IKEA GOES ALL NEW ENERGY

Ikea uses sun, wind to become energy independent; As more U.S. businesses embrace renewable energy, IKEA plans to announce Tuesday that it will rely on the sun and the wind to produce all the power it uses at its stores and buildings by 2020.

Wendy Koch, October 23, 2012 (USA Today)

“Energy independence by 2020? …[G]lobal home furnishings retailer Ikea…[announced] plans to achieve that goal with solar and wind power…[T]he Swedish retailer says it will rely on the sun and wind to produce all the power it uses at its stores and buildings worldwide within a decade.

“It plans to install more rooftop solar panels, erect wind farms and reduce its energy usage by replacing 1.2 million incandescent light bulbs with 85%-more-efficient LEDs (light-emitting diodes.)…Ikea already has solar panels atop 34 of its 38 U.S. stores and distribution centers…[P]arts of the U.S. also have great wind potential, and Ikea, which is building wind farms abroad, would like one stateside…”

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“Ikea, which announced earlier this month that it will sell only LED light bulbs in its stores by 2016, is not the first retailer to shoot for 100% renewable energy. Walmart has also set that goal (without specifying a timeline), and it ranks first among U.S. companies for solar power generation…Costco Wholesale ranked second, Kohl's Department Stores, third, Ikea, fourth and Macy's, fifth…

“…[M]ore than 90% of the total energy that retailers use is embedded in the supply chain — the making of and delivering of parts and products…[Retailers say] renewable energy is no longer just about scoring public relations points… Ikea, which phased out plastic bags in 2007 and stopped selling incandescent bulbs in 2010, believes energy independence is ‘the right thing to do, not only because it's concerned about climate change but also because it wants to protect itself against higher energy prices in the future…”

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