(Credit: Bridgestone)Bridgestone Americas’ manufacturing facility in Graniteville, South Carolina, is now being powered in part by a ground solar array. The eight acres of solar panels provide two megawatts of energy to the passenger/light truck tire plant, while reducing 1,400 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, according to the company. The initiative is part of the company’s drive to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Bridgestone is the latest manufacturer to announce a solar array to help drive one of its manufacturing facilities. In December, Harley Davidson unveiled a 2.25 megawatt solar array on the roof of its powertrain operations facility in Menominee Falls, Wisconsin. The Harley Davidson solar array is the largest single rooftop solar panel system in Wisconsin, according to PV Magazine.
The Bridgestone plant partnered with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the US Department of Agriculture to utilize its solar array as a pilot for the development of a sustainable ground covering which uses native South Carolina plants to encourage low-maintenance, biodiverse vegetation in and around solar arrays in the state.
The Aiken County Passenger Tire Plant is LEED certified, sends zero operations waste to landfill, and is a certified habitat by the National Wildlife Habitat Council, the company says.
Bridgestone is working toward a goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
