In order to supply power to its new data center in Reno, Nevada, Apple plans to build a solar array in collaboration with NV Energy, a Nevada utility company. The energy farm should power the data center as well as the surrounding community, says Apple.
This new solar plant is right in line with Apple’s efforts to use as much renewable energy as possible in its facilities. The site in Cork, Ireland is powered by wind and sites in Elk Grove, California as well as Austin are completely powered by green energy as well, which is pretty darn cool.
“All of Apple’s data centers use 100 percent renewable energy, and we are on track to meet that goal in our new Reno data center using the latest in high-efficiency concentrating solar panels,” an Apple representative told AllThingsD in a statement. “This project will not only supply renewable energy for our data center but also provide clean energy to the local power grid, through a first-of-its-kind partnership with NV Energy.”
The 137 acre solar array should generate around 43.5 million kilowatt hours of sun-powered clean energy, which Apple says is similar to taking 6,400 cars off the road each year. The facility could also support up to 1000 local jobs in and around Washoe County in Nevada, while resulting in a total of $24.1 million per year in direct and indirect revenues over the next ten years, according to a survey by Applied Economics for the State of Nevada.
Apple wants to go completely green, powering all of its data centers with 100 percent renewable energy.
“Renewable energy projects are vital to our future, so it’s exciting to see an innovative company like Apple find creative ways to invest in solar power for its data centers,” Mindy Lubber, president of nonprofit sustainability advocacy agency, Ceres, said. “As solar and other renewable sources become more competitive each year, we expect to see more companies following Apple’s lead.”
Let’s all hope so, since we’re gonna run out of the black, sticky stuff sometime soon, for sure.
Source: AllThingsD
