Solar Strategies in Practice Series: A global industrial giant's green choice - How Toyota has actively embedded solar into its overall sustainability strategy

Recently, we launched the Solar Strategies in Practice-Series, a content initiative that shines a light on how leading companies integrate on site solar into operations, investment planning, and sustainability goals.Today, we kick off with Toyota, a world-renowned car company.

In the global race toward a net-zero future, true leaders not only set ambitious goals but also excel at identifying efficient pathways. Toyota, a Fortune 500 company and a benchmark in the automotive industry, is reshaping the energy landscape of its global production network with its signature lean and continuous improvement philosophies. Toyota uses rooftop solar at production sites, PV+battery systems in logistics, and renewable power sourcing across all European operations, embedding solar as a core tool for cutting operational emissions. LONGi has partnered with Toyota in the past to support various projects.

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Let's explore Toyota's lead and how rooftop photovoltaic is becoming a key pillar in achieving its ambitious "Environmental Challenge 2050" strategy, a long-term roadmap that aims to eliminate CO₂ emissions from vehicles and manufacturing, minimize environmental impact across the entire life cycle, and contribute to a net-positive impact on society by 2050.

Toyota’s 2050 challenge starts on the roof

Toyota's commitment to the environment is deeply rooted in its history. From the launch of the groundbreaking Toyota Prius Hybrid, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger car, to its pioneering work at the forefront of hydrogen with its hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) called Mirai or its line of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) under the brand name “bZ” (beyond Zero), Toyota has consistently been a pioneer in clean transportation. Today, this commitment extends beyond its products to the core of its entire value chain - manufacturing.

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Toyota's ambitious "Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050" strategy outlines a sharp vision for the future.

• A sharp 90% reduction in new vehicle lifecycle CO2 emissions (compared to 2010 levels).
• Achieved operational carbon neutrality across global production bases
• Build a resource-recycling manufacturing and consumption system

For a global giant like Toyota, achieving carbon neutrality does not require a single, one-size-fits-all solution; it requires a combination of solutions tailored to local conditions and delivering rapid results. Faced with pressing carbon reduction targets, Toyota understands the paramount importance of efficiency. Where can companies find proven solutions that both deploy fast and achieve substantial cuts in operational carbon emissions? The answer lies directly above them: on the rooftops of their factories and facilities. Here is a selection of the company’s solar initiatives.

500 kW solar installation powers Toyota’s production in Mexico

At Toyota’s Apaseo el Grande facility in Guanajuato - which began producing the Tacoma pickup in late 2019 - advanced rooftop solar photovoltaic system was installed using LONGi panels with a capacity of approximately 499.22 kW (nearly 0.5 MW). The system supplies clean electricity to support factory operations, delivering an estimated 800 MWh of renewable energy annually, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 410 tons per year, showcasing Toyota’s commitment to sustainable industrial practices in its production footprint.
It not only supplies clean electricity to the production line but also perfectly embodies Toyota's "genchi genbutsu" management philosophy – immersing oneself on-site to identify optimal solutions that best suit local conditions.

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Green energy in the supply chain: Toyota Boshoku leads with rooftop solar

Toyota's green revolution extends throughout its supply chain. In Vietnam, Toyota Boshoku, a key interior supplier, has significantly reduced its carbon footprint through a 1.47MWp rooftop photovoltaic project. Installed by LONGi and Solar Electric Vietnam (SEV), the system is set to generate over 1,582 MWh of clean electricity annually, helping reduce the company’s carbon emissions by around 1,338 tons per year, in line with its 2% annual CO₂ reduction goal. This project demonstrates Toyota's philosophy: true environmental protection must encompass the entire product lifecycle.

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In Europe, Toyota’s solar footprint reaches across multiple manufacturing and operational sites, contributing directly to its regional decarbonization goals.

Solar project at Toyota Deeside saves 1,800 tons of CO₂ annually

At the Deeside Engine Plant in North Wales, Toyota commissioned a transformative solar installation in 2014—comprising around 12,680 panels across an area nearly eight football pitches in size (source: Toyota UK Magazine). This array produces 3.48 million kWh per year, supplying up to 10% of the plant’s electricity and powering the production of some 22,500 engines annually (source: Toyota UK Media). It also slashes CO₂ emissions by 1,800 tons per year—a saving roughly equal to the weight of 1,260 Auris hatchbacks (source: Toyota UK Media). Installed in just three months, the project underscores Toyota’s Sustainable Plant initiative: integrating renewable energy to reduce environmental impacts while improving operational efficiency (source: Toyota UK).

Solar air heating and rooftop PV boost sustainability at Toyota’s Onnaing plant

At Toyota’s Onnaing plant in northern France, the company implemented an innovative SolarWall® system: a solar air heating solution installed on the building’s southern facade. This technology captures solar thermal energy to preheat the plant's ventilation air, yielding year-round benefits: up to 25% annual energy savings and a reduction of around twenty tons of CO₂ emissions per year compared to conventional heating methods. The SolarWall® system complements other green measures already in place, such as a rooftop photovoltaic membrane installed on its logistics building, wastewater recycling, biodiversity projects, and environmental education programs. This is positioning Onnaing as one of Toyota's flagship Sustainable Plants, where efficiency, renewable energy, and community engagement converge. (Source: solarwall.com)

TMHE with cross-border rooftop solar program with energy storage

At the heart of its sustainability efforts, Toyota Material Handling Europe (TMHE) launched an ambitious solar energy program in partnership with Eneo Solutions, planning rooftop photovoltaic installations across multiple European production and administrative sites—starting with its headquarters in Mjölby, Sweden—as part of one of the first cross-border solar PPA programs in the rooftop PV space (source: Lectura Press). The initiative gives a “third life” to module-based lithium-ion batteries, repurposing them as stationary energy storage for solar power—ensuring operations like charging electric forklifts continue seamlessly, even when sunlight is unavailable. Further extending this footprint, TMHE’s French arm, Toyota Material Handling France, partnered with solar developer Alight to commission a 300 kWp rooftop system at its Bussy-Saint-Georges facility. This installation—comprising 790 solar panels—generates around 323 MWh annually, accounting for 25% of the site’s yearly electricity consumption (source: pv magazine France).

Toyota: 100% renewable electricity across Europe

Since 2019, Toyota Motor Europe has run all its operations (offices, logistics hubs, factories) on 100% renewable electricity, achieved through a mix of on-site solar and renewable energy purchases. This eliminated Toyota’s Scope 2 emissions in Europe, aligning with its carbon neutrality roadmap.

Why solar belongs at the core of corporate sustainability plans

Solar plays a direct role in Challenge 3 of Toyota’s "Environmental Challenge 2050" strategy: Plant Zero CO₂ Emissions. It sets the target of achieving carbon-neutral manufacturing. There is an obvious reason, why Toyota has made solar a fundamental part of its strategy. And in fact, they make sense for all corporates in Europe and beyond.

• Rapid deployment: By utilizing existing building space, the system installs quickly and begins delivering carbon reduction benefits in a short time frame.
• Direct emission reduction: On-site power generation significantly reduces factory operations' reliance on grid-connected fossil fuels, directly reducing Scope 2 carbon emissions.
• Improved efficiency and resilience: Reduces energy costs and, to a certain extent, enhances energy supply stability.
• Low-load roofs can be included in the solar strategy: In earlier days, these rooftops were excluded from solar projects due to weight restrictions, but with the development of lightweight module designs they can now be easily integrated, allowing factories, warehouses, and older buildings to benefit from renewable energy generation.

Powerful alliances: Choosing high-value partners to empower transformation

Toyota is driving energy transformation globally, and its selection criteria for partners is extremely stringent. Suppliers must not only provide high-quality products but also deliver technical solutions that perfectly align with Toyota's unwavering commitment to efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. For projects in Mexico and Vietnam, Toyota partnered with LONGi. LONGi's efficient and reliable products and technological expertise helped Toyota maximize clean energy output within limited rooftop space, ensuring the long-term stability of the projects and achieving planned emissions reduction targets. These efforts are crucial in supporting Toyota's ambitious environmental vision.

"We want to create not just better cars, but a better society."

From the hybrid revolution initiated by the Prius to the rooftop photovoltaic power plants at factories around the world, Toyota is building a sustainable ecosystem encompassing products, manufacturing, and energy. President Akio Toyoda once said, "We want to create not just better cars, but a better society." This vision is becoming a reality through action.
Toyota's choice sends a clear message to European companies: On the journey to carbon neutrality, rooftop photovoltaics are a fast, effective, and multi-faceted strategic initiative proven by global industrial giants. Choosing partners like LONGi who can provide high-value solutions will help us navigate this green transformation more efficiently and reliably, and together we will move towards a sustainable future.

‍LONGi’s C&I modules: transforming rooftops into energy assets

‍For businesses looking to unlock the full potential of their rooftops, LONGi offers two tailored solutions: the Hi-MO X10 Guardian Light Design for low-load roofs and our double or single-glass C&I modules for conventional structures. Both are built on advanced back contact technology, delivering high efficiency, long-term reliability, and robust warranties. With these solutions, your roof can become a resilient, clean-energy asset for decades to come.

🔗 Our Light Design Module

🔗 Our C&I overview

📩 Contact us at europe@longi.com