CHATTANOOGA, TN—Volkswagen is aiming to reduce its worldwide energy consumption by 25 percent and triple the renewable energy it uses by 2018, part of a program called Think Blue.

WESTMINSTER, MD—Knorr Brake Corp., a manufacturer of braking systems for railcars, has installed an 865-kilowatt solar array on the roof of its assembly plant here. The system is expected to provide up to 60 percent of the plant’s energy requirements.

MOUNTAIN HOME, AR—Eaton Corp. is investing $222,000 in its assembly plant here to reduce the facility’s environmental footprint and improve its energy efficiency.

ASAN, South Korea—Hyundai will install almost 40,000 solar panels on the rooftop of its assembly plant here. The panels are expected to generate 11.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

GOODYEAR, AZ—Monarch Power, a manufacturer of photovoltaic modules, has made an offer to buy Suntech’s solar panel assembly plant here.

WASHINGTON—Total energy consumption in the manufacturing sector decreased by 17 percent from 2002 to 2010, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The decline in energy intensity reflects both improvements in energy efficiency and changes in the manufacturing output mix.

WESTFORD, MA—Bluestone Energy Services has helped contract manufacturer Mack Technologies substantially reduce energy consumption in its assembly plant here with a comprehensive LED lighting retrofit.

America’s manufacturing sector gained 14,000 jobs in February, according to the latest data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

SPARTANBURG, SC—BMW’s assembly plant here is expanding its use of material handling equipment powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

DETROIT—Ford Motor Co. plans to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills for each vehicle that it builds by 41 percent as part of a five-year plan through 2016. Ford will reduce the waste generated per vehicle from 22.7 pounds in 2011 to 13.4 pounds.