IKEA now offers home solar panel systems complete with a storage battery like Tesla’s Powerwall
With over 700,000 solar panels installed worldwide to power its stores, IKEA is on its way to become energy neutral by 2020. But the company’s sustainability ambitions don’t end with itself.
IKEA has partnered with British solar panel manufacturer Solarcentury and started offering home solar panel and battery storage solutions in the UK. The retail giant has previously sold solar panels in the Netherlands and Switzerland, but the battery storage system is a novelty.
According to IKEA, a home solar panel installation is not only good for the environmental conscience but also for the cost conscious. The panel and battery system is supposed to be able to store excess energy generated and reduce electricity bills by up to 50% – that is savings and tariff income of circa £350 per annum. The installation costs a couple of thousand pounds however so recovering the initial investment will take more than a decade (but you get 15% off with an IKEA Family membership).
Of course, the system’s efficacy depends on factors like which direction the roof in question is facing, with directly South being optimal. To help households figure out whether it’s worth it IKEA and Solarcentury offer an online calculator. The smallest system consists of six panels and requires less than 10 square meters of roof.
