SunPower will then provide a proposed system design based on the customer’s needs, as well as financial products and incentives that may be available. A SunPower installer will visit the home to assess the roof and ensure the system is designed to optimize solar production. Updates will be made to the final proposal to reflect any changes needed.

Once the proposal is signed, SunPower will work with the customer from installation to activation. Currently, eight Ikea California stores (Emeryville, East Palo Alto, West Sacramento, Burbank, Carson, Covina, Costa Mesa and San Diego offer the home solar program.

“Our vision is to create a better everyday life for many people, and we believe those lives are truly better when they are lived sustainably,” said Javier Quiñones, CEO & chief sustainability officer, Ikea U.S. “We are delighted to join the list of global Ikea markets that provide access to home solar and energy solutions, and we will continue to collaborate with our partners to showcase offerings that have a positive impact on people and our planet.”

“To power more homes with clean, reliable, and affordable energy, we need to make the process of switching to renewables convenient and easy,” said Peter Faricy, SunPower CEO. “We're proud Ikea selected SunPower to bring the many benefits of solar to its customers, and we look forward to making their energy transition seamless. There has truly never been a better time to go solar.”

In addition to the select California locations in the U.S., Ikea makes home solar and energy services accessible in Australia and 10 markets in Europe including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland and Portugal.

The company has a renewable energy portfolio, including rooftop solar arrays on 90% of its U.S. locations. Ingka Group, a strategic partner in the Ikea franchise system, has invested in two solar parks with 403-megawatt capacity in Utah and Texas and two wind farms producing 859 million kWh of energy in Illinois and Texas.

[Read more: Ikea buys back its old furniture for store credit]