Toyota claims the 7.75 megawatt solar power system planned for its new North American headquarters in Plano, Texas will be "the largest corporate office on-site solar installation among non-utility companies in the state".
The system is expected to provide about a quarter of the power needed for the new campus set top open next year. The automaker wants to achieve USGBC Platinum LEED Certification for the 'campus'.
The system will be completed in phases. The first will cover two parking structures – approximately 2.45 megawatts per garage – and is due online by August 2017. The final installation, located on a third parking structure, is scheduled for December 2017 and will produce about 2.83 megawatts.
"We are dedicated to making sure our new headquarters campus supports even redefines Toyota's commitment to the environment," said Kevin Butt, regional director, North American environmental division. "The Plano solar system will not only reduce our environmental footprint and educate team members about renewable energy, it moves us closer to Toyota's 2050 global environmental challenge to eliminate carbon emissions in all operations."
Toyota claims the Plano solar arrays will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 7,122 metric tonnes, or the equivalent of almost 1,000 homes' electricity usage for a year, and make it the leader among auto companies in the US for installed solar power.
Its North American parts centre in Ontario, California, has a 2.3 megawatt system producing around 3.7m kilowatt hours per year, providing up to 58% of the electricity needed at the facility. At the time of completion, it was the second largest single rooftop solar array in North America.
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The south campus headquarters building in Torrance, California – from which the automaker is moving largely to the outskirts of Dallas – was one of the largest privately funded systems of its kind when it opened in 2003. The system covers 53,000 square feet of roof.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi in Blue Springs has a single axis solar cell array, installed in 2013, that produces a maximum output of 50 kilowatts. The power generated by the array is redirected back to New Albany Light, Gas and Water, the local utility company, and ultimately transferred back onto the grid for public use.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama, an engine plant in Huntsville, has two solar systems – a 16-kilowatt system and a 5-KW system that was the company's first at a US plant. The smaller unit sends five kilowatts of power back to the grid.
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