DTE, Ford Partner On New Rooftop Solar Array

DEARBORN, MI — DTE Energy has commissioned a new 2,159-panel solar array on the rooftop level of the Deck 400 parking structure at the Ford Research and Engineering Center in Dearborn that will be used to power newly installed electric vehicle chargers, the company announced this week.

The array includes an integrated battery storage system and can generate 1,127-megawatt hours of clean energy, which has the environmental benefit equal to the carbon sequestered by nearly 980 acres of U.S. forests in one year, according to the company.

"We are pleased to once again collaborate with DTE Energy to bring more efficient, renewable energy sources to our campuses," Ford Motor Land Development Corporation Chairman and CEO Dave Dubensky said. "This is yet another example of our shared commitment to building a more sustainable future."

In a joint statement, both DTE and Ford said the new solar array is one of several steps both companies are taking to reduce carbon emissions. In 2019, Ford became the first corporate customer to enroll in DTE’s MIGreenPower voluntary renewable energy program. Through the program, Ford is purchasing 525,000-megawatt hours annually of Michigan wind energy from DTE’s Isabella and Fairbanks wind parks, the companies said.

“This is the third solar array we’ve constructed with Ford, and we want to thank them for their ongoing partnership,” DTE President Trevor Lauer said. “Between the growth in the EV market and the transformation we are seeing in the energy sector, I believe we will begin to make real progress in the fight against climate change.”