Volkswagen Switches On Its Largest Solar-Energy Complex

Bloomberg News

Volkswagen AG switched on its largest photo-voltaic installation worldwide as Europe’s biggest carmaker builds on its U.S. auto factory’s recognition by an environmental group for sustainable operations.

The solar park occupies 33 acres (13 hectares) next to the plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where VW produces the Passat mid-size sedan for the U.S. market, and provide 13 percent of energy needs during production hours, the manufacturer said.

“We are proud to power up the biggest solar park of any car manufacturer in North America,” Frank Fischer, head of VW’s Chattanooga operations, said in a statement today.