Apple and SunPower launch solar projects in China
Apple and solar panel manufacturer SunPower Corp have announced a new partnership and will build two solar power projects in China
Apple and solar panel manufacturer SunPower Corp have announced a new partnership and will build two solar power projects in China with total capacity of 40 megawatts.
The projects, planned for China’s south-western Sichuan province, will be co-owned by Apple and Sichuan Shengtian New Energy Development Co Ltd, SunPower's project development joint venture.
The projects are expected to provide up to 80 million kilowatt-hours per year and are scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2015, according to SunPower.
China set ambitious targets in March for solar power generation for 2015 as it aims to scale up renewable energy capacity.
Officials announced the target of adding 17.8 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity this year, up nearly 20 per cent from the original goal of 15 GW.
The new target is up nearly 70 per cent on the 10.52 GW of solar capacity China installed in 2014.
Apple uses clean energy to power its data centres and announced in February that it would buy around $850 million of power from First Solar’s solar farm in California.
Tom Werner, President and CEO of SunPower said: “These projects will provide clean, renewable energy, help address climate change and continue to provide agricultural benefits to the local farmers while protecting the area’s precious land.”
