Toyota completes Ontario DC solar project

Toyota completes Ontario DC solar project Japanese automaker Toyota said it has finished installation of what the firm described as the largest single-roof solar power installation in North America on the firm's Ontario parts distribution center.
   The automaker, in conjunction with contractor SunPower, said the more than 10,000 panel, 2.3-megawatt system would begin operation next month atop the 760,000-square-foot parts center, according to a joint press release from the firms.
   'The solar power generated by this system will reduce Toyota’s operational costs at the Ontario facility immediately and over the long term, as electric utility rates continue to increase,' said Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc.
   Toyota said it will purchase the electricity generated from the system from GE Energy Financial under the branded SunPower Access power purchase agreement program. GE Energy Financial will finance, own and operate solar power systems, providing the automaker with immediate savings and a long-term hedge against rising peak power prices, the automaker said. Toyota owns the renewable energy credits associated with the system.
   In a statement released this week, Connecticut-based General Electric said the Toyota system is one of five California solar projects being financed by GE’s energy financial services unit.