Monday, January 16, 2012

Solar Panels Slated For Ikea's Schaumburg, Bolingbrook Stores

Pending permit approval, Ikea stores in Schaumburg and Bolingbrook will be outfitted with solar panels this summer.

The Swedish company announced last week that five U.S. stores will be targeted for solar panels, joining 12 other American stores already with the technology.

The Schaumburg store, opened in 1998, would have close to 3,700 panels on the roof, and Bolingbrook is slated for almost 4,800 panels. The other three stores are in Bloomington, Minn.; Canton, Mich.; and Pittsburgh.

The solar panel plan for American stores draws on Ikea's "respect of nature," according to the company.

Ikea has 44 locations in the country, and 85 percent will have solar power after those five projects are completed.

Ikea spokesman Joseph Roth said the Schaumburg and Bolingbrook stores weren't chosen for any specific reason, just that they were "next." Roth added that all new Ikea stores will be examined for geothermal energy as well.

SOURCE: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-ikea-solar-panels-20120115,0,4508204.story

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