Bentley Motors to build UK’s largest solar-powered carport

Solar web

Bentley Motors has announced the construction of the largest-ever solar-powered carport in the United Kingdom.

The installation consists of 10 000 solar panels, which have a capacity of 2,7 MW and will take approximately six months to complete. Once completed, the carport – which covers Bentley’s factory headquarters car park in Crewe – will take Bentley’s energy system to 30 815 solar panels. This includes the 20 815-panel roof top installation completed in 2013.

Peter Bosch, Bentley’s member of the board for manufacturing, says: “We continue to focus on new initiatives that reinforce our commitment to the environment, whether this is introducing alternative powertrain technologies in future models, or our award-winning work to reduce the environmental impact of our factory.”

The installation, which covers 1 378 car parking spaces and an area of 16 426m², will be installed and operated by the innovative solar carport specialist FlexiSolar. In addition, the system could cover 24 percent of Bentley’s electrical energy requirements and reduce CO2 emissions by 3 300 tonnes per year.

The project is also backed by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency designed to support the science and technology initiatives that will grow the UK economy.

The announcement follows recent recognition that Bentley Motors has become the first UK automotive manufacturer to be awarded the Carbon Trust Standards for carbon, water and waste, further reducing the environmental impact of its operations in Crewe.

“This solar installation is another example of how we can make our factory more sustainable by using technological innovation. This helps us produce extraordinary cars with responsibly sourced materials in an efficient manner, while continually striving to reduce the company’s environmental impact,” Bosch concludes.

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