Some IKEA shoppers in the UK can now buy solar panels at the same place where they buy reasonably-priced furniture and home accessories.
But unlike the retailer's particle board bookcases, the panels won't require the store's signature DIY assembly.
See also: IKEA Parts for Stool Hacked to Build Bicycle
The Swedish home furnishing company started selling the panels to its story in Southampton, England, on Monday. It reportedly plans on selling them in the rest of its 17 UK stores in the coming months.
Each panel costs 5,700 British pounds (about $9,200), which includes installation.
The panels, made by Chinese solar company Hanergy, are meant as investment pieces. For the average British homeowner, they should pay themselves off in about seven years , IKEA Chief Sustainability Officer Steve Howard told the AP.
Howard added that Britain was selected as a test market since the government sponsors incentives for solar energy, letting private solar panel owners sell back surplus electricity. He said IKEA aims to launch the panels in other countries eventually.
Sustainability isn't a new goal for the furniture giant.
By the end of 2012, IKEA had installed 250,000 solar panels on its own buildings and had 83 wind turbines in operation, the company reported. It has also set a goal to become a 100% sustainable company by 2020, stating it "will produce as much renewable energy as we consume in our operations."
Image: Flickr, Vox Efx