Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, part of Knorr-Bremse, has expanded the solar energy system at its manufacturing facility in Acuña, Mexico.
The extension of its ground-mounted solar array at Plant 4 adds more than 230 kilowatts-peak (kWp) of new solar capacity, increasing the solar total capacity by approximately 40 per cent.
The system is expected to generate approximately 1.3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable electricity each year – enough to meet nearly 20 per cent of the plant’s forecasted electricity demand.
The latest expansion is Bendix’s fourth major solar project at its largest manufacturing operation and deepens the company’s long-term investment in renewable energy and emissions reduction at the site.
The project contributes directly to parent company’s Knorr-Bremse’s Climate Strategy 2030, which seeks to cut scope 1 and market-based scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 75 per cent by the end of the decade.
“It’s the next practical step that strengthens the site and supports our broader climate goals,” said Knorr-Bremse’s CVS division Global Head of HSE, Maria Gutierrez.
“It also reflects how we’re approaching this work – measurable progress, tied to clear targets, and integrated with operations on the ground.”
Opened in 1988, the multisite Acuña campus engages in manufacturing, remanufacturing, and assembly across a wide range of products – antilock braking systems (ABS), air dryers, compressors, valves, actuators, and integrated vehicle modules.
Plant 4, which began operations in 2024, uses highly automated manufacturing processes to produce two emerging, next-generation technologies: Global Scalable Brake Control (GSBC®) and Global Scalable Air Treatment (GSAT®).
The expansion adds approximately 370,000 kWh per year in new solar generation to Plant 4 and helps avoid an additional 130 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. The array feeds power directly into the site’s main electrical substation, with the added generation representing a viable business case.
“The new panels are larger and more efficient than those used in the first phase, which allowed us to get more output from the same physical footprint,” said Bendix Acuña Energy Project Manager, Irving Pérez.
“We worked within the site’s constraints to maximise energy generation and minimise disruption.”
The Plant 4 solar system now includes more than 1,300 panels across ground mounts and shaded carport canopies. Together, the plant’s arrays will help avoid an estimated 550-600 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year.
“Acuña is a clear example of how sustainability and plant performance can go hand in hand,” said Gutierrez. “These investments are helping us cut emissions and stabilize energy costs at one of our most advanced sites.”
Complementing the solar projects, Bendix has taken a systems-level approach to reducing energy use at the Acuña campus, including upgrades since 2020, including modernised HVAC and lighting, improved building envelopes, and expanded metering and controls.
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