Washington State’s largest rooftop solar array is in Renton. Do you know where?

Photo Credit: US Department of Energy (public domain)

We have many large buildings in Renton, hosting everything from airliner assembly lines to a pro football team.  Many of their owners have either considered or incorporated some solar installations, but do you know who has Washington’s biggest solar array right now?

If you guessed Renton’s IKEA store, you’re right!  Much of the world is adopting solar energy faster than the US, including Sweden, the home of IKEA.  The home furnishings retailer is working to power all of its stores, including Renton’s, with 100% solar.  Here is the proof.  The photo that headlines this post really is a photo of the roof of our IKEA store.

In my first years on council we encouraged IKEA to come to Renton by helping them find a suitable property to lease, updating our zoning, and then modifying our sign ordinance to allow them a tall enough sign to see it from I-167.  They have been one of our greatest community sponsors, visitor attractions, and sales-tax generators ever since.  In 2009 they bought their leased property for 32.8 million dollars. In 2017 they replaced their building with a larger one built from the ground up, and installed our state’s largest rooftop solar array to power it.

Their solar array generates enough power for approximately 200 homes.  With 205 installations of this size we could electrically power all of the 41,000 homes and apartments in Renton.  We have many other large rooftops in town, including the Seahawks headquarters, the 737 factory, the Landing, Southport, City Hall, and warehouses throughout the valley, and they could all be candidates for solar panel installations now or in the future.  Solar Panels continue to get more efficient and less expensive.  As mayor,  I would prioritize permitting of solar installations, and ensure building codes do everything possible to encourage and enable their installation.  I would also partner with the power company and other agencies to create as many incentives as possible for installations like the one on IKEA.