At Baltimore IKEA, solar power turns on

Home furnishings retailer IKEA said it plugged in its solar energy system at its store in Baltimore.

The 77,300-sq.-ft. PV array consists of a 618.2-kW system, built with 2,576 panels.  IKEA Baltimore’s program will produce approximately 823,500 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 626 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), eliminating the emissions of 111 cars or powering 71 homes yearly, according to the company.

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 this Baltimore installation represents the 13th completed solar energy project for IKEA in the United States, with 20 more locations under way. The solar concept is up and running at 75% of its U.S. locations.