DTE Energy has completed installation of a 900-kilowatt solar array at General Motors Co.’s Warren Transmission plant. The array is the largest solar installation at a GM site in Michigan and brings DTE’s operational solar sites to 28.
The 2,862 panel solar array, which is owned by DTE, was installed on 4.3 acres of a parking lot leased from GM Warren Transmission. The solar array will generate 1.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is equivalent to the energy needed to power the annual electricity needs of about 155 homes in southeast Michigan.
GM recently announced its commitment to meet the electricity needs of its global operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. Company officials say this goal is part of its overall approach to strengthening its business, improving communities, and addressing its impact on the climate.
“By partnering with DTE on this solar array, GM is helping bring green energy options to the Warren community,” says Rob Threlkeld, global manager of renewable energy for GM. “Projects like these help GM better serve society by reducing environmental impacts.”
Today, DTE’s renewable energy portfolio includes 12 wind parks and 28 solar arrays in Michigan. In 2015, more than 10 percent of the electricity provided by DTE was generated from a renewable source in Michigan — enough clean energy to power more than 400,000 homes. The utility has three additional large-scale solar arrays under construction in Detroit and Lapeer.
GM and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries. The company’s subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands.
