Solar Spotlight: Toyota Plant Flips the Switch on New Solar Array

Mississippi Solar installed a 50kW solar array for Toyota Manufacturing in Blue Springs.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, Inc. (TMMMS) in Blue Springs is the company’s model sustainable plant for vehicle assembly in North America. A myriad of energy-efficient designs were incorporated into the facility, so the addition of renewable energy was the logical next step in Toyota’s ongoing effort to improve its sustainability. Now, TMMMS, which manufactures the popular Toyota Corolla compact car, is one of the most energy-efficient automotive plants on the continent. 

Six SMA Sunny Boy 7000-US inverters on a Sunny Tower.

Earth Day Commissioning

TMMMS’s 50-kilowatt solar array, the fourth-largest photovoltaic system in Mississippi, was commissioned on Earth Day 2013. Mississippi Solar, LLC designed and installed the project, which comprises 198 Sharp 250W solar panels as well as six SMA Sunny Boy 7000-US inverters on a Sunny Tower. Together, these components are expected to produce an estimated 73,631 kWh annually.

Proven Reliability

According to Will Hegman, owner of Carthage-based Mississippi Solar, an SMA solution was chosen because of the technology’s dependability and the company’s unparalleled service, key qualities for this installation.

“Mississippi Solar and Toyota had an extremely tight completion window on this project. The challenge was met by teamwork and support from SMA, Sharp, New Albany Light, Gas and Water, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.”

Flipping the switch on Earth Day 2013.

Sun Helps Toyota Win Energy Star Award

TMMMS’s solar array helped Toyota earn a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency award for environmental excellence, which was presented at the commissioning ceremony. Toyota received the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for its continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency.