Ikea 'Solar Shops' Open In UK, Sells Solar Panels Again

First Posted: Apr 26, 2016 05:30 AM EDT

Ikea will open new "solar shops" at some stores across the UK this week. This is part of their new sustainability drive.

Ikea discarded its previous attempt to sell solar panels after the government dropped solar power subsidies, according to Telegraph. Today, it enters into a second attempt to sell solar panels again in the UK, after a two-year partnership with Hanergy, a Chinese company, ended last year.

"Despite the challenging UK renewable energy policy situation, we want to turn solar into an essential part of any home and believe our new 'solar shops' will be a major milestone in making this happen," said Joanna Yarrow, Ikea's UK sustainability leader. She hoped that the new solar shops would encourage many people to embrace solar energy for their homes.

Ikea will sell solar panels online and in stores in Lakeside, Birmingham and Glasgow this week. It plans to extend its offer to other stores by the end of the year.

Yarrow said that in their research, one-third of homeowners would like to invest in solar, and the majority of them are driven by the opportunity to save money. The company said that a typical system for a semi-detached house with 10 panels would cost about 4,550 pounds, according to The Guardian.

Ikea has the new partnership with SolarCentury. The Ikea's employees will manage the sales in stores. They also want to install the panels within six weeks from the initial inquiry of the buyer.

John Sauven, Greenpeace UK's director, appreciated Ikea's solar venture. He said that over the past decade, things have changed dramatically as the price has come down, and the efficiency, even in cloudy skies, has gone up. He further said that now the solar power is widespread enough for most of them to know someone who's chosen to invest.

Solar panel absorbs energy that generates electricity or heating through the rays of the sun. The solar photovoltaic panels establish the solar array of a photovoltaic system. This produces solar electricity in residential and commercial. The photovoltaic system has a solar inverter, solar modules, a battery or a solar tracker and interconnection wiring.