Powered by the Sun
How we are increasing the use of solar power at our facilities to travel on the Road to Better
Kevin Clarkson has worked for Ford for the last five years, charged with looking after all the energy needs of Ford facilities in the UK. Here he talks about his role, the expansion of solar power at Ford sites in Europe in the past year, and a glimpse into the company's solar usage at its facilities globally.
"I’m an 80s kid, so I grew up learning about global warming, the hole in the ozone and, as we call it these days, climate change. It has always been something I was aware of, but I think it was when I became a parent that I really started thinking about it being our responsibility; to do something, to make changes and hope we leave our kids a better future.
The renewable energy aspect of this job was what really interested me as I felt it was one place in the business where I personally could help make those positive changes.
So it was a big deal when we received approval for the Dunton solar project. I was proud that we hadn’t shied away from the task, but showed a little courage and conviction in what we wanted to do. Now we want to push on and build on the solar installations we already have in place."
Dunton, UK
Our Dunton Campus now has a 5.0 MWp solar photovoltaic array consisting of 8,844 panels. This solar farm will meet approximately eight per cent of our site's total annual electricity demand.
We've also added a smaller solar panel installation at our Daventry facilities, which is capable of meeting around 15 per cent of that site's electricity demand.
Cologne, Germany
We've had a solar installation on the roof of one of our warehouses in Merkenich since 2012, which we managed in partnership with a local utility provider. Now we're doubling the size and all of the power produced will be used by us.
We have an installed capacity of 3.8 MWp with an annual yield of 3,515 MWh, which is enough to cover the electricity needs of up to 1,100 households.
Valencia, Spain
Our Almussafes plant in Valencia was one of the first of our facilities to adopt solar panels in Europe. Three phases with a total capacity of 8.7MWp have been installed.
The annual yield is up to 13,916 MWh which means the plant could generate enough electricity to power around 4,200 average homes.1
How much solar energy is generated?
The table below shows the maximum power output (MWp) of each solar installation, based on the ideal conditions. Power outputs may vary depending on elements like the time of year and amount of sunshine. The megawatt hour (MWh) figure is the amount of power generated over a specific period of time. To make that more relatable, the approximate number of average households each installation could power is also listed.
|
FORD PLANT |
MWp |
MWh |
AVERAGE NUMBER OF HOMES IT COULD POWER |
|---|---|---|---|
|
VALENCIA |
8.7 |
13,916 |
4,2001 |
|
COLOGNE |
3.8 |
3,515 |
1,1002 |
|
DUNTON |
5 |
5,132 |
1,400+3 |
|
DAVENTRY |
1 |
1,030 |
2503 |
"It has always been my belief that if you have the power to make a positive change in the world, then you have a moral responsibility to use that power for good. The speed in which our industry is changing, and the urgency of climate change are two branches of the same tree. If we are to embrace a better tomorrow, we must start making changes today, and that means investing in additional renewable resource both for our business, and the world.”
Kevin Clarkson, Energy Program Co-ordinator, Ford UK
Ford is committed to sourcing 100 per cent carbon-free electricity for its European Ford Blue Oval manufacturing operations by 2035. When it comes to solar power though, the European story is just part of a broader global one.
SOUTH AFRICA
At our Silverton plant in Pretoria, South Africa, we have one of the largest solar canopies in Africa.
Not only does the canopy protect newly-built Rangers from the weather, the 13.5 MWp solar panel installation produces 18 per cent of the energy needed to produce each Ford Ranger. That's roughly the electricity needed to produce 20,800 Rangers each year.
THAILAND
We also have car port canopy installations at our Ford Thailand Manufacturing plant. These can deliver 20 per cent of the energy needed to produce a Ranger/ Ranger Raptor, meaning that around 21,000 of them can be produced using only the power of the sun every year.
Additionally we have partner projects at a number of facilities, further boosting our use of solar power.
Renewable energy. Just one way that Ford is on the Road to Better. You can find out more about how Ford is helping to build a better world here.
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