A major solar project is being developed in Central Texas as a partnership between global automotive supplier Vitesco Technologies, San Antonio-based Big Sun Solar and the Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC) and is believed to be one of the first three-party power purchase agreements in Texas.
Groundbreaking for the project began east of San Antonio in late July and is expected to be completed and commissioned by the end of the 2023.
The solar project will be built on 12 acres adjacent to the Vitesco Technologies manufacturing facility in Seguin supporting the company's role as a leading international supplier of modern drive systems and electrification solutions for sustainable mobility. Through the power purchase agreement, Big Sun Solar will build, own, and operate the solar project, and Vitesco Technologies will purchase from GVEC the electricity generated to offset its energy consumption.
The 2.6MWdc project will 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 meet about 13 percent of Vitesco Technologies' annual energy consumption at the Seguin facility. This is enough energy to power 330 Texas homes (avg. 1,800 square feet) per year and to reduce emissions equivalent to removing nearly 600 cars from the road for a year.
"The Seguin facility is one of our largest manufacturing plants in the world and a key contributor to Vitesco Technologies' ability to serve U.S. and global automakers with powertrain technology," said Scott Williams, head of Operations for Vitesco Technologies North America. "Our collaboration with Big Sun Solar has led to a significant leap forward in allowing us to also meet our corporate environmental and sustainability targets. We believe sustainability to be an essential success factor for our future."
By 2030, Vitesco Technologies wants to achieve climate neutrality for its entire production and internal business activities. The company has also set itself the ambitious goal of making its entire value chain climate neutral by 2040 at the latest. This also includes all business activities outside the company's own processes – from the extraction of raw materials to the use of products.
"Converting the transportation sector to climate neutral solutions is daunting but also achievable. We're proud and excited to work with companies such as Vitesco Technologies who are taking the lead," said Big Sun Solar CEO Robert Miggins.
GVEC General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Darren Schauer commented, "GVEC is pleased to be a part of this inaugural collaboration with Vitesco Technologies and Big Sun Technologies. As a cooperative serving one of the largest manufacturing clusters in South Texas, we are committed to working with our commercial and industrial customers on creative solutions to meet their sustainability goals. This flexibility helps attract and retain prominent businesses such as Vitesco Technologies in our service area. We are proud to support this endeavor recognizing it will spur jobs, the local economy, and community resources well into the future."
Vitesco Technologies, which has been an important part of Seguin's economy for more than 50 years, manufactures state-of-the-art powertrain technologies for sustainable mobility. Its 1,700 employees represent roughly 5 percent of the Seguin population. This project marks the global company's largest solar project in North America having initiated similar programs near its manufacturing locations in Mexico earlier this year.
