A1A Solar Contracting will install 5,472 solar panels on the new IKEA store in Jacksonville, making it the largest rooftop solar array in Florida.
The project, scheduled for completion in mid-October 2017, provides up to 50% of the building’s power consumption with the 1.89-MW system, making it Florida’s largest non-utility private solar array. IKEA contracts with REC Solar who will design the system.
Pete Wilking, president and founder of A1A Solar, is confident his team will successfully finish the installation ahead of schedule. To work with IKEA, A1A Solar took part in a highly competitive bid process and went through multiple interviews and a vetting process to install the system.
“REC Solar has made a smart choice in selecting A1A Solar as the solar installer for the Jacksonville IKEA project,” Wilking said.“Choosing a local company means supporting Jacksonville’s economy and keeping jobs local.”
The rooftop will operate under a power purchase agreement with the Jacksonville Electric Authority. The 1.89 MW system will produce approximately 2,753,070 kWh of electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2,133 tons yearly. JEA will add this array to its total solar energy portfolio, bringing it to a projected 50 MW by the end of 2017.
“We are excited about furthering our sustainability commitment and contributing to a low-carbon society with solar atop our future Jacksonville store,” said Lars Petersson, IKEA U.S. president, in a written statement. “We have a mission to create a better everyday life for the many, and IKEA Jacksonville can add to this goal and keep us Florida’s largest non-utility private solar owner.”
A1A Solar, already a solar record-setter, installed the then-largest commercial solar rooftop in Jacksonville – 340 panels – for Champion brands, a local beverage distributor.
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