Bloomberg to save $2m with solar-powered data centre

Bloomberg said the power purchasing agreement with Sun Edison will save $2m over the life of the deal.

The project is also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 11,600 tonnes—the equivalent of taking more than 6,800 cars off the road for one year.

The solar power will be provided through a state-wide program called “remote net metering”, where clean renewable energy is delivered over existing power lines.

“Bloomberg is constantly looking for opportunities to expand its portfolio of renewable energy projects that make good business sense–projects that reduce costs, diversify energy supply and have a positive environmental impact,” said Curtis Ravenel, Bloomberg’s global head of sustainable business and finance.”

Green streak

Bloomberg and SunEdison are founding members of the Business Renewables Center, which aims to accelerate corporate renewable energy procurement and double U.S. capacity of wind and solar energy by 2025.

Bloomberg is also a signatory of the Renewable Energy Buyers Principles, a set of six principles that articulate the needs of corporate renewable energy buyers.

Powering data centres with clean energy is an increasingly popular choice for tech firms, especially the behemoths of Silicon Valley.

Facebook recently unveiled plans to build a 100% renewable data centre in Texas, powered by a 17,000 acre wind farm.

Apple is also spending $1.7bn on two renewable-powered data centres in Ireland and Denmark, while Google announced plans in June to convert an old coal power station in Alabama into a clean energy data centre.

Brad Allen