Starting this September, furniture retail giant Ikea will begin selling renewable energy to Swedish customers through its new Strömma service.
“Ingka Group, the owner of most Ikea stores worldwide, said households would be able to buy affordable renewable electricity from solar and wind parks, and track their usage through an app,” reports Reuters.
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The electricity will be sourced from Nordic power exchange Nord Pool. Svea Solar, which already partners with Ingka to produce solar panels, will resell the power to households without a surcharge. Ikea will charge a fixed monthly fee plus a variable rate, though it has not yet released information about the actual pricing.
“Ikea wants to build the biggest renewable energy movement together with co-workers, customers, and partners around the world, to help tackle climate change together,” the company said in a statement.
Households that generate power with Ikea solar panels will be able to track their production through the Strömma app and sell back any excess energy. Ingka plans to encourage the development of new wind and solar parks by only buying from those built in the past five years, notes Reuters.
The new service is part of a broader transition to sustainability envisioned by the company. One aspect of that plan is for Ingka to eventually extend Strömma to other markets.
“At Ikea, we want to become fully circular and climate positive by 2030, built on renewable energy and resources,” Ingka New Retail Business Manager Jan Gardberg said in the company statement. “We believe the future of energy is renewable and we want to make electricity from sustainable sources more accessible and affordable for all.”
