Trimble has broken ground on the construction of a 1.7-megawatt solar array as a renewable energy source at its Westminster, Colorado, headquarters. The new solar panels are projected to offset more than 100 percent of the energy consumed by Trimble's two-building campus in the Westmoor Technology Park, which represents approximately six to seven percent of the company's total global electricity demand (based on 2021). The installation will be one of the largest distributed solar projects in the City of Westminster.
The 4.4-acre project includes ground-mounted solar arrays and raised structures with solar panels to form 170 carports for employees and visitors. Carports will protect vehicles from the weather and provide 49 electric vehicle charging stations powered by the sun. The system has the capacity to provide a maximum estimated annual yield of 2,570,000 kilowatt hours, which is equivalent to consuming roughly 3,500 barrels of oil. The array also has the added bonus of reducing strain on the grid by minimizing Trimble's reliance on traditional energy sources, especially at times of peak energy demand, which is typically when the sun is shining.
The solar array project is part of Trimble's science-based target commitment to reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions, which includes emissions from the company's facilities and vehicles, by 50 percent by 2030 (from a 2019 baseline) and to achieve 100 percent annual sourcing of renewable electricity by 2025.
"We feel a heightened responsibility to be more sustainable and to help our customers drive sustainability for the benefit of our planet and future generations," says Rob Painter, CEO of Trimble. "We are committed to pursuing innovative renewable energy solutions in terms of their environmental benefit. This includes on-site generation of renewable energy from solar, which we are implementing or pursuing across a number of our global sites. Our goal for these projects is to generate our own renewable energy, and when possible, provide any excess energy production to the local electricity grid."
Trimble is working with Boulder, Colorado-based Namaste Solar, a fully integrated solar energy company, to design and build the project. Several of Trimble's solutions will be used in the construction of the project, including robotic total stations for surveying and site layout as well as machine control and guidance for pile driving.
"We applaud Trimble's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint by investing in clean renewable solar energy," says Rachel Mountain, co-owner and director of commercial and industrial sales at Namaste Solar. "In the face of climate change and rising energy costs, Trimble serves as an inspiration for businesses to source high-quality renewable energy. Not only does this project advance Trimble's clean energy goals, but it will also drive local economic growth and support over 50 good-paying green jobs in our community."
Trimble's Westminster headquarters
Trimble opened its operations with 40 employees located in Westminster in September 2000. The initial focus for the location included the strategic development of the architecture, engineering, construction (AEC), and mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) markets. Trimble purchased land and built a campus. The two-building campus, which was built using Trimble's construction technologies, is LEED Gold and Silver certified and is over 240,000 square feet on 15 acres.
Trimble changed its headquarters from Sunnyvale, California, to Westminster, Colorado, in October 2022. Westminster is Trimble's largest employment centre in the U.S. and serves as a central business hub for several of Trimble's core market segments including agriculture, construction, and geospatial. In addition, Trimble's CEO, CFO, a number of its senior business leaders, and more than 1,000 employees are located in Westminster.
