Ikea goes solar in Houston; installation makes chain largest solar owner in Texas

Houston -- Ikea on Monday officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its store in Houston. The installation, when combined with Ikea solar projects atop stores in Frisco and Round Rock, will make the home furnishings retailer the state’s largest solar owner.



Ikea contracted with REC Solar for the development, design and installation of the Houston store’s customized solar power system. The store’s 116,400-sq-.ft. photovoltaic array consists of a 813-kW system, built with 3,388 panels. The program will produce approximately 1,152,464 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 795 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), eliminating the emissions of 156 cars or powering 99 homes yearly.



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). The Houston installation represents the 19th completed solar energy project for Ikea in the United States, with 20 more installations underway, making the eventual U.S. solar presence of Ikea nearly 89% with a total generation of 38 MW.