Toyota’s North American Headquarters in Plano is expected to be home to the largest on-site solar-powered system for a non-utilities corporate office in the state of Texas, SunPower recently announced.
“We’re proud to partner with Toyota on this innovative solar project as the company works to achieve its ambitious sustainability goals,” said Nam Nguyen, SunPower senior vice president in a release. “The unique long-span carport design will feature SunPower’s high-reliability solar panels that deliver 30 percent more electricity than conventional solar, optimizing Toyota’s renewable energy investment.”
The campus was originally planned to install a 7.75-megawatt (MW) system that would generate 25 percent of the power needed for the building, but will now be 1-MW higher with 8.79-MW. This will reduce the reliance Toyota will have on the traditional grid.
More than 20,000 solar panels will be installed across four parking garages, generating plenty of energy to offset 33 percent of the headquarters’ energy needs. The panels will cover 10 football fields worth of square footage, and also offer shade and protection to the vehicles underneath.
This is just one of the steps Toyota is taking to make the building more energy efficient, including becoming USGBC Platinum LEED Certified.
SunPower, a solar power system retailer, has been in partnership with Toyota for 14 years and is providing the panels for the project.
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