IKEA Launches Home Solar Offering In UK

IKEA has unveiled Solar Shops, its new-look home solar offering, in three of its major UK stores this week.

Announced on Monday, IKEA UK unveiled Solar Shops, its in-store offering to sell residential solar installations, “as part of the company’s mission to help people live more sustainably and affordably in their homes.” IKEA also released the results of its own survey which showed 33% of all UK homeowners would like to invest in solar panels, with most wanting to cut their electricity bills.

Solar Shops will launch in stores in Glasgow, Birmingham, and Lakeside (Thurrock), and aims to be selling solar panels in all of its UK stores by the end of the summer.

“At IKEA we believe that renewable energy is undoubtedly the power of the future,” said Joanna Yarrow, Head of Sustainability at IKEA UK and Ireland. “We’re already using solar power across our operations, and it’s exciting to be able to help households tap into this wonderful source of clean energy.

“We know our customers want to live more sustainably, so together with Solarcentury we are making solar panels as attractive and affordable as possible. Evidence shows that installing solar panels enables households to save up to 50% on their electricity bills, and with our new solar panel offer we hope to encourage more and more people to embrace solar energy for their homes. 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.”

Teaming up with Solarcentury provides IKEA with a solid and reliable name in solar installations.

“Together with IKEA we have designed an offer which makes solar simple for homeowners,” said Susannah Wood, Head of Residential Solar at Solarcentury. “We’ve blended IKEA’s retail expertise with our solar expertise to arrive at an offer which combines quality with great value for money. Solar is now a mature, tried and tested technology that is being deployed the world over, and we want IKEA customers to be able to join this energy revolution with confidence and ease. At Solarcentury, we’ve always aimed to make solar accessible for all, and this new collaboration with IKEA achieves exactly that.”