Earlier this month, the Ford Motor Company announced that local Michigan energy company DTE Energy had been commissioned to create a new rooftop solar array at the Ford Research & Engineering Center in Dearborn, Michigan.
The 2,159-panel array is located on the rooftop level of the Deck 400 parking structure and includes an integrated battery storage system that will be used to power newly-installed electric vehicle (EV) chargers.
This solar energy can generate 1,127 megawatt hours of clean energy, which carries an environmental benefit equal to the carbon sequestered by nearly 980 acres of U.S. forests in one year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
"We are pleased to once again collaborate with DTE Energy to bring more efficient, renewable energy sources to our campuses," said Dave Dubensky, chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Land Development Corporation. "This is yet another example of our shared commitment to building a more sustainable future."
The new solar array addition is just one of several steps that both companies have been taking to reduce carbon emissions. In 2019, Ford became the first corporate customer to enroll in DTE’s MIGreenPower voluntary renewable energy program, a testament to their recent commitment for corporate sustainability.
DTE is Michigan’s largest producer of renewable energy. The company owns 18 wind parks and 32 solar arrays that generate enough clean energy to power approximately 670,000 Michigan homes. Through its MIGreenPower program, DTE offers customers the opportunity to attribute up to 100% of their energy use to the company’s wind and solar projects.
“This is the third solar array we’ve constructed with Ford, and we want to thank them for their ongoing partnership,” said Trevor Lauer, president of DTE’s electric company. “Between the growth in the EV market and the transformation we are seeing in the energy sector, I believe we will begin to make real progress in the fight against climate change.”
Another aspect of Ford’s recent goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 is the automaker’s recent development of several all-electric vehicles, including the 2021 Mustang Mach-E and the recently announced 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning.
To learn more about the future of all-electric automotive, and to learn more about how you can get behind the wheel of an EV of the future, don’t hesitate to contact Dunphy Ford in Philadelphia, PA online, by phone, or in person today.
