Commercial, Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  March 7, 2024

Vitesco Technologies Adds Solar

Vitesco Technologies, a provider of modern powertrain technologies and solutions for electromobility, commissioned a solar sustainability project developed at its Seguin, Texas, manufacturing plant. 

The project involves a three-party power purchase agreement between Vitesco Technologies, San Antonio-based equipment provider Big Sun Solar and the Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC).

The solar project was built on 12 acres that are adjacent to the Vitesco Technologies manufacturing facility in Seguin.

Through the PPA, Big Sun Solar builds, owns and operates the solar project, and Vitesco Technologies purchases from GVEC the electricity generated to offset its energy consumption. 

The 2.6MWdc project is expected to generate roughly 4,800 megawatt hours per year through 4,800 solar panels, which use trackers to follow the sun’s changing position throughout the day. That will account for about 13% of Vitesco Technologies’ annual energy consumption at the Seguin facility.

“Powering clean mobility is our mission, and that certainly includes taking responsible actions supporting our manufacturing processes to reduce the environmental effects of the automotive industry,” said Dr. Hans-Juergen Braun, global head of Operations for Vitesco Technologies, in a statement. “This solar energy project owes its success to the dedication and vision of our team in Seguin as well as our partners with Big Sun and the GVEC. These initiatives and opportunities are driving our global footprint toward success and growth not only benefitting our company, but also our employees, shareholders, business partners and world as a whole.”

Vitesco Technologies completed a solar sustainability project at its manufacturing site in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in January 2023.  A total of 1,200 solar panels were installed at the plant, preventing the emission of 480 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually and generating the equivalent of 6.6% of the 15 GWh that the plant requires in total for its operations.