A new solar installation planned by Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Bendix) will lead to the reduction of carbon emissions equivalent to the amount generated by 1,000 cars driving from coast to coast in the United States, or burning through some 122,467 gallons of gasoline. It’s all part of Bendix’s first-ever solar energy project, a 1.168-megawatt solar array that will be installed at the company’s Huntington, Indiana, campus beginning in April. A kickoff event is scheduled for April 20.
Bendix, the North American leader in the design, development, and manufacture of active safety, air management, and braking solutions for commercial vehicles, is a subsidiary of Munich, Germany-based Knorr-Bremse. Construction of the company’s first solar array will be managed by PSG Energy Group, based in Indianapolis, and the project will result in the largest on-site solar installation in Huntington County.
Expected to be completed in September 2021, the solar array will be located at Huntington Plant 1. When fully operational, the installation will produce 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity – enough to satisfy around 30% of the site’s requirements and deliver an estimated $140,000 in electric utility savings annually. At this level of use, the solar array is also projected to contribute a nearly 19% decrease to the Huntington campus carbon footprint and a 3% decrease to Bendix’s carbon footprint enterprise-wide.
“We’re thrilled to turn the key on this amazing investment in our future for the Huntington campus, for Bendix, and for our parent company, Knorr-Bremse. Investing in solar energy has been a longstanding goal for Bendix, and to have this happen in Huntington – a campus with such a rich history of growth and achievement – is a proud moment for the operation and for the community,” said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. “It’s the right time and place for a project of this size and scale.” Gutierrez said space availability, budgetary factors, and supply capabilities all played a role in Huntington’s selection for the project.