The 800-kilowatt ground-mounted solar array on three acres of 120 acres of vacant land at the Kentwood campus will supply about 5% of the plant’s current electricity needs.
Maeve Tropf, Director of Sustainability for Steelcase, says one eventual goal is to export any surplus energy to the local grid for the community’s benefit.
“We're hoping that we can use this project is really a flagship project for Steelcase, but also for other manufacturers to look to and recognize that it is possible to invest in these technologies in Michigan and to make meaningful impact.”
Tropf says the project underscores the company’s commitment to a net zero target by 2050.
Steelcase has a roadmap for scaling on-site solar that prioritizes the largest or highest emitting sites.
“West Michigan for Steelcase represents greater than 50 % of our total operational emissions so there are a number of those top or high emitting facilities that are located in Michigan and so a lot of these initial investments we plan to make in Michigan.”
The Kentwood solar project is planned to be commercially operable by March 2026.
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