News: furniture retail giant IKEAÂ has announced plans to sell flat-packed solar panels.
IKEA's thin film cells for residential roofs will cost £5700 for 18 panels and - unlike the self-assembly bookcases and sofas the brand is known for - will include installation. The panels are made in Germany by Chinese producer Hanergy Solar.
The scheme will be rolled out to all UK stores in the next ten months, where customers will be able to see the products and have a consultation.
The products are available in the Southampton store on the south coast from Monday following a trial at IKEA Lakeside, east of London, which the company claims sells roughly one photovoltaic system per day.
IKEA has already installed more than 250,000 solar panels on the roofs of its own buildings worldwide.
In July the company used its expertise in flat-pack design to redesign refugee shelters and later the same month it relaunched the first flat-pack table, originally produced 60 years ago.
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Solar panel image is courtesy of Shutterstock.