The Grand Prairie IKEA opens Dec. 13, 2017.

Nov. 2, 2015

IKEA recently announced it was opening a second store in North Texas and according to a company spokesperson, the super-sized housewares and furniture outlet will be as green as its other Texas venues.    

The company founded in Sweden in 1943 has become known for its simple eco-friendly minimalist style and has a long-term goal to power all of its facilities using 100 percent renewable energy.  

IKEA Frisco is already home to a 114,000-square-foot PV solar array, which consists of a 912-kW system, built with 3,780 panels.

According to Joseph Roth, ‎U.S. Expansion and Property Public Affairs Manager at IKEA, the Frisco location combined with the Round Rock and Houston stores make IKEA the largest private non-utility solar owner in Texas

“Texas stores are big, with big roofs, and we maximized those rooftops with solar panels that we actually purchased. It also means we made a significant commitment to invest in solar atop our Texas stores.”

IKEA flipped the switch on its solar system at the Frisco store in 2012.

Additionally, IKEA owns a 165 MW wind farm in Cameron County in South Texas, one of two it owns in the U.S..

Although final plans are still pending approval, the Grand Prairie store is also designed to be powered by renewable energy. And IKEA Grand Prairie will use only LED bulbs – both for interior and exterior lighting

“IKEA also will evaluate potential on-site power generation to complement its current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90 percent of its U.S. locations,” Roth added.

As part of its green corporate policy, IKEA also makes sure that its vendors use sustainably grown wood and cotton and its exclusive suppliers must adhere to very strict standards.

“This allows us to monitor their efforts as a way of striving for strict compliance,” Roth said.

Other ways that the folks at IKEA make efforts to be sustainable are by recycling waste material; and incorporating energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, warehouse skylights and water-conserving restrooms. Other goals include eliminating plastic bags from the check-out process; phasing-out the sale of incandescent light bulbs; facilitating recycling compact fluorescent bulbs; and selling only LED bulbs. IKEA U.S. has also installed electric vehicle charging stations at 13 locations and has solar arrays at 90 percent of its locations. 

Even the restaurants at the IKEA sites appeal to a progressive clientele by offering a variety of vegetarian food options, including a vegan version of its famous Swedish meatballs as of April.

IKEA began serving vegan Swedish meatballs at its restaurants as of April.

The store is getting a warm reception from the local community.

"We are so pleased IKEA chose Grand Prairie,” said Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen. “The city worked diligently with the IKEA team to make this happen. The Grand Prairie IKEA will be a great destination for shoppers and developers.”

Overall, Roth the Swedish company aims to be a green corporate neighbor.

“IKEA strives to minimize its operations' carbon emissions because reducing its environmental impact makes good business sense,” he said. “IKEA evaluates locations regularly for conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works to maintain sustainable resources and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution.”

Related news:  

Energy-efficient Facebook data center in Fort Worth to be powered by wind farm


Sign up for the weekly Green Source DFW Newsletter to stay up to date on everything green in North Texas, the latest news and events. Follow us on FacebookTwitter and Pinterest.

 

Main category: