EPA Gives Volkswagen Chattanooga Plant a Green Power Leadership Award
Volkswagen Chattanooga was one of four organizations nationwide to receive a Leadership Award for the on-site generation of “green” power, specifically with an on-site solar energy system.
by Staff
September 24, 2013
The solar panel system currently generates more than 13 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, according to the automaker. Photo courtesy Volkswagen.
2 min to read
The solar panel system currently generates more than 13 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, according to the automaker. Photo courtesy Volkswagen.
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant for its environmentally friendly operations, honoring the organization with a 2013 Green Power Leadership Award.
Volkswagen Chattanooga was one of four organizations nationwide to receive a Leadership Award for the on-site generation of “green” power, specifically with an on-site solar energy system that meets 12.5 percent of the organization’s needs during full production and 100 percent during non-production periods.
Ad Loading...
The solar panel system currently generates more than 13 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, according to the automaker. Volkswagen Chattanooga currently avoids the equivalent CO2 emissions of nearly 2,000 passenger vehicles per year through the use of this system, according to the EPA.
Volkswagen Chattanooga is an element of the automaker’s LEED Platinum certification, which the U.S. Green Building Council awarded to VW in late 2011. The Council noted that this plant was the first automotive manufacturing plant in the world to receive the top LEED certification level. VW noted that this plant is still the only auto plant worldwide to earn the top LEED Platinum certification.
Regarding the generation of electricity via solar, the Volkswagen Chattanooga Solar Park occupies 33 acres, or half of the 66-acre land parcel adjacent to Volkswagen’s plant, according to the company. The solar park has 33,600 solar modules from JA Solar. The plant covers 1.9 million square feet and employs approximiately 2,500 people who manufacture the Volkswagen Passat sedan. For VW, the solar park in Chattanooga ranks as the automaker’s largest photovoltaic installation worldwide.
Volkswagen Chattanooga currently ranks at number 15 on the EPA’s Top 20 On-site Generation list, which highlights EPA Green Power Partners that have achieved the highest annual on-site green power generation through July 3, 2013. EPA updates its Top Partner Lists quarterly at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/.
Fleet managers are done with the debate—and focused on execution. Learn how to build a practical electrification strategy that aligns infrastructure, operations, and financing while keeping costs controlled and deployment scalable with support from Blink Charging. Discover how smart planning today positions fleets for long-term performance and ROI.
New industry group data revealed that light-duty electric vehicle sales are hitting record market share and volumes, while commercial EV volume dipped. What’s driving the fluctuations?
For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.
With the expiration of federal incentives, EV success now hinges less on government policy and more on discounts, battery tech progress, increased range, and broader infrastructure.
Fleet operators shared their challenges during an annual conference that embraced the latest advances across all aspects of running private- and public-sector vehicles.
