Northeast US furniture giant greening its operations with onsite solar PV

Raymour & Flanigan, a furniture giant, joins the trend of big box stores adding solar PV directly onsite to power its operations. Rather than signing on for a share of faraway, centralized renewable energy capacity, which can require more robust transmission infrastructure to deliver, the firm opted for bringing clean energy generation directly to the site of demand.

Three projects will power more than 90% of the operations of three Raymour & Flanigan locations in New Jersey. Its Monmouth Service Center hosts an active 516.6kW system, completed in late 2021. It is expected to generate 633,500kWh in its first year. The other two locations, the Fairfield Showroom and Clearance Center, host two projects with a combined 735.9kW capacity, with an expected delivery of 883,260kWh in the first year of operations. The Fairfield projects are expected to come online in June 2022. The projects are developed by Greenskies Clean Focus.

The three projects are expected to abate 656 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the first year. This is equivalent to taking 233 cars off the road, planting 18,000 tree seedlings, or offsetting the carbon impact of 136 standard US homes.

Raymour & Flanigan is the largest furniture and mattress provider in the northeast, and seventh largest nationally. The Greenskies partnership is the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives taken on by the company. The company said it has an advanced recycling program that allows the company to recycle 99% of its packaging materials. This has led to the avoidance of over 200 million pounds of packaging entering landfills since 2002.

“At Raymour & Flanigan, prioritizing sustainability and green initiatives aligns with our purpose of helping all people enjoy their home, planet Earth,” said Christopher Gaube, Senior Director of Brand Marketing at Raymour & Flanigan. “As an industry leader, we are committed to setting the standard for sustainable practices by offsetting our carbon footprint with renewable energy. We are excited about the completion of these projects as we do our part in building toward a greener future together.”

The furniture retailer join a rising trend in big box stores improving the sustainability of their operations, all while securing a more predictable cost of energy in the long-term. Last month, big box retailer Target announced it activated its first net-zero store. Onsite rooftop solar and solar parking canopies produce enough energy to provide a 10% surplus. More than 25% of Target’s stores are topped with solar PV.

As for Raymour & Flanigan, it appears its solar journey has just begun. “We are excited to continue to support Raymour and Flanigan’s commitment to sustainability by installing solar at additional properties throughout the Northeast,” said Stanley Chin, President and CEO of Greenskies Clean Focus. “These projects are an excellent example of how large-scale retailers can make meaningful gains toward their ESG commitments with renewable energy from on-site solar.”