SEAT installs huge 53,000 solar panel array
SEAT has taken the lead in solar power generation, installing the biggest solar panel array in the automotive industry, with a staggering 53,000 panels now fitted at its Martorell manufacturing plant.
Covering 270,000 square metres-equivalent to 40 football pitches-the new installation is expected to generate 15,000,000kWh per year, enough to cover a quarter of the energy required to produce the new SEAT Leon. That reduces Martorell’s environmental impact significantly, saving 7,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
The Project SEAT al Sol was developed by together with Gestamp Solar, to ensure the solar panel array was installed without interrupting car manufacturing. In fact, the solar panels also provided an additional benefit-with some serving as overhead project for completed cars against adverse weather conditions, with the cars sheltered underneath them.
Since its inception in mid-2010, SEAT has invested €35m in SEAT al Sol project and made it the company's flagship environmental commitment.
The Martorell plant also makes use of a cogeneration power which generates 50 per cent of the power and 90 per cent of the thermal energy that it consumes, saving up to 12,800 tonnes of CO2 per year. In addition, thanks to an agreement between SEAT and renewable energy supplier Acciona, all of the power comes from renewable sources.
SEAT’s environmental efforts have been recognised too, securing its plant ISO 50001 and ISO 14001 certification.
The carmaker’s efforts contribute to the wider environmental commitment of its Volkswagen Group parent, which aims to increase the level of sustainability of its factories by 25 per cent by 2018.
