Ikea Investing in Renewable Energy, Starts Selling Solar Panel in the UK

The Swedish furniture giant is going out of its comfort zone. They're surprisingly famous for their celebrated Swedish meatballs and now, they ventured in selling solar panels too.

This summer, Ikea stores will have another section, the "Solar Shop" according to Engadget. Despite UK's amendments on solar subsidies, Ikea is determined to invest and sell solar panels. Currently, there are three solar shops located in Glasgow, Birmingham and Lakeside in the UK.

The task of these solar shops is to provide assistance to individuals who are interested in the new Ikea solar panels. Quotations can also be obtained in these shops. After the quotation process, Ikea will hand over the transaction to their partner, Solarcentury who will be responsible for the installation process.

Renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies are the latest priorities of Ikea.

"We want to inspire and enable you to live a more sustainable life at home by offering products and services that will help you to save money, waste and energy" said Ikea in a statement released in its website.

According to Ikea, there are three main reasons to go 'solar' in this day and age. It's simple, it's economical (saves money), and it's sustainable.

"Obviously the climate has been changing in the past year in the UK but, nonetheless, our research showed a third of homeowners would really like to invest in solar, and the majority of those are driven by the opportunity to save money," said Joanna Yarrow, head of sustainability at Ikea UK and Ireland.

According to a recent article by The Guardian, Ikea believes that one third of the people who wanted solar panels are because it can cut down electric bill.

The Ikea's renewable energy initiative is welcomed by Greenpeace UK.

"Over the past decade things have changed dramatically as the price has come down and the efficiency, even in cloudy skies, has gone up. Now solar power is widespread enough for most of us to know someone who's chosen to invest" said John Sauven, Greenpeace UK's director.

Hopefully, after running the promo in the UK, Ikea shops worldwide will get to enjoy the services of their "Solar Shop" as well.

For those interested to get a quotation, you can visit this website.