Apple planning to build solar farm to power Reno data center
Apple is planning to build a state-of-the-art solar-powered farm to power its Rino data center, according to GigaOm. Currently the Reno data center is powered using geothermal energy, but once the solar powered farm is completed, Apple's data center will run on 100 percent renewable energy. And as you might expect from a company such as Apple, the solar farm they are building is cutting-edge. As Katie Fehrenbacher writes for GigaOm:
Apple's solar farm in Reno will be able to provide between 18 to 20 MW worth of power, which is about the same size as its two solar plants in North Carolina, which are both 20 MW in size. For an independent company (not a utility) -- particular an internet company -- 18 to 20 MW is a very large solar system.
But for the Reno solar farm, Apple is actually planning to use a new type of technology for the solar system, which includes both solar panels and also mirrors that concentrate the sun's rays up to seven times onto the panels. That process increases the amount of power generated.
There is no firm date on when the solar farm will be completed, but it is estimated that its construction will create over 100 new jobs in the Reno area.
