You'll never guess the location of this massive solar array
Explore the massive solar installation atop the IKEA in Dartmouth, N.S., featuring nearly 3,000 panels. The powerful array generates enough electricity to power the store, its fleet of zero-emission delivery vehicles, and even sends surplus energy back to the grid.
A massive solar installation in Dartmouth, N.S., includes 2,919 solar panels, and despite its size, you may have never seen it.
It was designed with weather resilience in mind due its windy location on top of a well-known furniture store, the IKEA in Dartmouth.
“Last year, between May 2025 and May 2026, they generated 1.2 million kWh (kilowatt hour) of electricity," said Kerry Busquine, IKEA's Atlantic market manager.
That energy powers the warehouse and retail area beneath, as well as IKEA's fleet of zero-emission vehicles used for home deliveries.
Solar panels on top of the IKEA in Dartmouth, N.S. (Nathan Coleman/The Weather Network)
“When you plug in your EV (electric vehicles) in the parking lot, you’d probably never guess it’s being powered by a massive solar array. That’s because it’s out of sight on the rooftop," said Busquine.
A recent site expansion allows the project to operate as a net-metred installation, meaning the company can now put surplus energy it doesn’t use back to the grid.
The goal is to make the business more sustainable. It meant setting up the panels for long-term durability in a location with coastal wind loads to ensure safety and durability.
“We had engineers come in and test all these wonderful panels in wind tunnels, and they are rated to withstand a Category 3 hurricane," said Busquine.
So far in 2026, more than 500,000 orders have gone out by EV delivery. IKEA says its goal is to have more than 90 per cent of its big and bulky home deliveries completed by zero-emission vehicles by 2028.
