DTE Energy to Power Ford Motor Company Research and Engineering Center with Advanced Technologies / Achieving 50 Percent Energy Efficiency

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Oct 24, 2017, 15:37 ET

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Created exclusively by DTE Energy, an "ultra-low" emission energy infrastructure of the future will soon power Ford Motor Company's Research and Engineering Center (REC) located on its Dearborn campus.

DTE will build, own and operate a host of advanced sustainability systems including natural air flow ventilation, geothermal heating and cooling, and solar in a state-of-the-art energy infrastructure serving the 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," said Dave Ruud, president of DTE's Power and Industrial (P&I) Group. "This partnership will deliver the reliable and efficient energy Ford needs for many years to come."

DTE Electric, Gas, and Power and Industrial Services

DTE's infrastructure scope includes constructing, owning and operating a highly efficient, gas-fired combined heat and power plant, chilled and hot water systems, distribution systems, thermal energy storage and a geothermal system designed to increase the efficiency of the chilled and hot water facilities. DTE will employ advanced technologies to achieve high levels of sustainability and improvements in overall campus energy efficiency:

For example,

The gas fired electric turbines will generate sufficient waste heat that, when captured and converted to steam, will use 10 times less natural gas than the use of a traditional boiler plant
Advanced chiller technology will result in a 35% reduction in energy use versus traditional chillers
New refrigerants will eliminate the use of older refrigerants years earlier than would otherwise be possible
Renewable energy from an on-site solar array could supply up to 4 MW of electricity: enough electricity to power 1,000 to 1,500 Michigan homes
A Thermal Energy Storage Tank will reduce peak electric system requirements

50 Percent Improvement in Energy Efficiency

The REC will leverage DTE investments using advanced HVAC technologies like Chilled Beam and Variable Refrigerant Flow systems in conjunction with advanced sustainability
features. All new buildings are expected to achieve LEED Gold certification and reduced energy usage of approximately 50 percent when compared with the existing campus office space.

Nearby DTE customers also benefit

These upgrades will benefit local DTE customers as the infrastructure improvements made in Dearborn will enhance energy reliability and availability in the area.

DTE Electric and DTE Gas will continue to be Ford's electric and natural gas suppliers. The P&I Group will construct and operate DTE's energy infrastructure on site and own the DTE infrastructure, with the exception of the CHP and solar assets.

"The P&I group has a long history of providing 'on site' energy solutions designed to increase energy efficiency, improve reliability and sustainability for our customers," Ruud added. The REC project will be the latest and most significant of many collaborations between Ford and P&I.

Services under the agreements are expected to commence following completion of construction in December 2019.

About DTE Energy
DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. Information about DTE Energy is available at dteenergy.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.

SOURCE DTE Energy