Retail Giant To Deliver Solar To The UK High Street

In in a move designed to bring home solar into the mainstream IKEA has teamed up with Hanergy Solar UK to offer a full solar installation service to its customers at a price they can afford directly from the high-street, cutting out the middle-man. In keeping with the home furnishing company's commitment to keeping all its prices low, IKEA Family Members can purchase a standard 3.36kW photovoltaic (PV) system for a semi-detached home for £5700, inclusive of VAT or opt for the leading solar finance package in the UK and pay nothing upfront.

The nationwide initiative "“ the first of its kind by a mainstream retailer, will be rolled out in all 17 IKEA stores across the UK within the next 10 months. IKEA stores across the UK will be dedicating space in store for Hanergy Solar UK to showcase the very real financial benefits of home solar panel systems and enable customers to touch and feel the equipment themselves. In July 2013 a successful pilot began in the Lakeside store, where a PV system is sold almost every day.

Commenting on the announcement, Joanna Yarrow, Head of Sustainability IKEA UK and Ireland said: "At IKEA we're excited to be able to help customers take positive actions at home for both the environment and their wallets. 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. Evidence shows that installing solar panels enables homeowners to cut their energy bills by up to 50%, and it takes on average only seven years (at current energy prices) to recuperate the money spent on the solar units. We want to make a greener, more sustainable way of life attractive and easy for as many people as possible, so in addition to our collaboration with Hanergy, we're dedicated to expanding our range of sustainable products that help customers save energy, water and sort waste fourfold by 2020."

Commenting on the new initiative, Toby Ferenczi, co-CEO of Hanergy Solar UK said,"Our collaboration with IKEA has the right ingredients to become a significant step forward for the renewable energy industry. Both Hanergy and IKEA are convinced that we have the best package for customers on the market to allow homeowners across the UK to profit from energy independence."