SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – A 4,368-panel, solar energy system is now being used by IKEA to power its Sunrise store.

That makes IKEA the state’s largest non-utility owner of solar, reports the South Florida Business Journal.

IKEA’s 101,774-square-foot solar energy-array also powers stores in Orlando and Tampa, according to a statement sent to the business journal.

The amount of electricity the Sunrise store produces is the equivalent of reducing 1,181 tons of carbon dioxide, eliminating the emissions of 210 cars or powering 134 homes yearly, according to IKEA.

In November, IKEA closed on a $31.5 million purchase of land next to Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater, where it plans a 417,000-square-foot store. There’s no word on whether solar power will also power the new location.

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