DTE Energy to power Ford Research and Engineering Center with ultra-low emission infrastructure

An alliance between DTE Energy and the Ford Motor Company is going to bring a new, “ultra-low” emission energy infrastructure to power Ford’s Dearborn Research and Engineering Center (REC).

“Ford and DTE have a long history of working together, and the REC development offered another opportunity for our companies to collaborate on a major sustainability project,” Dave Ruud, president of DTE’s Power and Industrial (P&I) Group, said. “This partnership will deliver the reliable and efficient energy Ford needs for many years to come.”

Under the agreement, construction is expected to be completed in December 2019 with services including natural air flow ventilation, geothermal heating and cooling systems and solar power. Sustainability is the key driving force behind the project, which aims to reduce energy usage and improve energy efficiency by 50 percent compared to existing office space.

Gas-fired electric turbines will generate waste heat that will, in turn, be captured and converted to steam, advanced HVAC technologies will be implemented alongside new refrigerants, and a thermal energy storage tank will be installed to reduce peak electric system requirements. The on-site solar array alone could supply as much as four MW for the facility.

The infrastructure upgrades will, according to DTE, also benefit Dearborn area residents with enhanced energy reliability and availability.