Ford Motor Co. has installed Onset Computer Corp.'s web-based weather stations on the green rooftop of its environmentally-friendly Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, Mich.
Two Onset HOBO U30 weather stations monitor soil moisture levels on the green roof, as well as general rooftop weather conditions, and transmit the data to the Internet for access by Ford engineers.
The data is being used on an ongoing basis to verify that the 10.4-acre vegetated roof is helping to reduce the amount of stormwater released after periods of rainfall. The data also helps plant personnel maintain the health of the rooftop's sedum groundcover, and contributes to the energy savings at the plant by reducing heating and cooling costs.
Ford Motor Co.'s actions to reduce the amount of energy used to manufacture vehicles and support its U.S. operations have earned it the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2009 ENERGY STAR Award for the fourth consecutive year.
