Porsche to Install Solar Panel Microgrid at Its Atlanta HQ
Porsche this week signed a 25-year deal with Cherry Street Energy to build and operate a solar power microgrid at its US headquarters in Atlanta.
At One Porsche Drive, energy from solar panels will provide a significant portion of the luxury automaker's annual electricity needs, and help it reduce its carbon emissions by 3.2 million pounds a year, according to Porsche.
The HQ array, according to Cherry Street Energy, will generate an estimated 2,050 MWh annually, which is enough to power more than 190 average homes for one year. Plus, it represents a CO2 reduction equivalent to avoiding 3.6 million miles of driving by an average passenger vehicle.
Installation of Porsche's microgrid, an on-site electrical network with its own power source that also connects to the wider grid, will begin in September and is expected to be complete next year. Cherry Street Energy will own, operate, and maintain the microgrid, selling power to Porsche Cars North America (PCNA).
"Powering our North American home and our Taycan [visitor] fleet through harnessing Georgia sunshine makes perfect sense, and is a great demonstration of our commitment to sustainability," PCNA CEO Kjell Gruner said in a statement(Opens in a new window). "In 2030, Porsche aims to be CO2 net neutral across the entire value chain and life cycle of newly sold vehicles."
Solar panels will be mounted on new and existing buildings at the Atlanta Experience Center—a sort of Porsche-themed amusement park where visitors can test-drive the latest models, as well as dine and shop. The location (one of two in the US and 10 across the globe) is currently undergoing a $50 million development that includes a second driver development track.
Porsche and Cherry Street Energy inked
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