Porsche Inks 25-Year Solar Power Deal at Atlanta HQ
The new solar panels will cover "a significant portion" of the facility's annual energy requirements.
Running a headquarters and a customer experience center can be a power-hungry affair. But thanks to a new deal with a solar energy provider, Porsche can take some stress off the grid and save a whole bunch of emissions in the process.
Porsche on Monday announced that it signed a 25-year deal with Cherry Street Energy to create and operate a solar microgrid at One Porsche Drive, the name for the combined US headquarters and Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta. Cherry Street Energy, which is the largest nonutility solar provider in Georgia, will own and operate this grid, selling the energy to Porsche.
Solar panels will be installed atop new and old buildings -- Porsche is drastically expanding its One Porsche Drive footprint over the next few years -- in addition to placing panels atop test-track staging areas and a parking garage walkway. Altogether, Cherry Street Energy believes that the grid will generate 2,050 megawatt-hours of electricity every year, which Porsche says will represent "a significant portion" of the location's annual energy needs.
Generating that much solar power will also have a profound effect on pollution. According to Porsche's release, using this new microgrid will save 3.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year. It's part of Porsche's goal to be net carbon-neutral across its entire value chain by 2030. Porsche also uses low-carbon concrete and other sustainable practices at its headquarters, including native landscaping and water recycling. Its latest campus expansion is aiming for LEED Gold certification, as well, the second highest rating on the sustainable building framework.
Read more: Why Aren't Solar Panels Covering Every Parking Lot?
