2. Clean, Green and Growing
DENSO’s adoption of solar power is gaining fast traction as additional facilities break ground to embrace and harness the power of the sun, underscoring the advancement of the company’s Two Great Causes: “Green” and “Peace of Mind.”
Green, of course, is achieving carbon neutrality by 2035, and Peace of Mind is realized in creating a safe and seamless world for all by reducing the environmental impact of DENSO’s manufacturing operations and energy use worldwide.
DENSO Mexico Installs First North American Solar Rooftop Panels
DENSO facilities that already have adapted solar power are busy making plans to bring additional nearby plants online. One such success is DENSO Mexico’s (DNMX) Apodaca plant, the first North American plant to install rooftop solar panels.
Marco Garcia, Mexico Region General Manger, North America Safety, Health and Environment (NASHE), said he was proud DENSO can initiate these actions “to create a brighter future for our society and environment in Mexico.”
“We understand our responsibility for protecting earth´s environment, so we have set our Global Eco Vision for 2025, including reduction of energy consumption by half,” Garcia said.
Impressive Apodaca Plant Stats
DENSO’s Eco Vision for 2025 aligns with the national government’s goal to have 35% of the country’s energy consumption as clean energy by 2024, with 50% by 2050, according to Francisco Ruiz, SHE Environmental Manager DNMX. He said the Apodaca plant’s rooftop solar installation began April 15, 2019, and was completed on July 1, and spans 64,583 square feet (6,000 square meters).
Ruiz said recent statistics show Apodaca’s solar panels yearly “generate 765,000 KWh of clean energy, which is equivalent to the energy consumption of 345 houses, and reduces 120 tons of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to planting 2,418 trees and eliminating 238 cars’ emissions.”
“Annual cost savings are 1.4 million pesos (US $76,000), which is 2% of current cost,” he said, adding that an ambitious three-year initiative includes plans for solar installations at DNMX’s Silao and Guadalupe plants.
DENSO Maryville, Tennessee, Breaks Ground on Solar Farm
A similar attitude toward multi-plant solar production has been adopted in Tennessee, where DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee (DMTN) and Silicon Ranch, one of the nation’s largest independent power producers, broke ground in 2022 on a new solar farm that will be the first of four solar production facilities the group plans to bring online statewide.
On behalf of the City of Maryville Electric, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and DENSO, Silicon Ranch will fund, construct, own, operate and maintain each of the four solar power plants for the long term. When the solar projects are completed and coupled with additional energy conservation initiatives, 100% of electrical needs for DENSO’s Maryville facility will be sourced from renewable energy.
DENSO Manufacturing Hub to Reap Benefits
This will help the Maryville location, which is a manufacturing hub for DENSO electrification and safety systems, support greater sustainability locally through its operations and across North America with its products.
“Our mission is to contribute to a better world, and as part of that, we’re committed to reducing CO2 emissions, not only through our products, but also in our operations and processes,” said Shinichi Nakamizo, North America Chief Manufacturing Officer and a Senior Director of DENSO Corporation.
These actions also strengthen DENSO’s involvement in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Plants program and bolster broader efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its manufacturing operations and energy use.