Apple has collaborated with NV Energy to build a new solar farm for powering its new data centre in Reno, Nevada.
The new 137-acre solar farm will supply energy to the local Sierra Pacific Power electric grid that serves Apple’s data centre and generate between 18 and 20 megawatts of power.
The new farm will deploy mirrors that concentrate the sun’s rays on each one up to seven times and boost the amount of energy generated.
Engineering and construction works on the array will be performed by solar firm SunPower, while until the farm is commissioned, Apple would rely on geothermal energy generated by local plants.
Apple said in a statement: "When completed, the 137-acre solar array will generate approximately 43.5 million kilowatt hours of clean energy, equivalent to taking 6,400 passenger vehicles off the road per year."
The project will involve an investment of $1bn and is expected be completed in eight months.
Apple, in addition to other firms including Amazon and Microsoft, has also been criticised over developing and operating computer server farms due to high consumption of electricity and other resources.
Apple already operates its largest data centre in the USA on solar power from a 100-acre solar farm and fuel cells deployed by Bloom Energy.
The North Carolina data centre generates 167 million kilowatt hours, which is the power equivalent of 17,600 homes for one year.
