Sun shines on SEAT’s green power initiative

SEAT has just completed the first phase of its ambitious SEAT al Sol project, which aims to turn the Factory in Martorell into the European car industry’s largest roof-installed photovoltaic power plant.

SEAT has now installed 20,000 solar panels on the roofs of workshops and vehicle holding areas to create a giant photovoltaic electricity generating plant. The panels, which cover a total surface area of 135,000 square metres (33 acres), are capable of producing around six million kWh of clean solar electricity a year.

The panels enable the factory at Martorell to reduce its CO2 emissions by around 2,800 tonnes a year – that’s the same as the annual CO2 emissions of more than 2,300 Ibiza E Ecomotives¹. In fact, the solar power scheme easily offsets the CO2 emissions of every one of the 1,600 Ibiza E Ecomotives sold in the UK last year.

But this is just the first phase of the SEAT al Sol project, which has so far cost 17 million euros. SEAT will continue to invest in green electricity during the next two years, and aims to create a solar-power facility that covers just under 320,00 square metres more than 79 acres) and is capable of generating more than 13 million kWh of clean electricity per year.

That’s enough electricity to power almost 3,000 average UK homes² for a year or, to power one very special UK home – Buckingham Palace – for the same period³.

“The ongoing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of everything we do at SEAT are clearly having a big impact,” said SEAT UK’s Managing Director Peter Wyhinny.

“The success of the ambitious SEAT al Sol project, along with our actions to reduce the CO2 emissions and improve the economy of all of our cars, firmly positions SEAT as a leader in this vitally important area.”

Notes

1. Ibiza E Ecomotive CO2 calculation assumes an average annual driving distance of 8,000 miles (12,874 km) and official CO2 emissions of 92 g/km.
2. UK household average electricity consumption estimated at 4,400 kWh per year (source: UK Department for Energy and Climate Change).
3. The Buckingham Palace estate consumes around 9.7 million kWh of electricity a year (source: Royal Public Finances annual report 2009-10).