Automakers are greening their products to meet consumer demand for eco-friendly vehicles, and some auto companies are making their operations more environmentally friendly, too.

Ford Motor announced Thursday that it was installing a solar photovoltaic and battery-storage system at its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. The array will capture energy from the sun during the day; power that isn't used by the facility will be stored in the system's 2-megawatt batteries.

The batteries will also draw power from the grid at off-peak times, when electricity rates are lower. The power they will store can be released when needed.

In total, Ford estimates that the system will save $160,000 per year on energy - and it will serve as a test site for battery-powered vehicles' impact on the smart grid.

"With this solar energy system, we will be able to gain vital understanding about the integration of renewable power, smart-grid technologies and energy storage at an industrial facility," Ford vice president Jim Tetreault said.

The Michigan Assembly Plant once assembled large SUVs. Soon, Ford said, it will use energy from the sun to build small, fuel-efficient cars. The facility's turnaround is emblematic of a larger shift in the industrial sector - one that makes manufacturing cleaner, greener and more sustainable.