100% Renewable Energy is Possible: APPLE INC.

During most recent Apple event in September 2018, it was announced that since January 2018, all of the electricity from their facilities worldwide are operated using 100% renewable energy.

“In 2018, we reached a major milestone: 100 percent of the electricity we use at all of our facilities comes from renewable sources”

The company achieved this through a combination of steps. Energy efficiency projects throughout all of their facilities were undertaken to reduce the consumption of power. Their facilities include all offices, stores, and data centres in 43 countries. From these projects they upgraded the facilities by using LED lighting, retro-commissioning building and lighting controls, and upgrading heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. They were able to reduce their energy use in fiscal year 2017 by 14.7 million kWh and 22 500 mmbtu of natural gas and thanks to energy efficiency measures implemented since 2011, they are now cumulatively saving 70 million kWh of electricity and over 240 000 mmbtu of natural gas per year.

Apple Event September 2018

“We design our facilities for maximum energy efficiency and regularly audit them to identify further opportunities for energy optimization”

Apart from energy efficiency measures Apple has been devotedly involved in many renewable energy projects in order to achieve their goal. One such project was their newest headquarters, Apple Park. Apple Park is powered by 100 percent renewable energy from multiple sources, including a 17-megawatt onsite rooftop solar installation and 4 megawatts of biogas fuel cells. The new headquarters even provides clean energy to the public grid through the use of battery storage and a microgrid during periods of low occupancy.

Apple Park

Apple have created renewable energy projects whenever possible and as of January 2018, approximately 66% of the renewable energy procured comes from the projects they have created. They have been able to achieve their goal by using innovative solutions on which the company is ultimately based on. Through Direct Ownership they produce their own renewable energy by building their own renewable energy projects, including solar arrays, wind farms, biogas fuel cells, and low-impact hydro generation systems. Where direct ownership was not feasible, they used Dedicated Renewable Energy Contracts by signing long-term renewable energy purchase contracts, supporting new, local projects that meet their robust renewable energy sourcing principles.

Globally, Apple was able to achieve this unprecedented goal through vision and huge investments. They created a first of its kind joint venture in Sichuan to make an equity investment in two 20-megawatt solar PV projects to cover electricity use at their Chinese corporate offices, retail stores, and data storage. In Singapore, where they have a retail store and corporate campus, they put solar PV panels on more than 800 rooftops, and used the Singaporean version of direct access to deliver that power to their facilities. They contracted for renewable energy generation in new markets like India, Turkey, Israel, Brazil, and Mexico to cover their remaining loads in those and neighbouring countries.

After the U.S. withdrew from the Paris climate agreement, Apple responded by issuing a $1 billion green bond for environmental projects, bringing their total to $2.5 billion. Apple has pledged to continue investing in renewable energy projects and further trying to ensure that their carbon emissions remain minimal throughout the entire world. As of April 2018, these commitments represent over 3 gigawatts of new clean energy and well on the way to their 4-gigawatt goal.

Source: Environmental Responsibility Report, 2018 Progress Report, Covering Fiscal Year 2017 

Written By:

Andrew Bisnath