Soon, customers in Britain will be able to walk into IKEA, grab the box with their new coffee table, grab the box with their new bed, and grab the box with their new…solar panels?
That's right: the Swedish flat-pack furniture giant unveiled a new initiative to sell residential solar panels at its stores in Britain, as part of a larger goal to bring renewable energy to customers worldwide. For now the panels (manufactured by Chinese company Hanergy Holding Group, Ltd.) are only sold at a few stores, but the company plans to roll out the program nationwide in the coming months.
Customers must purchase a minimum of eighteen panels at once, for a total of £5,700 (approximately $9,000). Though still a hefty up-front cost, the company claims the investment will be paid off in seven years or so due to Britain's solar subsidies. As reported by The Guardian, an IKEA case study showed the average homeowner with a South-facing roof could regain as much as $1245 per year through subsidies and savings.
www.seia.orgIKEA has revamped its own stores with solar power in recent years. The company aims to power its stores with 100% renewable energy by 2020.
In addition to the panels, the cost covers an in-store consultation, installation, and maintenance, so there's no need for you to struggle with a hex key or get 90% of the way through construction and realize you lost a wooden dowel.
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