A 400kW solar energy system, large enough to provide the electricity needs of around one hundred Australian households, will help power Volkswagen’s U.S. Test Center California.
The Center is currently being constructed by affiliate of BLT Enterprises and will be one of the USA’s most advanced emissions testing and power train development facilities.
The facility will not only be utilised in relation to the Volkswagen brand, but other brands within the Volkswagen group including Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti.
Solar Power Inc. (SPI) will be constructing the plant, using a combination of rooftop and carport structures to host the array
According to Rob Solomon, Chief Development and Legal Officer for BLT Enterprises, the solar farm will help reduce long-term operation costs of the Center.
“It is also fundamental to Volkswagen’s mission to operate the center in a manner that is consistent with its environmental mission. This solar energy facility helps to fulfill a major part of that mission.”
Other green initiatives from Volkswagen Group Of America include its headquarters building in Herndon, Virginia, recognized with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver-level certification.
Volkswagen Group Of America is also tackling reducing the environmental impact of its own products. It says it is solidly committed to developing hydrogen fuel cell technology, which it most recently demonstrated in the virtually silent Tiguan HyMotion concept car that produces only clear water vapor as a by-product.
Volkswagen’s $1 billion assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennesee is producing cars with Volkswagen’s TDI Clean Diesel technology, which offer a 25% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and a 90% reduction in nitrous oxide emissions.
The company is currently showcasing the Jetta Hybrid at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit; a car with a turbocharged petrol engine paired with a zero-emissions electric motor. Achieving 0-97 kph in less than 9.0 seconds, the Jetta Hybrid delivers an estimated combined fuel economy of 19 kilometres per litre.
