IKEA has published its 2011 sustainability report which shows that over 2011, the furniture giant ploughed £390 million into implementing wind and solar energy across its 287 stores worldwide.
In total, IKEA produced 152GWh of clean electricity from the various renewable generation technologies it utilises. The green energy produced by Ikea is enough to cover around 12 percent of the electricity needed to run all its stores and distribution centres, marking a greater move towards its long-term goal of using 100 percent renewable energy
Additionally, energy efficiency measures across all IKEA stores improved by a further 4 percent, allowing the firm to save £5 million across 2011.
Mikael Ohlsson, President and CEO of the IKEA group said: “We want to enable our customers to live a more sustainable life at home in an easy, affordable and accessible way. At the same time, we continue to strengthen our positive impact on society.”
Over the year, IKEA spent £166 million on installing 40 solar PV arrays across seven countries. In the UK, 5,000 solar modules were installed on the roof of the West Quay road store in Southampton. IKEA hopes that by March next year, a total of 39,000 panels will be installed on ten stores around the country.
In total, IKEA’s UK solar ambition could generate up to 1,600,000 kWh every year, cutting IKEA’s carbon dioxide consumption by 662 tonnes a year.
Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Group said: “We aim for all IKEA UK buildings to be fitted with solar panels in the long-term. As well as reducing our impact on the environment, these initiatives come with a strong financial incentive as consuming less energy means we spend less money, which helps us lower the prices on our products.”