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Ikea Expands Solar Array Atop Canton Store

CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Swedish retailer Ikea has expanded the size of a solar array atop its store in southeastern Michigan.

The company says Wednesday the 40,000-square-foot solar panel addition at the household furnishings store in Wayne County's Canton Township includes 781 panels.

This solar expansion sits atop a store extension completed this past spring.

Located on approximately 30 acres along Ford Road off I-275 at Haggerty Road, the 355,000-square-foot IKEA Canton opened in June 2006. IKEA installed Michigan's largest solar array atop the roof of the store in 2012.

The company says the store now has more than 4,900 panels and the solar array will produce 1,408,445 kWh of clean electricity yearly — the equivalent of enough energy to power about 135 homes.

"We are pleased our newly expanded store created the opportunity to extend the rooftop solar array," said Matt Hunsicker, store manager. "We are proud to make this investment, to grow our local sustainable footprint, and to contribute to the IKEA goal of energy independence."

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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