General Motors installed a Tracking Solar Tree at its Vehicle Operations
Facility at Warren, Michigan. GM became the first auto manufacturer to
utilize a solar tree, which can generate up to 30,000 kilowatt hours
each year. It is enough to charge six electric vehicles each day.
The new solar tree would be used to support the growing number of
electric vehicles. This is vital in keeping with the new fuel economy
standards. Congress confirmed the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy
Standards of 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025. To meet the goal,
car makers must sell more electric and hybrid vehicles.
The solar charging canopy moves with the sun. Rob Threlkeld, GM global
manager of renewable energy, said that the company is looking for other
locations for its renewable initiative. The solar tree is ideal because
it provides a greener way to charge electric vehicles. It’s another step
for GM towards cleaner energy use.
The Tracking Solar Tree is built by Envision Solar which is a leading
sustainable infrastructure product designer and developer. It has a
hybrid multi-axis tracking design that allows the entire canopy to track
the sun. This maximizes the amount of energy generated throughout the
day by 25 percent.
The Tracking Solar Tree in Warren supports GM’s position as the top user
of renewable energy in manufacturing. The company uses energy from
solar, landfill gas, and hydropower in its operations. In the United
States, it gets 1.4 percent of its energy consumption from renewable
energy resources.
The ribbon cutting event for the inauguration of the solar tree was held
on November 16. It was attended by mayor of Warren and representatives
from both GM and Envision Solar.
This is good press for GM after its Chevy Volt electric vehicle received
some bad ones. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or
NHTSA issued a statement saying that it has investigated an incident
involving a fire in a Chevy Volt that happened three weeks after the car
was crash tested. The NHTSA concluded that the fire was caused by the
damaged lithium ion battery.
The NHTSA did add that the Volt or any other electric vehicles have the
same risk of fire as gasoline-powered vehicles after a serious crash.
Consumers using electric vehicles are asked to observe the same action
they would take in a crash involving a gasoline-powered car.
