Microsoft is doubling down on its renewable power commitments with groundbreaking offers in each Singapore and India. The corporate securred a 20-year settlement with Singapore’s largest SolarNova mission and a big inexperienced power buy from India’s ReNew Power World.
Shining Shiny with Singapore’s SolarNova 8
The long-term contract will see Microsoft shopping for 100% of the renewable energy exported to the grid from the mission, which is managed by EDP Renewables (EDPR).
The SolarNova 8 mission is acknowledged as the most important photo voltaic initiative beneath Singapore’s SolarNova program. It goals to put in photo voltaic panels on over 1,000 public housing blocks and greater than 100 government-owned buildings. Collectively, they’ll collectively generate as much as 200 megawatts (MW) of capability.
The settlement is a part of Microsoft’s broader technique to fulfill its bold objective of utilizing 100% renewable power for its operations by 2030. The corporate has confronted challenges in reducing its carbon footprintsignificantly with rising emissions on account of elevated investments in synthetic intelligence.
Nevertheless, by securing a gradual provide of renewable power from initiatives like SolarNova 8, Microsoft is reinforcing its dedication to sustainability.
The SolarNova program, launched by Singapore’s Housing and Growth Board (HDB) and the Financial Growth Board (EDB), is a central element of the nation’s plan to attain a photo voltaic capability of a minimum of 2 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. This system has seen a number of phases, with SolarNova 8 being probably the most in depth thus far. The power generated from this part alone is predicted to contribute about 420 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy yearly, masking about 5% of Singapore’s complete power consumption.
Remarking on their Singapore renewables deal, Adrian Anderson, GM, Renewables, Carbon Free Power, Microsoft, acknowledged that:
“Building our renewable energy portfolio with EDPR ensures that we can continue to secure renewable energy supply to meet our Microsoft’s ambitious renewable energy and decarbonization goals.”
For Singaporethe success of the SolarNova program displays the nation’s dedication to integrating sustainable power options into its city infrastructure, making it a mannequin for different cities worldwide.
As the most important photo voltaic mission in Singapore, SolarNova 8 not solely boosts the nation’s clear power capability but in addition demonstrates how company partnerships can speed up the shift in the direction of a extra sustainable future.
Tech Giants’ Photo voltaic Energy Technique
This partnership between Microsoft and EDPR will not be their first collaboration. The 2 firms had beforehand labored collectively on a smaller photo voltaic mission in Singapore in 2018, additional cementing their relationship in advancing renewable power initiatives.
By these efforts, Microsoft will not be solely progressing in the direction of its personal sustainability objectives but in addition supporting Singapore’s broader goals beneath the Inexperienced Plan 2030, which targets vital reductions in carbon emissions and elevated reliance on clear power.
The deal highlights the rising pattern of main firms like Microsoft leveraging long-term energy buy agreements (PPAs) to safe renewable power sources, thus driving the worldwide power transition.
Different tech giants are additionally utilizing Renewable Power Certificates (RECs) or renewable power carbon credit, to sort out their carbon footprint.
In 2022, Amazon closely relied on unbundled RECs for 52% of its renewable power wants, making it probably the most depending on these devices amongst main tech firms. Amazon has acknowledged this reliance and acknowledged plans to scale back it as extra of its instantly contracted renewable power initiatives come on-line.
Likewise, Meta used unbundled RECs for 18% of its renewable power in 2022. These approaches spotlight completely different methods of the large tech to attain renewable power objectives.
It’s the identical for Microsoft, which additionally goals to chop dependence on RECs sooner or later. Its acquisition of solar energy from Singapore’s public buildings is a vital improvement in each the corporate’s and the nation’s efforts to fight local weather change.
Microsoft Expands Renewable Power Push in India
Individually, in IndiaMicrosoft has entered into an settlement to buy 437.6 MW of inexperienced attributes from ReNew Power World. This contract is predicted to generate over 1 million models of inexperienced electrical energy attributes yearly, contributing considerably to Microsoft’s sustainability objectives within the area.
This partnership is a considerable step ahead for each firms, aligning with Microsoft’s bold renewable power and decarbonization objectives. Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India and South Asia, highlighted the significance of this settlement in accelerating Microsoft’s progress in the direction of its sustainability goals. He additional mentioned that:
“We are taking a holistic approach that includes progressing our climate goals and empowering the ecosystem with the technology that is needed to build a more resilient future.”
Along with the power provide contract, ReNew has dedicated to allocating $15 million of income from the Microsoft contract in the direction of a neighborhood fund. This fund will concentrate on environmental justice initiatives, significantly these geared toward bettering ladies’s livelihoods, financial empowerment, rural electrification, environmental remediation, and water high quality. The ReNew Basis, the philanthropic arm of ReNew, will collaborate on these initiatives, aligning with Microsoft’s environmental justice priorities.
Moreover, in August 2024, Microsoft additionally entered right into a five-year framework settlement with Pivot Power to develop as much as 500MW of community-scale photo voltaic initiatives throughout the USA from 2025 to 2029. This settlement additional underscores Microsoft’s dedication to increasing its renewable energy footprint globally.
These agreements mirror Microsoft’s technique to diversify its power sources and help the worldwide transition to renewable power. These efforts are a part of the corporate’s broader initiative to make renewable power extra accessible and widespread.
