Hanergy has partnered with IKEA to offer members of the Swedish furniture giant’s loyalty programme discounted solar PV systems. The partnership marks the first time that Hanergy's thin-film offering is being marketed in the UK, after acquiring Q-Cells’ subsidiary Solibro following Q-Cells SE entering insolvency proceedings earlier this year.
IKEA has already distributed nearly 70,000 messages to members of the UK IKEA FAMILY loyalty programme, recommending Hanergy thin-film systems for homeowners battling high energy bills.
An IKEA spokesperson said: “As part of IKEA’s commitment to inspire and enable millions of customers to live a more sustainable life at home, Hanergy Solar UK Ltd are offering discounted solar PV systems to a select number of IKEA FAMILY loyalty programme members at the Milton Keynes store.
“As part of the pilot we ran three seminars designed to help us explore our customer’s needs and interest in Solar PV systems. At this point in time there are no plans to take the pilot to other IKEA UK stores”.
Jason Chow, CEO of Hanergy Global Investment, commented: “We believe in the growth potential of the British PV market. This is why Hanergy has decided to launch its small power generation systems in the UK. Our cooperation with IKEA was only a matter of time since we share the same principles of environmental protection and sustainable development.”
Hanergy estimates that its thin-film rooftop units have the potential to save up to 40 percent off UK householders’ electricity bills, thanks to a combination of the Government-backed feed-in tariff scheme and the module’s low-light performance.
In IKEA’s 2011 sustainability report, the company stated that it had invested £390 million into implementing wind and solar energy across its 287 stores worldwide.