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Guardian Environmental Network

VIDEO: Brooklyn IKEA Installs Solar Panels But Can't Flip Switch

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By Mary Plummer
August 20, 2010
Cities & Transportation

New York City's first IKEA furniture store came with an unusual accessory: a field of rooftop solar panels. (IKEA has another store with solar panels in Pittsburgh and is building an array in Tempe, Arizona.) The panels have been ready since early summer, but the company can't turn them on, due to a delay in approvals from ConEd. Officials with the utility company and the city say they want to speed up the process and encourage more solar panels on the city's thousands of rooftops.

UPDATE: As of April 27, 2011, the switch has finally been flipped.

Related Tags: New York City brooklyn Clean Energy Solar power rooftop solar IKEA Red Hook ConEd
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Mary Plummer is an independent journalist living in New York City. Her work has been published in UWIRE, The Orange County Register, and The Yomiuri Shimbun, which is published twice daily in Japan with a circulation of more than 14 million. She was ... READ MORE >
#1
Neshama Abraham Wrote on August 23, 2010 - 11:34
Excellent report Mary showing IKEA's commitment to installing a solar PV system to provide electricity sourced from renewable energy for its Brooklyn store. Your piece highlights the importance for utilities to prioritize the approval process so completed solar systems can get turned on right away. The Con Edison delay sounds like it is just paperwork as the system is fully built and installed to code. Thank you Mary for highlighting this issue which requires leadership from our utilities to prioritize renewable energy and put our environment first. The American Solar Energy has excellent educational solar resources at www.ases.org and a citizen action policy program Solar Nation at www.solar-nation.org.
#1
Mary Plummer Wrote on August 23, 2010 - 16:40
Thanks Neshama! I'm glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks for sharing the links. You might find my previous story on a fight to save green jobs interesting as well. http://www.onearth.org/multimedia/video/fighting-for-green-jobs
#2
Pierre Bull NRDC Wrote on September 2, 2010 - 08:20
Excellent and very informative piece on IKEA's solar project. I am a clean energy advocate in NRDC's NYC Air & Energy program. This piece will help us in our solar advocacy in the City, in Albany and region-wide.
#1
Mary Plummer Wrote on September 9, 2010 - 11:30
Thanks Pierre, I enjoyed your blog post on the subject.
#3
brendan Wrote on October 13, 2010 - 21:36
So? what's the latest? this is SO frustrating! i am writing inn mid-October, but can find no announcement or news story anywhere that Ikea got their permits and flipped the switch.