As part of Porsche’s $50-million expansion at its U.S. corporate headquarters and Porsche Experience Center Atlanta, the automaker will be adding a solar power microgrid and a second driver development track for the public. Today, PCNA and Cherry Street Energy, LLC have announced a 25-year operating agreement that will generate 2,050 MWh of electricity annually, which should cover a significant portion of the site’s electricity needs. It’s part of a massive expansion that will add 33 acres to the current 27-acre headquarters and Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
In addition to a second driver development track for the public, the expansion will also add a Porsche Classic Factory Restoration facility, a parking deck, and Porsche Service Center South Atlanta, which is already opened. The second track is scheduled to be operational in early 2023. If you’ve never heard of Porsche Experience Center Atlanta, it’s one of two in the U.S. and 10 in the world and it’s a track-based attraction that allows the general public to drive the newest Porsche models on the track with a personal coach. There is also the opportunity to dine, shop, or simply grab a cup of coffee in a Porsche-themed environment.
The addition of a solar power microgrid also means the Taycans that are part of the visitor fleet will be charged from purely renewable power that is generated on-site. Cherry Street Energy will mount solar panels on new and existing buildings, as well as the roofs of staging areas by the two tracks, and on a new 950-foot covered walkway that connects the parking garage to the headquarters building. As the largest non-utility provider of solar energy in Georgia, CSE will own, operate, and maintain the microgrid, which means it’ll be selling the generated power to PCNA.
The move contributes to Porsche’s goal to be CO₂ net neutral across the entire value chain and life cycle of newly sold vehicles by 2030. Other sustainability measures being taken for the expansion include using concrete specially formulated to lower its embodied carbon content, extensive water re-use and recycling, using native non-irrigated landscape solutions, green walls, and walking trails to increase bio diversity, and an obvious one, extensive new electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The current One Porsche Drive campus was awarded LEED Gold certification, which recognizes the high standards of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and Porsche is designing the new campus extension to do the same.