General Motors Adds Solar Power to California Warehouse

General Motors said it is adding one of the largest solar power installations in corporate use in the United States to the roof of its Service and Parts Operations warehouse in Fontana, California.

The system will generate about 1.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year.

The solar power array will provide about half of the electricity needed to run the facility and will feed enough extra electricity back to the grid to power over 300 California homes for a year.

It is GM’s second solar installation, following one at another warehouse in Rancho Cucamonga, about eight miles from Fontana. The automaker has been making strides in being perceived as environment-friendly.

GM has been demonstrating how it is investing some of the $9 billion saved through a wrenching program of job cuts and plant closures in technology, including hybrids. The automaker is planning to produce an electric plug-in vehicle by late 2010.

"We understand that good environmental decisions are good business decisions," Elizabeth Lowery, GM vice president of environment, energy and safety policy, said.

General Motors partners in the project are United Solar Ovonic, which manufacturers the thin film solar laminates used in the system; Developing Energy Efficient Roof Systems, and Constellation Energy and Product Services. United Solar Ovonic, a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.