Hyundai Installs South Korea’s Largest Rooftop Photovoltaic Power Plant

In an effort to expand the use of renewable energy and take measures to help reduce pollution, Hyundai will install South Korea’s largest rooftop photovoltaic power plant at its manufacturing factory in Asan, where vehicles like the Sonata Hybrid are built.

Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) will purchase the electricity generated by the solar modules and sell it to nearby areas. Nearly 40,000 such modules will be installed on the rooftop by the end of this year, covering as much as 68% of total roof space.

This photovoltaic field will result in a peak power generation capacity of 10 MW. The completed plant will be capable of supplying 11.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, or enough to power about 3,200 households.

Consider this: To produce the same amount of electricity, a thermoelectric power plant releases 5,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Eliminating these emissions is the same as planting 1.12 million pine trees. Moreover, the sprinklers used to cool down the solar modules will also help the plant save energy by lowering indoor temperatures during the warmer months.