Ikea Zwolle lowers its energy consumption

Ikea’s store in Zwolle aims to lower its energy consumption, to become energy neutral by 2020. Last year, it managed to lower its energy consumption to well below that of an average Swedish Ikea store. 

New packaging

Its electricity consumption is 30 % lower, it saved up to 510,000 kg of CO2 in 015 and its gas usage is a mere 10 % of what an average Ikea store uses. “Our solar panels alone have generated 885 MWh of power, equal to the annual energy consumption of 250 families”, store manager Sandra Schouten said. “The store is not only advanced when it comes to sustainability, because it is also a leading example when it comes to store layout for other Ikea stores. Its position as a testing area is a benefit in that regard.”

The goal is to become entirely energy-neutral by 2020 and it already has 5,500 solar panels on its roof and 9 wind mills, combined with an advanced Heat & Cold Storage facility. In the store itself, it only uses LED lighting.

Ikea is working on new packaging, based on mushrooms, making them fully compostable. If successful, it should replace all polystyrene materials in Ikea’s packaging. American company Ecovative, which also works for computer manufacturer Dell, is currently developing the material.