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All Apple Operations Now Run Off 100 Percent Renewable Energy (9to5mac.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the clean-as-a-whistle dept.

According to a recently-shared press release, Apple has finally hit its goal of running its own operations off 100% renewable energy. "All Apple facilities, from Apple Park to its data centers to worldwide fleet of Apple retail stores, are now solely powered by green energy," reports 9to5Mac. From the report: This figure does not include Apple's third-party suppliers or manufacturers, although the company is convincing many of those to switch to 100% renewable sources too. Apple's environment VP Lisa Jackson discussed the news in an interview with Fast Company. Jackson highlights how Apple has not only focused on reducing emissions but also contributed to the availability of green energy on the grid. Apple has gone from 16% renewable energy to 100% in eight years, with CO2 emissions falling by 58%. The company has built numerous wind and solar farms in cooperation with local institutions, as well as intense focus on environmental sustainability during development of its new buildings like Apple Park. Its data centers are flanked by fields of solar panels. Filling out the last 4% required Apple to find renewable energy sources in some of its more remote retail stores and offices. It has signed power purchase agreements in Brazil, India, Israel, Mexico and Turkey.

6 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. new mac pro will be powered by hamster on wheel by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 3, Funny

    new mac pro will be powered by hamster on wheel and that what is taking so long.

  2. So the minority has been converted to renewable by viperidaenz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The majority of their energy use - the manufacturing of their products - is still dirty old coal.

    But that's ok, because it's being burnt in China, not USA.

    1. Re:So the minority has been converted to renewable by blindseer · · Score: 2

      China has 85GW of solar power installed. That is far more than any other country.

      Being the most populous nation in the world I'd expect them to have the most solar power. Perhaps given their ranking as being the third largest country by area, and second largest economy, I'd expect them to be in the top 3 or perhaps top 10. The problem though is that they suck on solar power based on population.

      https://cleantechnica.com/2013...

      Rankings by solar power capacity per capita doesn't even put China in the top 20. Based on current growth they might get in the top 10 soon but can they keep growing at the current rate? Will the rest of the world also not improve their solar power deployments?

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
  3. Comments Fail by Goetterdaemmerung · · Score: 2

    What the hell /.! After 30 comments maybe one would be novel or interesting.

    This is an impressive feat to run the datacenters entirely off renewable energy.

  4. Creative definition of "run on renewables" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    As noted in the article this doesn't mean that they've cut their connection to fossil fuel power plants, only that overall they produce an equal amount of renewable energy through various contracts/facilities as they use. They still rely heavily on fossil fuels. I'll be a bit more impressed when their facilities have hefty battery packs and energy from the grid flows into the site only a few weeks out of the year.

  5. Re: Come join me in the Swamp by wes33 · · Score: 2

    some less fantasy filled context here:

    http://www.politifact.com/trut...