Home furnishings giant plugging in more fuel cells
Ikea is expanding its renewable energy portfolio with state-of-the-art fuel cell technology.
Based on the success of its pilot installation, Ikea said it plans to install biogas-powered fuel cell systems at four more stores in California.
A year ago, the retailer completed installation of a similar project at its location in Emeryville, one of the Swedish company’s two San Francisco-area stores. Ikea now plans to expand its fuel cell portfolio to 1.3 MW with a system at its other San Francisco-area store (in East Palo Alto), as well as three stores in Southern California (Costa Mesa, Covina and San Diego). Pending permits, the fuel cells will be installed, commissioned and operational by fall 2016, complementing solar arrays already atop each of the four stores.
Ikea contracted Sunnyvale, California-based Bloom Energy, a provider of solid oxide fuel cell technology generating clean, highly-efficient on-site power, for the design, development and installation of the planned systems.
“Based on the success of the system installed last year in Emeryville, we are excited about further increasing our renewable portfolio with four more fuel cell projects,” explained IU.S. president Lars Petersson. “Fuel cells represent another way we can contribute to our goal of generating renewable energy equal to the amount of power we consume worldwide.”
Here are more details on the four installations:
• Costa Mesa store – opened in 2003; store size: 308,000 sq. ft. on 24 acres
• FUEL CELL PROGRAM: 300 kW generating 2,497,651 kWh/year
• Equivalent to reducing 1,315 tons of CO2, 278 cars’ emissions or powering 194 homes
• Covina store – opened in 2003; store size: 325,000 sq. ft. on 12.5 acres
• Fuel Cell Program: 200 kW generating 1,665,101 kWh/year
• Equivalent to reducing 877 tons of CO2, 185 cars’ emissions or powering 130 homes
• East Palo Alto store – opened in 2003; store size: 290,000 sq. ft. on 10.5 acres
• Fuel Cell Program: 300 kW generating 2,497,651 kWh/year
• Equivalent to reducing 1,315 tons of CO2, 278 cars’ emissions or powering 194 homes
• San Diego store – opened in 2000; store size: 198,000 sq. ft. on 10 acres
• Fuel Cell Program: 200 kW generating 1,665,101 kWh/year
• Equivalent to reducing 877 tons of CO2, 185 cars’ emissions or powering 130 homes