Post a successful test run at its Lakeside store in Essex, Ikea decided to sell solar panels across all of its 17 stores in the UK in 2013-14, to tap growth in the then heavily-subsidised green energy market. At the time, its UK head of sustainability had said, "We know that our customers want to live more sustainably and we hope working with Hanergy [Ikea's technology partner] to make solar panels affordable and easily available helps them do just that."