Apple's Data Centers Now Running on 100% Renewable Energy, Corporate Facilities at 75%

[MacRumors]

Bloomberg notes that Apple has posted the 2012 update of its environmental policy pages, noting that the company has now achieved 100% renewable energy usage at all of its data centers. On a worldwide basis, the company's corporate facilities are now running on 75% renewable energy, up from 35% just two years ago.

Our goal is to power every facility at Apple entirely with energy from renewable sources -- solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal. So we're investing in our own onsite energy production, establishing relationships with suppliers to procure renewable energy off the grid, and reducing our energy needs even as our employee base grows.

Our investments are paying off. We've already achieved 100 percent renewable energy at all of our data centers, at our facilities in Austin, Elk Grove, Cork, and Munich, and at our Infinite Loop campus in Cupertino. And for all of Apple's corporate facilities worldwide, we're at 75 percent, and we expect that number to grow as the amount of renewable energy available to us increases. We won't stop working until we achieve 100 percent throughout Apple.

The move to 100% renewable energy for its data centers represents the completion of a commitment the company made last May to address criticism from Greenpeace over its energy usage. While Greenpeace's ratings were based on erroneous calculations and assumptions, Apple took the opportunity to make more public statements about its energy usage and plans.

Apple estimates that its carbon footprint for 2012 included 30.9 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, with 98% of that total directly related to the life cycles of its products. The total represents a 34% increase over the company's 2011 estimates, but Apple notes that recent increases have been driven primarily by growth in its sales, with emissions per dollar of revenue decreasing by 21.5% from 2008 to 2012.

Article Link: Apple's Data Centers Now Running on 100% Renewable Energy, Corporate Facilities at 75%

 

[Intarweb]

If true, that's astounding.

 

[Joe-Diver]

Green Energy! The wave of the future.

 

[profets]

This explains why iCloud is so reliable.

 

[Skika]

I think this is GREAT news!

Inb4 cynics hate.

Edit: too late

 

[tann]

Oh wow, that was faster than I anticipated!

 

[gnasher729]

The move to 100% renewable energy for its data centers represents the completion of a commitment the company made last May to address criticism from Greenpeace over its energy usage. While Greenpeace's ratings were based on erroneous calculations and assumptions, Apple took the opportunity to make more public statements about its energy usage and plans.

Strong protest. Apple doesn't give a damn what Greenpeace thinks (and nor should anyone else). Apple doesn't care about Greenpeace. They _do_ care about the environment.

And Apple still doesn't donate any money to Greenpeace (which is how all that animosity of Greenpeace towards Apple started).

 

[mmcxiiad]

This explains why iCloud is so reliable.

actually the cloud is blocking the solar panels

 

[aprofetto8]

Oh I get it.

No wind = no windmill action = iCloud downage.

Just kidding, well not really.

 

[RoelJuun]

I guess Green Peace will find other things to b*tch about

 

[Jetson]

Fantastic! Apple is leading the way with energy innovation.

 

[mmcxiiad]

I guess Green Peace could find other things to b*tch about

to make this 100% accurate: replace could with will

 

[iGrip]

Good move Apple!

<Applause>

 

[Porco]

Several analysts have responded with surprise to the news, as they assumed everyone was as full of hot air as them and so required no generation of additional energy.

 

[iGrip]

Strong protest. Apple doesn't give a damn what Greenpeace thinks (and nor should anyone else). Apple doesn't care about Greenpeace. They _do_ care about the environment.

And Apple still doesn't donate any money to Greenpeace (which is how all that animosity of Greenpeace towards Apple started).

Apple cares about only one thing: Maximizing total profits.

The fact that they pay substantially more for green power tells me that Apple feels the PR benefit outweighs the higher costs of using green power, and will result in a larger bottom line.

 

[needfx]

beam me up Scotty

one moment sir, solar batteries still recharging

 

[bbeagle]

 

[8281]

Hopefully other organizations take note and start their own initiative. And not just tech companies, either, any business and actually any municipality could probably learn something about maintaining consistent service using renewable energy.

 

[SingularityG]

Imagine how amazing it would be to have this self-sufficient iDevices natively.

 

[LeandrodaFL]

that menas that they dont pay for energy anymore? They have their own solar panels?

Only that would make sense to me as no company cares about going green, only about getting more profit

 

[AQUADock]

that menas that they dont pay for energy anymore? They have their own solar panels?

Only that would make sense to me as no company cares about going green, only about getting more profit

You do realize that the solar panels cost money.

 

[Macboy Pro]

Good News and congrats to Apple. The rest of the world needs to hurry up. We are running out of Oil and Natural Gas.... We only have 200 years worth left...

 

[lifeinhd]

Greenpeace: "100%? That's pathetic, we expect at least 200%! What is this rubbish?"

 

[haplain]

And how long do you think it will be before Green Peace comes up with their own arbitrarily generated estimate at that... I'm guess within the month we will have a report hit the web that only 31.289198489218193892348202181% of their power is renewable...

 

[topgunn]

In other news, Aeolus is suing Apple for patent infringement.