IKEA Australia has announced it is nearing completion of a new large-scale solar project at its western Sydney distribution centre at Marsden Park.
The $2.9 million commercial solar PV and battery project, delivered by Smart Commercial Solar, uses 9000sqm on the rooftop of the IKEA distribution warehouse to house over 4000 solar panels with a generation capacity of 2,034KW.
This will grow the renewable energy generation onsite from 26% up to 70%. The energy will power both IKEA day-to-day operations in the distribution warehouse, as well as to charge the electric vehicles used for IKEA home deliveries.
When the final part of the project, the installation of a 1MW battery, is soon complete, energy generated through the rooftop solar can be stored to support with operational periods of peak demand and throughout the night.
Sustainability update
This announcement coincides with the release of the IKEA Australia FY24 annual summary and sustainability report which reveals an 89% reduction in operational climate footprint since FY16, while at the same time growing revenue by 68%.
“Showing we have significantly reduced our emissions from operations while growing the IKEA Australia business proves that investing in climate action and delivering commercial success is absolutely achievable – together,” says IKEA Australia Country Sustainability Manager Renea Robson.
“This new project we are proud to launch … at our Marsden Park distribution centre is a standout example of the kind of investments we are making; not only because they are good for the planet and taking our renewable energy ambitions to the next level, but because they benefit our business, too.”
For over a decade, IKEA Australia has been focusing on generating renewable energy and introducing energy storage to its stores and distribution centres, taking advantage of the expansive rooftops and carpark spaces. This began in 2014, and today the retailer has solar panels installed on nine out of 10 ‘big blue box’ stores, in addition to the distribution centre at Marsden Park.
In FY24, IKEA Australia achieved 100% renewable electricity use in retail operations. This came from onsite energy generation and where needed, large-scale renewable energy certificates in line with Clean Energy Regulatory requirements.