Apple has topped rival Microsoft by reaching its 100 per cent renewable target in facilities across 43 countries.
In a battle of the giants, the software company has subsequently announced its global offices, retail stores and data centres are all running on 100 per cent clean energy.
Interestingly, tech rival Microsoft Corp broke new ground by signing the biggest single corporate solar agreement in US history earlier this year.
However, Microsoft wants to reach 60 per cent renewable energy by early 2020. Its data centres currently source 44 per cent of power needs from renewable energy.
Apple says nine additional manufacturing partners have also committed to power their Apple production with 100 per cent renewable energy. This amounts to a total of 23 suppliers pledged to reaching the goal.
Apple driving global renewable energy projects
Since 2011, Apple’s joint clean energy projects have reduced carbon emissions by 54 per cent across global facilities. This has blocked 2.1 million metric tons of CO2.
Because Apple is working with partners and utilities on wide-ranging renewable projects, new energy options are emerging for communities and countries worldwide.
These include solar power arrays and wind farms along with emerging technologies like bio-gas, micro-hydro and solar storage batteries.
The software company currently has 25 working global projects. Around 286 MW of solar PV is also included in 626 MW of generation capacity, the highest amount recorded in one year.
With 15 more projects under construction, Apple is therefore on target to complete more than 1.4 GW of clean energy generation across 11 countries.
Solar major player in 100 per cent renewable target
The tech giant’s solar credentials are impressive and include the following achievements:
- Apple’s new HQ in Cupertino has a 17 megawatt (MW) rooftop solar installation. It’s also controlled by a microgrid with commercial energy storage. This feeds excess power back to the grid.
- Meanwhile, more than 485 MW of wind and solar projects are under development across six Chinese provinces.
- Four new projects in Reno, Nevada, are generating 320 MW of solar PV.
- Apple has partnered with a Japanese solar company to install more than 300 rooftop solar systems. These will generate 18,000 MWh of clean energy annually. It’s enough to power more than 3,000 Japanese homes.
- Apple is also using 800 Singaporean rooftops to generate solar power.
