Morgan

Very cool

Apple says it now has 25 operational renewable energy projects–with 15 more now in construction–in 11 countries. Just eight years ago, only 16% of its facilities were powered by renewable energy. By 2015 that number had increased to 93%, then to 96% in 2016.

In 2012, it hired the Bay Area-based solar contractor SunPower, which built the 20-megawatt farm right across the street from the data center. (To give you a sense of scale, 20 megawatts would be enough to power about 3,300 homes.) Apple ended up building three solar projects in North Carolina–two 20-megawatt solar farms and an 18-megawatt one–as well as a bio-gas fuel-cell farm capable of generating 10 megawatts of green power.

WOW...

Apple says that by using clean energy from renewable energy projects its suppliers avoided releasing more than 1.5 million metric tons of CO2e into the air in 2017. That’s the equivalent of taking more than 300,000 cars off the road, the company states.

In 2015, Apple started a program to move suppliers toward green energy. Last year, 14 such companies pledged to work toward running the parts of their operations that serve Apple on 100% renewable energy. Today, Apple announced that another nine of its suppliers have promised to reach this goal.

Read more...http://www.fastcompany.com/40554151/how-apple-got-to-100-renewable-energy-the-right-way

Way to go Apple, now lets hope they bring back their manufacturing.

Gatsby

And just think of all of the jobs that they create, gathering the carcasses of Raptors and other birds killed by the blades.

Wolf counselor Loc: Heart of Texas

The Ivanpah solar facility literally incenerates up to 6,000 birds annually.

A fence they built serves as a trap for roadrunners that get gobbled up by coyotes.

Don't be so distracted by the bling of your topic that it clouds your view of the big picture.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-solar-bird-deaths-20160831-snap-story.html%3foutputType=amp

permafrost Loc: Minnesota

If you are that concerned about bird deaths, You need to get rid of your cats and remove your windows..

Each of those kill millions of birds each year. The solar and wind are barely on the scale of bird deaths..

Morgan

What blades? You don't bother read, do you?

Gatsby

True Story: One day last fall, I walked out my back door and startled my neighbors cat, which had a blackbird pinned to the ground.

The cat paniced and ran off, the blackbird flew straight into my bedroom window, bounced off and was flopping on the ground.

After a few seconds of that, the blackbird simply took off and flew off out of sight. With cats and windows, they have a chance!

Morgan

I'm all for preserving our wildlife, and I'm sure this is still a work in process to work out all the kinks, but I think this is a definite step forward.

I'm also not distracted by any "bling" on the topic. Can anyone on the right have a discussion without the personal slur? You could have simply brought up your point.

permafrost Loc: Minnesota

what a lucky bird.... we see a lot of that sort, not quite so dramatic.. the cats stalk the bird feeders.. the birds do fly into our house windows nearly every day..

but going back to the comment.. windmills and solar panels/towers do take out some birds, so do electric lines all over the country..

I love birds so it distress me, but it also does when one flies into by window or is eaten by my cat.. I am not going to kill off my cats.. although it is tempting..

And I am not going to go to open wall living..

the concern of renewables killing birds is only a poke at a great leap in how we power or nation and no honest concern about the birds...

Gatsby

Green energy includes turbines, the sun doesn't always shine on apple.

permafrost Loc: Minnesota

These deaths of bird or other wildlife are far from a stop it issue..

when the world made up its mind that my wonderful Viking football team should have a billion dollar stadium built by the public for them.. couple odd thing turned up..

One was that birds were killing themselves by flying into the huge window areas.. so contracores got together and proposed a soluton..

Need a lot of high tech and a bit over 20 million dollars... But they were pretty sure it would work..

then so local bird group stormed the TV station and announced that most of the world, when faced with this problem, spent about $200 on decals of prey birds and that pretty well ended the bird into windows problem..

Wow, Those experts were so dismayed.. But who knows, maybe they will get us to spend the millions yet. They have not given up on the plan the had..

Wolf counselor Loc: Heart of Texas

It was no slur, it was merely a reminder to research all aspects of your topic before posting.

The Ivanpah facility is just one of nine solar farms in California alone.

If one facility kills 6,000 birds annually, then imagine how many are slaughtered when you add eight more facilities.

That's potentially 54,000 bird kills a year just in California.

Now add that to the total number of solar farms throughout the world.

Then factor in that from 120,000 to 300,000 birds are also killed annually by wind farms.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-many-birds-do-wind-turbines-really-kill-180948154/

Look at the big picture Morgan.

archie bunker Loc: Texas

Funny. California turned some of the richest farmland in the nation into a ghetto for a minnow. It's probably even illegal there to eat fried birds from a solar farm now.
Yeah, this is great!

Morgan

The post was about solar not wind, that could be another post. Are you looking for reasons not to have alternative power, just wondering since your stance seems to be negative?

Morgan

Thank you for bringing up this issue.The truly big picture is the environment and shrinking our carbon footprint, while at the same time we do have to consider all factors. Maybe they can create an echolocation fence for all the creatures around the complex, just a thought...does seem cruel to get ZAPPED while flying by.

lindajoy Loc: right here with you....

I think it commendable when alternative energy is involved.. Innovative for sure...Adds another investment for Apple too..

Did Gore give up his position with Apple as a Board Director?? I don’t think so but do believe he’s handsomely involved with the joint ventures ...What better way to further the solar industry that hadn’t quite taken off but I’m sure will in time.. Its just that investors would prefer to be having more profits than they are at the moment.. Got to admit Gore doesn't miss an opportunity for diversity to back himself up on his business ventures too.

So it's ok to kill off the birds for progress ?? Interesting, guess something has to go in the advancement of solar ..Balance?? Bird extinction next??

Apple announced today a joint venture with Nevada Energy (NV Energy) to build out 200MW of photovoltaic solar capacity to power its data center in Reno, Nevada.

The solar farm is Apple's largest solar project to date and is expected to be live by early 2019.

Investing in innovative clean energy sources is vital to Apple's commitment to reaching, and maintaining, 100% renewable energy across all our operations," Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president for environment, policy and social initiatives, stated in a news release. "Our partnership with NV Energy helps assure our customers their iMessages, FaceTime video chats and Siri inquiries are powered by clean energy, and supports efforts to offer the choice of green energy to Nevada residents and businesses."

Also puts them in the competitive market of solar panels.. Smart on their part if either phones go or the solar business doesn’t pan out they still the other company to rely on for profits..


Not being sure if Gore was still a board member of Apple I checked, he is and a shrewd investor at that..

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2017/02/24/al-gore-sells-apple-stock.html