Apple’s Solar Island in Japan to boost Clean Energy Promise

Posted by: Kalyani.rc // Passive House / Sustainability Enthusiast

Marking a major boost to Apple's commitment to expand clean energy use in its operations and taking the clean energy campaign to suppliers, the iPhone maker's operations in Japan will be turning 100 percent renewable energy thanks to its Japanese supplier Ibiden.

Announcing this, Apple said Ibiden will be using 100 percent renewable energy to manufacture Apple components and has the honor of being the first partner to do so in Japan. Apple called the move a big step forward in helping manufacturing partners toward the use of clean power.

Apple added that it will continue to help partners across the world to reduce energy use and establish high-quality renewable energy projects like the floating solar photovoltaic facility outside Nagoya.

Unique Solar Island:
Ibiden will have 20 new renewable energy facilities that are significant for managing the urban space crunch innovatively. Most innovative is a floating island of solar photovoltaic system constructed in a converted lumberyard to address the space problem. The mountainous terrain of the island constrains the availability of vast urban space in Japan for manufacturing operations.

The Apple supplier is targeting 12 MW of solar power production which will cover the company's manufacturing operations in Japan and may offer the surplus power to the national grid.

Apple's Clean Energy Targets:
Apple claims that its current operations in 23 countries and 93 percent operations worldwide are covered by renewable energy sources.

In 2015, Apple persuaded suppliers in China to make the transition to renewable energy pledge through building up solar farms and remove more than 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses from the air. Apple said it would assist the Chinese government in reducing air pollution in the next five years.

Apple's ambitious target involves generating over 2.5 billion kilowatt hours per year in clean energy for use in manufacturing facilities. That will be like taking away 400,000 cars off the road.

Huge Growth In U.S Solar Market:
Meanwhile, the U.S. solar market grew massively and doubled its annual record by installing 14,626 megawatts of solar PV in 2016. It marked a 95 percent increase over the previous record of 7,493 megawatts in 2015.

This is the first time the U.S. solar became the no. 1 source of new power generating capacity additions: solar represented 39 percent of all new capacity additions annually among all fuel sources in 2016. The solar energy's strong growth in many market segments has so far employed more than 260,000 Americans.

For the complete article, please visit:
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/200824/20170310/apple-s-solar-island-in-japan-to-boost-clean-energy-promise.htm