Ikea to sell solar panels in UK

Sep 30, 2013 - Swedish furniture retailer Ikea said Monday it had started offering residential solar panels in Britain as it seeks to benefit from the steadily growing solar market there.

The company will start selling the panels at its 17 stores across Britain over the next ten months following a successful pilot project at a store in London.

The solar panels are made by Chinese Hanergy and will be available for GBP 5,700 (EUR 6,800/USD 9,200). The price includes in-store consultation and installation, among other services.

"We know that our customers want to live more sustainably and we hope working with Hanergy to make solar panels affordable and easily available helps them do just that," Joanna Yarrow, Ikea's sustainability head for the UK and Ireland, told Reuters news agency.

Britain's solar market is smaller than the German and the Spanish ones, but it is characterised by steady, consistent growth. The government is providing subsidies to encourage the expansion of renewable energy generation.

An Ikea spokesman said it was still open if solar panels will be available in Germany, saying that Ikea will first assess the development of the initiative in the UK before deciding to expand to other countries.

(GBP 1 = EUR 1.195/USD 1.613)

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