IKEA’s Illinois Distribution Center Receives LEED Gold

By Anca Gagiuc

IKEA distribution center, Joliet, Ill.

IKEA’s new distribution center in Joliet, Ill., has been awarded LEED Gold certification from the USGBC. Gray Construction designed and built the facility, and pursued the green award in collaboration with Vertegy.

The property is spread across 72 acres and will serve inventory and customer fulfillment needs at stores throughout the Midwestern region of the U.S. It consists of more than 1.2 million square feet and is equipped with the largest solar rooftop in Illinois, featuring a robust 470,545-square-foot solar array comprising 8,966 panels, with a generating capacity of 2.9 megawatts. The solar installation is anticipated to generate nearly 3.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for the building, which is the equivalent of reducing 2,513 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or providing electricity for 377 households yearly.

“At IKEA, we value the importance of having a positive impact on the communities we are a part of,” Lars Petersson, IKEA U.S. president, said in prepared remarks. “Having our distribution center in Joliet certified LEED Gold is a prime example of how IKEA believes it can do good business while minimizing impacts on the environment. It is consistent with our goal of being energy independent by 2020.”

Image courtesy of Gray Construction