Bigger Than 4 Football Fields: Toyota Completes 242,000 Square Feet Solar Power Array

60% is pretty damn good for a whole manufacturing plant. These things must be very power-thirsty.

Hope other big corps will do the same soon.

now its time for some american car companies to do the same!

Wait a tick... Why isn't the big "TOYOTA" roof get covered? Or at least half of that?

I wonder if GM will follow Toyota's sensible lead...

It's too bad there's no report of how much this cost. I'd like to know how many of these we could buy for our $700 billion dollars.

Which, you know, here's my take on it:

Here's the nutshell: let's say you and I contract for something. I say I'll pay you $100,000. I don't pay you $100,000. You sue me. It turns out I don't have $100,000. Never did. That's where the problem ends. You might get a judgment. You might be legally entitled to get $100,000 from me. But you can't. I don't have it. I'm judgment proof. You can't then go to the government and get your $100,000. It doesn't exist. It was just a promise to pay and nothing more. The government doesn't bail you out.

But that's what's happening here -- bankers and investors are mad they're not getting their money that doesn't exist, so they're asking the government for it. The government would never give it to them in any normal kind of situation (except in the form of allowing corporate write-offs on the losses on their corporate taxes), except in this MELTDOWN there's so much bad debt out there that the whole system has crashed.

So we're talking about real tax payer dollars going to cover imaginary lost profits. The whole thing is disgusting. At least Toyota has done something to make me smile today.

With such a big project, one can only assume its an even bigger investment. My question is, solar panel technology is rapidly growing, so I wonder how much consideration went into the costs of doing it now vs. waiting a few years for panels that are far more efficient and cost effective.

@uncleben and wee

GM already started doing this on a plant in Spain.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/gm-to-host-worlds-largest-rooftop-solar-array.php

Obama lost my vote when he cancelled the Florida & Michigan primaries and took the nomination that he didn't win. It's called tyranny and oppression when a politician ignores voters. McCain is so old and so unqualified to be president! Who else is running?

You should see the prefab homes that Toyota is building in Japan. If they can marry the efficient building of prefab homes with their solar expertise, we've got a compelling story to tell.

Thank goodness there are corporations big and small out there who are in business not just for money. Money should be a secondary thing; its the actions businesses and corporations make that can create positive or negative change.

Now if they covered their parking lots with solar panels they could generate 100% of the plant's electricity.

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@Ken Clive

If you think this is not about money you are wrong. Even if the panels do not eventually pay for themselves, the cost is more than made up for in free advertising to people who see a company making an effort, and decide to buy from them over a not-so-green company. Don't applaud them for doing the right thing. Applaud them for realizing the right thing can make them money.

@Uncleben
In case you haven't noticed Toyota's more of a American car company than GM or Ford. They at least produce a good number of models inside the US.
@ Ross
Don't be such a douche and get your facts straight. Fact: FL (where I live) and MI violated the rules by moving their primaries ahead of Iowa. They were subsequently stripped of their delegates by the DNC NOT OBAMA . Obama had nothing to do with the decision to strip the delegates.
Fact: Obama wasn't even on the freaking ballot in MI so there's no way of knowing how he would have done against Mrs. Clinton.
Fact: Obama ultimately got the delegate count AND the popular vote. Hillary went the distance in a close race, BUT SHE LOST.

Hillary was gracious in her defeat and has worked diligently to unite the party behind Sen. Obama. People like you just undermine her message with this whiny apron string clutching. Move on and support the candidate who most closely matches your positions on the issues. Whomever they may be, but for all our sake STFU and do your homework before you complain on a site where people know better.

Hmm ... what's with all the political comments? Haven't we had this pres race going on for years now it seems? Enough already.
I think the fact is that Toyota has been getting it 'right' for years. This is another offshoot of their thinking. I am dying to see the American car companies kick butt, however I don't see it yet. The fgn companies copied the US years ago and surpassed on quality and design etc. Let's hope that the US companies will succeed and do better with their offerings - Chevy Volt, Chrysler electric cars, Tesla (ok it's a UK body).
It's all moot because we should be riding our bikes more.
vsk

My best guess the solar panels cost approx $1000 each , so 10,417 would run 10 Million , + Install and misc , so total cost = 17-18 Million minus any Gov drebates total system cost should be around 12 Million

7 - 10 Year to pay them off see 15 years of FREE power after they are paid off not bad .. assuming they last 25 years , but most panels can exceed that easily and work for up to 30-40 years , so FREE power for 25 - 30 years , thats a nice return

Just say total cost is 15 million you could put this kinda setup on 46,700 different companys / buildings for 700 billion

"I wonder if GM will follow Toyota's sensible lead..."

You got it backwards, GM has already done this.

"In case you haven't noticed Toyota's more of a American car company than GM or Ford. They at least produce a good number of models inside the US."

GM produces more cars in the US than Toyota, designs most of their cars in the US, and employs more Americans than Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi combined.