Dive Brief:

• Ikea will start selling rooftop solar systems at all of its UK stores within the next 10 months.
• The systems are being sold for a minimum of £5,700 ($9210.63 USD as of Sept. 30). Ikea expects consumers to break even on their purchase within seven years.
• Ikea decided to bring rooftop solar systems to all 17 of its UK stores after it sold approximately one per day in a pilot at its Lakeside store near London.

Dive Insight:

The Swedish retailer's business model is built on ready-to-assemble home furniture and appliances, and the addition of rooftop solar is a logical (if radical) extension of that. The UK may be a few years ahead of the U.S. right now but, sooner rather than later, we too will see rooftop solar systems at retail locations. Needless to say, this is a bad omen for electric utilities.