Apple building 174 acre solar farm to power North Carolina data center

9To5Mac.com ^

[matt04]

Charlotte Observer is reporting that Apple has begun work building a 174 acre solar farm to power their new Maiden, North Carolina data center. The data center, located in Catawba County, was revealed by Steve Jobs during the iOS 5 keynote at WWDC this year, and will be partly responsible for powering iCloud. It was revealed earlier this year that Apple was purchasing land around the data center. Now we know why.

Permits issued by Catawba County show that the Cupertino, Calif., company has been approved to reshape the slope of some of the 171 acres of vacant land it owns on Startown Road, opposite the data center, in preparation of building a solar farm.

[fooman]

Vista pollution. Yuk. In beautiful North Carolina as well...

[Noamie]

I hope they have a terrific water source. Washing 174 acres of panels isn’t a one well job.

[DJ MacWoW]

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[saganite]

Less their solar costs is a hell of a lot. It isn’t just install and hook up and that’s it. Solar panels require intensive maintenance. Despite your claims that it’s private capital I doubt it is all funded out of Apple’s pocket. There are huge subsidies involved from the govt to encourage these things. Apple is obviously taking advantage of every penny of subsidy. I suspect the primary purpose is for PR though. They have billions and their clientele is “green” so it’s good business to have pictures of some nice shiny mirrors outside they can put in their sales literature. They’re certainly not doing it because it’s cost effective.

[Perdogg]

There is a 30% tax credit on the installation of the solar panels for both business and residential. But allowing some one to sell back the power in some states is the kicker.

[SunkenCiv]

Vista wasn’t that bad, but has been superseded by 7 anyway. Wait, what?

[Arrowhead1952]

Other Austin Energy renewable projects include the Webberville Solar Farm, which is located east of Austin on 300 acres of land owned by the city. The large array of 270 watt photovoltaic modules will generate a total of 30 megawatts for the city and is set to be online in December. The city is paying $10 million a year for 25 years as the solar farm’s sole client to Gemini Solar Development Co., the farm’s owner and operator.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[donhunt]

Let’s all of us meet back here ten years from now and discuss how well this project has worked out.

[matt04]

I recall a article about some environmental group protesting Apple’s move to build the data center because it’s power source would primarily be from nuclear and coal based on the area it is built in. No coincidence that the electricity is cheap in that area.

[RobinOfKingston]

One hundred and seventy-four acres dedicated to powering, if not one building, then one endeavor, a data center, in a group of buildings.

There is terminal stupidity behind this.

[businessprofessor]

It’s private capital. I am going to assume they’ve run the numbers. No way this is a PR move.

You are misinformed about the economics of solar power. This project is a product of heavy government subsidies, not private investment decisions. Subsidies permeate this project from federal/state tax credits, utility forced investments, utility power mandates, and net metering (forcing utilities to offset power use with excess solar power generated). Without this boatload of subsidies, this project would be laughed out of Apple's capital budgeting mix. The subsidies are paid by higher government borrowing, taxes, and utility rates. Most of the manufacturing is performed in China.

[lurk]

That’s a whole bunch of valuable land gobbled up for this project.

[the invisib1e hand]

oy. well, at least when there's nothing left to eat, there might be just enough power to keep it warm.

[the invisib1e hand]

so wtf ever happened to “not scarring the land” or whatever? You can’t strip-mine, but you can put turn a countryside into a freaking eyesore junkyard of metal and plastic?

[nascarnation]

Like a lot of things with land use, zoning, and politics.

Follow the money.....

[MinorityRepublican]

I wouldn’t call Apple Co. socialist. I’ve always thought of Steve Jobs as a liberal Capitalist.

[the invisib1e hand]

Like a lot of things with land use, zoning, and politics. Follow the money.....

If you're suggesting that there's a fatass tax break that can be traced up the road to Pennsylvania Avenue, I'd say you're probably right.

[the invisib1e hand]

I wouldn’t call Apple Co. socialist. I’ve always thought of Steve Jobs as a liberal Capitalist.

Steve Jobs no longer runs the company. It's just another corporation now, an annex of the burgeoning fascist state.

[hinckley buzzard]

Well, of course it is at least partially a PR move. Why do you think you are reading about it?