Alight has announced an expanded onsite solar partnership with automotive technology outfit Lear Corporation that will see the Swedish player develop, own, and operate five additional onsite solar assets at Lear locations in Spain, the UK and Poland.
The first of the five new solar arrays – a 2.1MW installation at Lear’s Alfreton, UK site – is being commissioned today.
This will be followed by four more sites in Spain and Poland, which are scheduled to be operational in 2024. The solar partnership between Alight and Lear began in 2023 when the companies installed a 1MW rooftop array at a Lear facility in Valls, Spain.
Upon completion, the six sites are anticipated to generate over 5GWh of electricity annually – enough to power 1000 European households.
“Aligned with our renewable energy strategy, commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative and the Paris Agreement, we are working to achieve 100% renewable energy for electric power consumed at our sites by 2030,” said Lear vice president, global sustainability, Jozef Chrzanowski.
“Our partnership with Alight and execution of these projects will help support our progress towards our goals, reduce our environmental impact and result in lower electricity costs.”
Lear currently sources more than 20% of its energy worldwide from renewable sources. In partnership with Alight and other providers, the company now has 12 onsite solar arrays globally in six countries producing renewable energy. Additionally, the majority of the electricity sourced for the company’s sites in Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK is from renewable sources.
“By signing onsite Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and similar structured contracts, suppliers like Lear can reduce electricity costs while making real progress towards sustainability goals and supporting the EU’s green transition,” said Alight chief executive Harald Överholm.
“We are proud to help Lear deliver new clean energy to the power grid and provide local impact in communities where it operates.”