A huge solar panel array will be constructed at General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to generate electricity for the facility.
The Michigan home of the Chevrolet Volt electric car will have a 516kW solar power system installed, which will have the capability of charging 150 of the electric cars with extended-range capability every day for a year.
The 24,500 square meter array will be installed on 6 acres at the facility and be completed within the next few months. GM will save around USD $15,000 a year in electricity costs through the installation.
"This array will significantly decrease energy consumption by combining solar power with ongoing efficiency tactics such as lighting and equipment upgrades and automating equipment shut-down,” said Bob Ferguson, vice president of GM Public Policy.
The project is part of DTE Energy‘s SolarCurrents initiative that seeks to install 15 megawatts of solar electricity generation systems on customer premises during the next 5 years.
“Our SolarCurrents program was designed to increase the demand for renewable technologies in Michigan, and it is our hope that installations like this one do exactly that," said Trevor Lauer, Detroit Edison vice president, Marketing & Renewables.
Other green initiatives implemented at the Chevy Volt factory include a 16.5 acre wildlife habitat and an oxidizer that decreases the volume of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide released into the atmosphere. Lighting upgrades and other energy efficiency initiatives will result in close to USD $3 million per year savings in energy costs.
According to GM, the company is one of the leading users of renewable energy in the manufacturing sector, sourcing electricity used in its manufacturing operations from solar, hydro, and landfill gas sources. 1.4 percent of GM energy consumption comes from renewable resources.
The Chevrolet Volt is expected to appear in Australian Holden dealership showrooms in 2012.
