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Air Quality SEAT solar roof

Published on December 5th, 2013 | by Cynthia Shahan

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SEAT Completes Largest Solar Power Plant In Auto Industry



Solar-scapes in Spain on the roof of SEAT’s factory in Martorell Spain just recently came to completion, marking the largest solar power plant in the automobile industry. SEAT began this progressive work in 2010 jointly with utility-scale solar developer Gestamp Solar, with the cost coming to an estimated €35 million ($47.55 million).

The “SEAT al Sol” installation is an 11-megawatt (MW) solar PV project. With 53,000 solar panels installed across 276,000 square meters of workshop and storage facility roofs, this vast installation appears to be a grand venture from the automobile industry.

Via Volkswagon.com http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/info_center/en/themes/2013/11/SEAT_solar_plant.html

SEAT solar roof

Volkswagen, which SEAT is a part of, informs us that the 53,000 solar panels will generate approximately 15 million kWh per year, equivalent to 25% of the energy required for the annual production of the new SEAT Leon.

“SEAT is a story of success and a story of commitment,” highlighted Jorge Fernández, the Spanish Minister of the Interior, when he reminded those present that SEAT was “a pioneering, innovative and quality company.”

Volkswagenag.com http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/info_center/en/themes/2013/11/SEAT_solar_plant.htmlVolkswagen continues:

The project SEAT al Sol, which has been developed together with Gestamp Solar, provides clean energy on a large scale in the same place of consumption (principle of distributed generation). The environmental savings achieved is of 7,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to 8.5 times the carbon dioxide absorbed annually by the Central Park in New York.

The three phases of the project have been carried out by the installation on structures already built, a system still under development in the industrial sector, which has prevented additional occupation of the territory without affecting the manufacture production processes. In addition, the solar panels installed on the storage areas generate clean energy while protecting cars against adverse weather conditions. The works performed for the project SEAT al Sol, which began in mid-2010, have entailed a total investment of 35 million euros.

Automobile manufacturers, Apple, Google, Facebook, IKEA, Intel, and many others are most decidedly increasing their use of solar to a great degree. This grand integration of solar at one of SEAT’s main facilities in Spain offers positive punctuation of continual change, and a transitioning within big business.

Keep an eye on the hottest solar energy news here on CleanTechnica, or even subscribe to our free solar energy newsletter for all the hottest electric vehicle news and commentary.

Images via SEAT

Note: there’s a cool video of SEAT al Sol in the Volkswagen news release.

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is an Organic Farmer, Classical Homeopath, Art Teacher, Creative Writer, Anthropologist, Natural Medicine Activist, Journalist, and mother of four unconditionally loving spirits, teachers, and environmentally conscious beings who have lit the way for me for decades.


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  • Leila

    The issue
    of energy supply is on the top of many discussions. There are many alternative
    ways to gain energy which allow reducing cost and wastes on the one hand and on
    the other hand they allow gaining some other economic effects. Today’s age is
    the age of advanced technologies and like energy industry can suggest
    alternative energy sources, banking system for example may suggest receiving a cash loan through the
    Internet    .

  • Steeple
    • Bob_Wallace

      It’s too bad you seek out misleading sources for your information.

      Reading that POS article might leave one thinking that solar has been a bad thing for the Spanish economy.

      They wouldn’t know that Spain’s economy was wrecked by bad banking practices and a real estate bubble, just like the US economy.

      They wouldn’t know that solar helped Spain during their recession by cutting down on the amount of fossil fuels they had to purchase.

      (I suspect you knew that as well. It’s certainly been discussed before.)

      • Steeple

        If you have to raid your Social Security fund to do this, then perhaps this wasn’t such a wise move and Spain overcommitted.

        • Bob_Wallace

          Spain is raiding its SS fund because they failed to adequately regulate their banks.

          How long do you intend to keep denying this?

  • Matt

    This is a good example of putting a lot of flat roof to good use. Why big PV farms in the far distance is ok (they are need for the final solution), covering roofs and parking lots where the power is used is great!

  • JamesWimberley

    SEAT is, as you say, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen. It’s likely – though I have not been able to Google proof – that keeping the only Spanish auto brand name alive was a condition of purchase in 1986. There was certainly a similar condition when VW bought the historic Czech Skoda company in 2000.

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