Green power use helps advance green power market.
IKEA U.S. announced that it has become a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Partnership, ranking sixth on the Top 30 Retail list of the largest green power users. Through this partnership, IKEA U.S. is recognized for its efforts in reducing the risk of climate change through the use of green power.
IKEA U.S. is using more than 183 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually*, which represents 72 percent of its total power needs. In addition,
IKEA U.S. generates green power from on-site solar energy systems and wind energy systems in Illinois and Texas. The company’s choice to use green power is helping to advance the green power market and support clean renewable energy alternatives.
IKEA strives to minimize its operations’ carbon emissions because reducing its environmental impact is not only good for the environment but also makes good business sense. Globally, IKEA aims to be energy independent by 2020.
IKEA U.S. generates its green power through solar arrays at almost 90% of its locations; geothermal heating and cooling systems in two stores; and the purchase and operation of two wind farms, with a total of 104 turbines. Additionally, IKEA U.S. completed installation of a biogas-powered fuel cell system in its Emeryville store in 2015, and recently announced plans for similar systems at four more California stores.
Using green power helps build demand for the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide and helps users reduce their carbon footprints.
“EPA applauds IKEA U.S. for its green power use and for its leadership on the environment, setting a stellar example for other retailers and large companies,” said James Critchfield, Manager of the Green Power Partnership.
“Green power use is both an important tool in helping to reduce the impact of climate change as well as a sound business decision,” said Lars Petersson, IKEA U.S. President. “As we move towards being completely energy independent, we are proud to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for helping to lead the way towards a sustainable future.”
In addition to its spot on the Top 30 Retail list, IKEA also appears as No. 37 on the National Top 100 list. This green power commitment also qualifies IKEA for EPA’s Green Power Leadership Club, a distinction organizations earn by significantly exceeding EPA’s minimum green power use requirements.
Additional IKEA U.S. sustainability efforts include: the recycling of waste material in all IKEA U.S. locations and the incorporation of energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, skylights in warehouse areas, and water-conserving restrooms. Operationally, IKEA U.S. eliminated plastic bags from the check-out process, phased out the sale of incandescent bulbs, and now only sells LEDs.
*According to the U.S. EPA, IKEA's green power use of more than 183 million kWh is equivalent to the electricity use of nearly 17,000 average American homes annually.
About IKEA Group
The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. There are currently 328 IKEA Group stores in 28 countries. Additionally, there are 40 IKEA stores run by franchises. There are 42 IKEA stores in the U.S. In FY 15, IKEA Group had 771 million visitors to the stores and 1.9 billion visitors to IKEA.com. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, please visit www.IKEA.com, facebook.com/IKEAUSA, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA, http://pinterest.com/IKEAUSA/, www.youtube.com/IKEAUSA, www.theshare-space.com, www.theshare-space.com/en/Blog
About EPA’s Green Power Partnership
The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 1,400 Partner organizations voluntarily using billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500® companies; small and medium sized businesses; local, state, and federal governments; and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.