Tesla Gigafactory to get world's largest rooftop solar array

Tesla has big plans for its big roof in Nevada. The electric automaker/energy company has said from the beginning that its Gigafactory (which, as future plans have expanded, has come to be known as 'Gigafactory 1') would be a net-zero-energy production facility powered by renewables. Electrek reports that on a recent tour for investors, though, Tesla said just how massive onsite solar power generation capacity would be: 70 megawatts.

That's about seven times larger than any other rooftop installation in the world. (For comparison, the current largest installation on a single roof is a 42-acre, 11.5-MW solar farm on the Dera Baba Jaimal Singh in Beas, India.) Thanks in large part to this solar power system, Tesla says the GF1 won't directly consume any fossil fuels. The factory will be able to store excess energy in Tesla's own Powerpack batteries for use when the sun isn't shining. It's likely that Tesla will also be using its own photovoltaic panels, thanks to its acquisition of SolarCity.

Additionally, the Gigafactory will use a closed-loop system to save water, will heat its factory using waste heat – a byproduct of battery manufacturing – and recycle batteries onsite. A document given to investors also outlines how Tesla is lowering operational costs and the cost of cells and batteries, for which production recently began. Tesla says GF1 will have 35 GWh of annual cell production capacity and 50 GWh of battery production capacity by the end of its current construction phase.

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GM to build solar array at transmission plant

General Motors will help make energy in Michigan a little greener thanks to a partnership to create the company's largest solar array in the state. Covering 4.25 acres of land leased from the automaker next to the Warren Transmission factory, DTE Energy will construct the 800-kilowatt site by the end of the year. The 2,800 panels there will generate an estimated 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which will be enough to power about 135 homes.

This site won't exclusively be for the plant's energy needs, and the electricity from the solar panels will flow back to the grid. DTE Energy will own the actual array, as well. "By supporting this project and making renewable energy commitments globally, we will surpass our goal to promote 125 megawatts of clean power by 2020," GM global manager of renewable energy Rob Threlkeld said in program's announcement.

With 46 megawatts of solar power sites around the world, GM is already no stranger to using the sun for energy. Just last year, it added new panels elsewhere in Michigan, and the automaker built thelargest array in Ohio in 2013.

General Motors and DTE Energy Partner on Solar Array

New 800-kilowatt array at Warren Transmission will be GM's largest in Michigan
2015-10-19

WARREN, Mich. – General Motors is partnering with DTE Energy to build a new 800-kilowatt solar array at its Warren Transmission plant that will be GM's largest solar installation in Michigan.

"By supporting this project and making renewable energy commitments globaly, we will surpass our goal to promote 125 megawatts of clean power by 2020," said Rob Threlkeld, GM global manager of renewable energy. "This new array, along with our solar array at the nearby GM Technical Center in Warren, makes GM's commitment to clean energy visible to the Warren community.

The 2,800 solar panels will generate clean electricity that will go back to the grid. DTE Energy will own the array on 4.25 acres of land leased from GM. Warren Transmission builds front-wheel drive transmissions for a variety of GM's most-popular cars, crossovers and SUVs, as well as the drive unit for the new 2016 Chevrolet Volt.

The solar array will generate approximately 1 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, the energy equivalent to powering the annual electricity needs of about 135 homes in southeast Michigan.

"DTE is proud to be the state's largest investor in solar and wind," said Irene Dimitry, vice president of business and development for DTE Energy. "The GM Transmission partnership is part of a broader, long-term plan to move us toward a cleaner, more diversified energy portfolio."

In addition to the solar array, Warren Transmission recently met the EPA ENERGY STAR® Challenge for Industry by reducing the energy intensity of the facility by 12.3 percent in just two years. The facility is also landfill-free, meaning it reuses, recycles or converts to energy all waste from daily operations.

GM currently houses 46 megawatts of solar power at 19 facilities globally. When the Warren Transmission array is complete, the global footprint of solar projects at GM sites will be equivalent to the size of nearly 125 American football fields.

For more information on GM's environmental commitment, visit its sustainability report and environmental blog.

About General Motors Co.
General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

About DTE Energy
DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. For more information about DTE Energy, visit dteenergy.com twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.

Ford To Build Michigan’s Largest Solar Array

Ford has teamed up with utility DTE Energy to build the largest solar array in its home state of Michigan, as well as the second-largest carport in the entire Midwest. The solar array will provide 360 covered parking spots and 30 plug-in vehicle charging stations, and is expected to generate 1.13 million kWh annually.

That’s enough energy to power about 158 average-sized American homes for an entire year, tough instead the power will be fed into the Ford World Headquarters, offsetting some 794 metric tons of carbon each year. The project is being funded by DTE Energy, and after a carport at the Cincinnati Zoo, it will be the largest carport in the Midwest. Construction will begin this September and is expected to be completed early next year, after which DTE energy has a 20-year contract to operate and maintain the solar-powered carport.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with DTE Energy to bring a more efficient, renewable energy source to our offices,” said Donna Inch, chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Land Development Corporation. “This is an innovative project that will benefit both DTE Energy and Ford, and is yet another example of our work toward building a more sustainable future.”

The two companies have previously teamed up on other solar projects, including a 500-kilowatt system at the Michigan Assembly Plant. DTE Energy has committed to produce 10% of its energy from renewable sources by the end of next year, and this massive solar array gets them that much closer.

“The SolarCurrents canopy project is another example of how DTE Energy and Ford are working to build a more energy-efficient and sustainable future,” said Irene Dimitry, DTE Energy vice president, marketing and renewables. “At the same time, this project will help us come closer to meeting Michigan’s renewable energy goals and diversify our energy portfolio.”

Source: Ford