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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Ferrari and Jaguar Facilities go Green

When thinking of a color that identifies Ferrari, green isn't usually the most forthcoming response. But lately, that's (partially) what the Italian sports car maker is going for. Officials in Maranello recently announced the initiation of the brand's latest step to be more environmentally sound with an all-new photovoltaic system mounted on the roof of its main Engine Mechanical Machining facility.

The innovative system was built by EnerRay and is said to reduce the amount of energy the plant uses by 210,000 kilowatt hours annually through the use of inverter panels. The south facing panels convert sunlight into usable energy to run the complex's machinery.

Ferrari's manufacturing plant already boasts some of the automotive world's most advanced "green" technology, including over 1.7 million sq ft of green areas consisting mostly of indoor trees and shrubbery.

As you can imagine, Maranello's environmental initiatives aren't limited to its assembly plants. Rumor has it, to further reduce the carbon footprint its coveted exotics leave, the automaker will, in the near future, turn to small displacement turbocharged engines rather than the usual naturally aspirated powertrains. Whether a revival of an F40-like engine will come has yet to be confirmed, but we wouldn't rule it out.

Speaking of going green, Jaguar-Land Rover, the brand usually associated with the color, is also jumping on the environmentally friendly bandwagon with its newly-opened Technical Academy. The state-of-the-art school will be the location for all product and systems training for U.K and international JLR technical students.

Over 43,000 sq ft of space has been set aside at the automaker's facility in Warwickshire, U.K. for classrooms, labs and test facilities built in collaboration with BASF. Together, the two constructed buildings featuring advanced materials such as a new phase changing plasterboard designed to keep rooms at a moderate temperature without the need of a central heating/air system. Other technologies include rainwater harvesting tanks, solar/thermal heating, solar water heating, high efficiency lighting and spray foam insulation.

Source: Ferrari and Jaguar

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