Ikea expands solar array on Maryland DC

Conshohocken, Pa. – Ikea has plugged-in an expansion of the solar array completed in April 2013 on the roof of its 1.7 million-sq.-ft. Perryville, Maryland, distribution center. Installation of the new panels began in fall 2013, and since then have nearly doubled the size of the original project.



The 467,618-sq.-ft. solar addition consists of a 2.2-MW system, built with 7,337 modules, and will produce about 2.7 million kWh of electricity annually. Including the existing system, this distribution center’s total 4.9-MW solar installation of 25,913 panels now will generate about 6.1 million kWh of clean electricity yearly, the equivalent of reducing 4,299 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), eliminating the emissions of 896 cars or powering 591 homes.



For the development, design and installation of the Perryville distribution center’s original and expanded solar power system, Ikea contracted with Inovateus Solar LLC.



In 2013, Ikea achieved its goal of completing solar installations atop nearly 90% its U.S. buildings (39 out of 44 locations), with a generation goal of 38 MW. Ikea owns and operates each of its solar PV energy systems, as opposed to a solar lease or PPA (power purchase agreement), and globally has allocated $1.8 billion to invest in renewable energy through 2015. Ikea has installed more than 550,000 solar panels on buildings across the world and owns/operates approximately 157 wind turbines in Europe and Canada.