Ikea Solar Panels Now Available In The UK; Kit Costs About $9,200 For 3,360 Watts Of Electricity

Ikea solar panels will be available in the UK for at least the next 10 months. Each Ikea solar panel kit will cost about $9,200 and will generate 3,360 watts of electricity.

Ikea has a roll-out plan for the solar panels in its UK stores, ABC News reports.

"We will evaluate the success of the UK roll out before making this decision on a market-by-market basis about rolling out in other countries," an Ikea spokesperson said.

The solar panels will be rolled out in all 17 Ikea stores in the United Kingdom in the next 10 months.

A pilot program began in July in Ikea's Lakeside store in the U.K., where a solar panel system is now sold almost every day, Ikea said, ABC News reports.

By way of comparison, in the U.S. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) sells a 400 watt solar panel kit for about $1,500, Yahoo! Finance reports. However, that system is intended for small off-grid use in recreational vehicles or vacation cabins. Walmart does not offer installation services.

On the other hand, Ikea's solar panels come with an offer of professional system design and installation from the store's partner, China's Hanergy, Yahoo! Finance reports.

The system will pay for itself in about seven years according to IKEA for those who purchase the system. But again, that does not include the installation cost.

IKEA also said it would evaluate the U.K. program before it deciding whether or not to roll out the offer in other countries.

"We know that our customers want to live more sustainably and we hope working with Hanergy to make solar panels affordable and easily available helps them do just that," said Joanna Yarrow, head of sustainability IKEA UK and Ireland, in a statement.