Toyota, based in Plano, TX, recently announced it is adding 10.8 acres of new solar arrays across its plants in Alabama, Missouri and West Virginia, reducing its reliance on outside energy needed for operations. The solar arrays will offset 6,480,000kWh — the equivalent of powering nearly 800 homes per year.
Toyota's $9.3-million solar investment will generate 4.95 megawatts (MW) of energy and reduce CO2 emissions at the plants by 4,304 metric tons annually.
The new solar arrays join similar projects at Toyota plants in Texas and Mississippi, all of which support the company's global Environmental Challenge 2050 to eliminate all carbon emissions from manufacturing by the middle of the century. Toyota Motor Corporation issued the challenge as a set of six goals with a target of achieving beyond zero environmental impact. Toyota is one of the top 20 corporate users of installed onsite solar capacity in the U.S., according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
The Huntsville, AL, engine plant's 3.3-acre array will be the largest constructed to date in Madison County, AL. The $2.7 million investment will generate 1.6 megawatts of solar-generated energy and reduce CO2 emissions at the plant by 1,732 metric tons annually. The project is expected to be complete by December 2020.
The solar array at Toyota's unit plant in Troy, MO, will span 1.5 acres and generate 0.75 MW of solar-generated energy. The project will be the largest solar array inLincoln County, Missouri. The $1.7-million investment will reduce CO2 emissions at the plant by 750 metric tons annually. The project is expected to be complete in January 2021
Toyota's engine and transmission plant in Buffalo, W. Va. will be the largest solar array in the state. The array will span 6 acres and generate 2.6 megawatts of solar-generated energy. The $4.9 million investment will reduce CO2 emissions at the plant by 1,822 metric tons annually. The project is expected to be complete in March 2021.
For more information on Toyota's solar initiatives, read the original release.