Ikea completes South Florida’s largest solar project

Sweetwater, Fla. -- Ikea announced it had completed the installation of South Florida’s largest solar array, which will be plugged-in officially atop the future Miami-Dade Ikea store opening this summer in Sweetwater, Florida. Combined with rooftop arrays in Orlando, Tampa, and Sunrise, this fourth solar project will keep Ikea as the state’s largest non-utility solar owner.



The 178,000-sq.-ft. solar array consists of a 1,178-kW system, built with 4,620 panels, and will produce approximately 1,738,876 kWh of electricity annually for the store, the equivalent of reducing 1,227 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). Ikea contracted with REC Solar for the development, design and installation of the customized solar power system.



This installation will represent the 40th solar project for the home furnishings retailer in the U.S, contributing to the Ikea solar presence atop nearly 90% of its U.S. locations, and a total generation of 38 MW.



Ikea owns and operates each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings – 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.