Ikea goes solar in Houston; installation makes chain largest solar owner in Texas

Houston -- Ikea on Monday officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its store in Houston. The installation, when combined with Ikea solar projects atop stores in Frisco and Round Rock, will make the home furnishings retailer the state’s largest solar owner. Ikea contracted with REC Solar for the development, design and installation of the Houston store’s customized solar power system. The store’s 116,400-sq-.ft. photovoltaic array consists of a 813-kW system, built with 3,388 panels. The program will produce approximately 1,152,464 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 795 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), eliminating the