ZDNet's David Chernicoff posts on Apple's Green Data Center.
Is a 100% green datacenter practical, or even plausible?
By David Chernicoff | May 18, 2012, 6:01am PDT
Summary: 100% renewable energy sounds great. But when you start to do the research the picture is much less clear.
Working hard to keep up their public face of being the company of unicorns and rainbows, Apple seems to be making themselves the standard bearer for green power for the datacenter. After constant negative publicity from Greenpeace on the use of power from non-green sources, Apple is taking the approach that a commitment to green power will be a major win, at least in the field of public opinion.
This post would lead some to believe that Greenpeace is creating pressure for Apple to use renewable energy. The green data center effort in my opinion was actually most influenced by our departed friend Olivier Sanche, and his efforts are just now becoming public.
It will be interesting as Greenpeace continues its environmental PR war with Apple. The one thing different about Apple vs. other Greenpeace targets is the Apple PR machine and the Apple loyal user base are 10X bigger than any other past Greenpeace targets. Who will win the PR battle? uhh, Apple vs. Greenpeace. Who do you love? A user base who users their products hours and hours a day? BP, Nestle, Unilever and other Greenpeace targets have how many people who love their brand?
If you don't have a green data center strategy, then you better get ready. All this press wakes people up to the environmental impact of data centers.
Apple Data Center Will Be Totally Green by 2013
BusinessWeek - 19 hours agoBy Peter Burrows on May 17, 2012 Apple Inc. (AAPL) (AAPL), targeted by Greenpeace International over its energy consumption, said its 500000- square-foot data center in Maiden, North Carolina, will be powered entirely by renewable sources by the end of ...Apple's data center will be completely green by 2013, company says
San Jose Mercury News - 18 hours agoBy Poornima Gupta Apple (AAPL) plans to power its main US data center entirely with renewable energy by the end of this year, taking steps to address longstanding environmental concerns about the rapid expansion of high-consuming computer server farms.Apple to power data center with renewable sources
San Francisco Chronicle - 13 hours agoDATA CENTERS Renewable power for Apple Apple, criticized by Greenpeace International over its energy consumption, said its 500000-square-foot data center in Maiden, NC, will be powered entirely by renewable sources by the end of the year.Apple's main data center to go fully renewable this year
CNET - 17 hours agoApple is doubling up on solar energy at its Maiden, NC, data center, and plans to make it run entirely off renewable energy by the end of 2012. by Josh Lowensohn May 17, 2012 12:49 PM PDT Follow @Josh Apple today said it plans to make its Maiden, NC, ...Apple scrubs dirty iCloud data centre with second solar wash
Register - 1 hour agoBy Gavin Clarke • Get more from this author Apple is flying the green flag on the North Carolina data centre that will power iCloud – the very same one that was slammed by Greenpeace for being dirty. The iPad shop has disclosed information on a second ...Is a 100% green datacenter practical, or even plausible?
ZDNet (blog) - 18 minutes agoWorking hard to keep up their public face of being the company of unicorns and rainbows, Apple seems to be making themselves the standard bearer for green power for the datacenter. After constant negative publicity from Greenpeace on the use of power ...Main Apple data center to tap only renewable power
msnbc.com - 20 hours ago(Reuters) - Apple Inc plans to power its main, North Carolina data center entirely with renewable energy sources by the end of this year, taking steps to address longstanding environmental concerns about the rapid expansion of high-consuming computer ...Apple's iCloud data center to use 100% renewable energy by end of year
Apple Insider - 19 hours agoBy Slash Lane Apple's main iCloud data center in Maiden, NC, will be powered entirely by renewable energy by the end of this year with the construction of two solar array installations. The feat will be accomplished with the construction of both new ...Apple's Data Centers Will Be Powered Entirely By Renewable Energy
Gizmodo - 14 hours agoGreenpeace has been on the offensive against Apple this week, blasting the company for sourcing the power for its energy-intensive data centers from coal power plants. Today, Apple fired back with some remarkable facts, claiming it's a clean and ...Apple: iDataCenter Power Will Be 100% Green
Data Center Knowledge - 17 hours agoThis map shows the location of the facilities in maiden, North Carolina where Apple will be generating renewable power for its data center. Click to view a larger version. (Image:Apple) Apple is doubling the size of its already-huge solar array at its ...Apple Announces Its Data Center Will Be Powered Entirely By Renewable Energy
iClarified - 18 hours agoApple has announced that its Maiden, North Carolina data center will soon be powered entirely by renewable sources. To accomplish this, Apple is building its own facilities that will provide over 60 percent of the clean power needed.Apple commits to 100% renewable energy for N. Carolina data center
DatacenterDynamics - 17 hours agoApple released a plan to get 100% of energy required by its new Maiden, North Carolina, data center from renewable sources. The plan – whose details the company published on its website Thursday – is a mixture on on-site generation and direct ...After Greenpeace Protests, Apple Promises to Dump Coal Power
Wired News - 17 hours agoBy Robert McMillan Greenpeace landed a giant iPod at Apple HQ on Tuesday to protest Apple's use of coal power. Photo: Greenpeace The computer company says that by early next year, the energy used to power its worldwide data centers will all come from ...Apple's North Carolina Data Center Will Be Totally Green By The End Of 2012
AppAdvice - 18 hours agoBY Brent Dirks on Thu May 17th, 2012 greenpeace icloud Apple is planning on powering its huge North Carolina data center entirely from renewable energy by the end of this year, according to Reuters. Apple announced today that it is building two solar ...Apple Receives Regulatory Approval for 20-Megawatt Solar Farm at North ...
Mac Rumors - 20 hours agoThe North Carolina Utilities Commission today officially approved (PDF) Apple's proposal to construct a 20-megawatt solar farm across the street from its data center in Maiden, North Carolina. The Public Staff presented this matter to the Commission at ...SunPower Spikes; To Supply Apple's NC Solar Farm
Forbes - 18 hours agoSunPower shares are trading sharply higher Thursday after Apple said it will use equipment from the the solar products company in two solar array installations in Maiden, North Carolina, near its core data center. Apple said the solar farm when fully ...Apple breaks ground on second solar farm for North Carolina data center
Engadget - 15 hours agoBy Joseph Volpe posted May 17th 2012 5:26PM Last February, Apple came clean about its efforts to clean up the environment, detailing intentions to make its Maiden, NC data facility a greener place. That site, already home to one solar farm, ...Apple pledges to power data center entirely with renewable energy by 2013
The Verge - 12 hours agoBy Scott Lowe on May 17, 2012 08:28 pm 25Comments Apple today announced its plans to power its Maiden, North Carolina data center with solely renewable energy sources by the end of the year. The company will combine the 100-acre, 20-megawatt solar ...Apple bows to pressure over renewable energy
TG Daily - 4 hours agoApple's now announced that by the end of this year, its controversial data center in Maiden, North Carolina, will be fuelled entirely by renewable sources. The announcement follows a demonstration outside Apple's Cupertino headquarters earlier this ...iCloud goes 100% green in 2012
SlashGear - 17 hours agoAccording to CFO Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's North Carolina facility dedicated to iCloud data will be run entirely on renewable energy by the end of 2012. This data center is not the only one of its kind made for this purpose for and by Apple, ...(sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address)
Cult of Mac - 18 hours agoFollowing heavy complaints from activist group Greenpeace, Apple announced today that all of its data centers will be powered by 100% renewable energy. Apple has also received approval to build its 20-megawatt solar farm next to its other data center ...Apple gets approval for 20-megawatt solar farm, will power entire North ...
The Next Web - 20 hours agoToday, Apple received approval for a 20-Megawatt Solar Farm at its North Carolina Data Center, as highlighted by Macrumors. It has also pledged to convert the entire center, which provides data for its iCloud and iTunes Store services—along with other ...Apple's 20-megawatt solar farm near NC data center gets NCUC approval
9 to 5 Mac - 20 hours agoThe North Carolina Utilities Commission approved (PDF) Apple's proposal to build a 20-megawatt solar farm today. Early filings suggested Apple aimed to position the farm by Nov. 1 across the street from its Maiden, NC, date center, with operations ...Apple's Data Centres Will Be Powered Entirely By Renewable Energy
Gizmodo UK - 6 hours agoThe company has also been granted regulatory approval to use renewable energy at its data centre in Newark, California, which should be completed by February 2013. But what's more impressive are Apple's initiatives in Maiden, North Carolina where the ...Greenpeace butts heads with Apple again
iTWire - 7 hours ago(Businessweek reports that Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said Apple's renewable energy plans were set last year.) Apple has now stated that its Maiden data centre will generate 60% of its 20MW power draw with onsite solar panels and fuel cells, ...Apple Publishes New Renewable Energy Page, Tells Greenpeace to STFU
Macgasm - 18 hours agoApple's data center in Maiden, North Carolina, will draw about 20 megawatts of power at full capacity. We'll be producing an unprecedented 60 percent of this power onsite. To do that, we're building what will be the nation's largest private solar ...Apple Planning a 100% Renewable Energy iCloud
iPhone FAQ - 15 hours agoApple is working on powering its massive data centers from 100% renewable energy sources. A 20-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric generating facility has just been approved for the Maiden, NC facility. 60 percent of the facility's electricity ...Apple Will Build Two Solar Systems Instead of Only One
Popsop.com - 3 hours agoApple has unveiled its plans to build two solar array installations near its North Carolina iCloud data centre. Previously the tech giant said it would build only one solar farm. The systems that will employ high-efficiency solar cells and an advanced ...Apple gets OK for Maiden solar farm
Charlotte Observer - 14 hours agoBy Bruce Henderson Apple won state approval Thursday for a 20-megawatt solar farm, the biggest proposed in North Carolina, near its data center in Maiden. No complaints were filed and the project passed muster under environmental standards, ...Apple announces solar powered future and ditches coal
Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production Magazine - 3 hours agoSolar manufacturers SunPower Corp and Bloom Energy are currently being engaged by Apple to build two solar array installations near its North Carolia Data Center in the US. Once up, the solar farm will supply 84m kWh of energy annually.
