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Apple's Data Centers Now Running on 100% Renewable Energy

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Re: Apple's Data Centers Now Running on 100% Renewable Energy

#81

Post by marshray »

singlow wrote: post #80
marshray wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple is paying to put enough renewables in to cover their use How is this different than what the rest of us call "the power bill"? Is there some higher rate you can choose to pay for renewable Joules?

yes

So there is a special thing called "renewable energy" which travels over the same grid as ordinary energy. It can be substituted for ordinary energy (but not vice-versa) and commands a premium price over ordinary energy.

This site looks pretty authoritative: http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_basics.html

Hydroelectric power is considered "renewable" for what seem like good reasons. Yet, if I lived next door to Hoover Dam I would not expect to be charged extra for the privilege of consuming its locally-grown renewability. In fact, I would expect to pay less because there would be less transport loss to offset.

I'm trying to figure out to what extent this amounts to Apple writing a check to someone to bless their electricity, much like the selling of indulgences.

Re: Apple's Data Centers Now Running on 100% Renewable Energy

#83

Post by socillion »

marshray wrote: post #81
singlow wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes

So there is a special thing called "renewable energy" which travels over the same grid as ordinary energy. It can be substituted for ordinary energy (but not vice-versa) and commands a premium price over ordinary energy. This site looks pretty authoritative: http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_basics.html Hydroelectric power is considered "renewable" for what seem like good reasons. Yet, if I lived next door to Hoover Da…

Producing renewable energy gives you credits which represent a cost difference between regular electricity and renewable.

The actual renewable electricity counts as regular energy, and anyone across the country can buy credits to say they subsidized renewable energy somewhere.

Re: Apple's Data Centers Now Running on 100% Renewable Energy

#84

Post by marshray »

socillion wrote: post #83
marshray wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So there is a special thing called "renewable energy" which travels over the same grid as ordinary energy. It can be substituted for ordinary energy (but not vice-versa) and commands a premium price over ordinary energy. This site looks pretty authoritative: http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_basics.html Hydroelectric power is considered "renewable" for what seem like good reasons. Yet, if I lived next door to Hoover Da…

Producing renewable energy gives you credits which represent a cost difference between regular electricity and renewable. The actual renewable electricity counts as regular energy, and anyone across the country can buy credits to say they subsidized renewable energy somewhere.

OK, I'm not saying this a bad thing to do.

I'm wondering where's the ROI for a for-profit corporation in "buying credits to say they subsidized renewable energy somewhere" other than, say, Marketing?

When one sets out to write checks to charities the Hoover Dam isn't exactly the first to come to mind.

Re: Apple's Data Centers Now Running on 100% Renewable Energy

#85

Post by raverbashing »

marshray wrote: post #81
singlow wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes

So there is a special thing called "renewable energy" which travels over the same grid as ordinary energy. It can be substituted for ordinary energy (but not vice-versa) and commands a premium price over ordinary energy. This site looks pretty authoritative: http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_basics.html Hydroelectric power is considered "renewable" for what seem like good reasons. Yet, if I lived next door to Hoover Da…

More or less what happens is

There's a pool of generators that put energy onto the grid. Each one has a price per MW generated (or MW/$)

Generation is metered and consumption is metered.

So the consumer will say "bill me for the cheapest one" or "bill me for renewal one" (or better, contract a certain amount of power from 'FlowerPower Gen'), and the producer will have "I'll have to produce X MW to provide for contracted demand"

But in the grid it's mixed, of course.

Re: Apple's Data Centers Now Running on 100% Renewable Energy

#86

Post by furyg3 »

bluthru wrote: post #6
rfurlong wrote: post #4

This is great, but I bet apple's suppliers and manufacturers aren't anywhere close to this level of renewable energy.

"This is great but everything isn't perfect yet, so meh."

"Meh" is a pretty good way of summarizing humanity's energy relationship with the environment.

Re: Apple's Data Centers Now Running on 100% Renewable Energy

#88

Post by skytalon »

r00fus wrote: post #77
skytalon wrote: post #76

This is a good thing they are doing. However, I wonder why they have so many different power adapters for their MBP, MBA and rMBP's. Each one is going to go into a landfill one day and Apple could certainly design it so that they reduce the environmental impact that comes with creating more stuff of this kind that is so avoidable.

wtf are you talking about? Until late last year for the past 6 years before that, they had exactly one adapter profile - magsafe. Recently they added a 2nd profile, and introduced an converter so old bricks can still be reused (which I'm doing right now). You can even use an underpowered brick - don't expect your high-wattage MBP to charge as fast, but it works. Apple is one of the good guys here. Compare/contrast wi…

I'm referring to the fact that they have 6 adapters, as listed on this page: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/mac_accessori.... They don't really need 6, do they?

Re: Apple's Data Centers Now Running on 100% Renewable Energy

#89

Post by socillion »

marshray wrote: post #84
socillion wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Producing renewable energy gives you credits which represent a cost difference between regular electricity and renewable. The actual renewable electricity counts as regular energy, and anyone across the country can buy credits to say they subsidized renewable energy somewhere.

OK, I'm not saying this a bad thing to do. I'm wondering where's the ROI for a for-profit corporation in "buying credits to say they subsidized renewable energy somewhere" other than, say, Marketing? When one sets out to write checks to charities the Hoover Dam isn't exactly the first to come to mind.

Yeah, it's just marketing.
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