The IKEA home furnishings store in Draper is planning to install a massive solar panel array on its rooftop capable of producing more than 1.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, about the amount of energy used annually in 123 homes.

The array will be one of the largest on a commercial building in the state.

"This is part of a companywide effort to lower our carbon footprint and minimize our impact on the environment," said spokeswoman Celeste Ledesma. "We already have solar panels installed on 20 of our stores in the U.S., or about half of our locations."

IKEA is anticipating work on its Draper solar-power generating project will be completed next spring.

Although the company declined to discuss costs, several Utah contractors involved in the solar energy industry estimated that a 1.4 million kilowatt-hour commercial system would run in excess of $4 million.

"It is going to be a large project and certainly will be among the biggest installed on a building in the state," said Sara Baldwin of Utah Clean Energy, an advocacy group that promotes the use of renewable energy systems.

IKEA said the system for its Draper store will have more than 4,300 solar panels covering 127,000 square feet. The clean, renewable power produced will represent a reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions of 1,130 tons, or the equivalent of the emissions generated by 202 automobiles.

Ledesma said IKEA prefers not to disclose what percentage of the power used daily by the Draper store will be produced by the new solar panel system. "But we will be using everything that we produce," she said.

IKEA opened its two-level, 310,000-square-foot Draper store in May 2007.

IKEA also plans to install solar power systems on its stores in New Haven, Conn., and Portland, Ore. The installations represent the company's "rollout of solar energy programs across the country," IKEA U.S. President Mike Ward said in a statement. "This initiative is part of the company's never-ending list of sustainable activities."

steve@sltrib.com

Twitter: @OberbeckBiz —

IKEA goes solar

4,300 • solar panels that will be installed, covering 127,000 square feet.

1.4 • million kilowatt-hours of electricity that will be produced each year.

123 • number of homes that would be powered by that amount of electricity.

20 • IKEA stores in the U.S. that have solar panels installed.