Apple seeks to build a solar farm to power data center in Reno, Nevada

Apple is working with Nevada power company NV Energy to build an additional solar farm adjacent to its data center in Reno. It is part of Apple’s “green energy” initiative which also has the company building a couple solar panel farms at its data center in North Carolina.

Apple is planning on utilizing a new type of technology for the solar array. The system will use panels in conjunction with mirrors that will concentrate the sun’s energy buy up to seven times into the panels, resulting in greater power generation. The final set up will generate between 18 and 20 mega-watts of power.

Nevada state regulators approved the project last month. SunPower is providing the engineering, construction and energy tracker technology that will be used with the completed system. Since Apple is paying the full costs of the construction, the project will not have any effect on the prices of the utility’s other customers.



Apple will have the option to expand the solar array or even sell the asset to NV Energy sometime down the road.

sources: GigaOM via TUAW