IKEA to erect solar panels on DCs

   Home furnishings retailer IKEA said last week it will outfit distribution centers in Perryville, Md., and Westampton, N.J., this summer with solar arrays as part of a nationwide effort to transition to cleaner forms of energy.
   When the project is complete, IKEA will have almost 89 percent of its store and warehouse locations operating with some level of solar power.
   The two DCs will total 4.92 megawatts of energy capacity with an annual output of 5.9 million kilowatt hours of electricity, equivalent to removing 803 vehicles from the road, according to IKEA.
   The company said it will own and operate the solar energy systems instead of selling the power or leasing the units to local utilities. 
   Many warehouse operators are taking advantage of their large, flat-roofed facilities to add solar power. – Eric Kulisch