Intel Moves To Top HQ With Renewable Energy

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One of the world’s largest semiconductor chip manufacturers, Intel is used to being on the top. Now, the American company is swapping things around, by making a bold move on top of their own headquarters in Santa Clara, with the installation of one of the world’s largest arrays of micro-wind turbines.

Intel has installed 58 micro-turbines atop the roof of their headquarters in Santa Clara, California, in what is a two-fold project aiming at providing renewable energy for the building, as well as acting as a proof of concept project, “in which Intel hopes to collect data that will help the company better understand green power and identify ways to continue evolving its sustainability programs.”

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Renewable energy is by no means a new stepping stone for Intel, who has a longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability. Earlier this year, the US EPA’s Green Power Partnership recognized Intel for the seventh year in a row as the largest voluntary purchaser of green power in the US, purchasing enough renewable energy certificates to meet 100% of its US electricity use for the year, which amounts to approximately 3.1 billion kWh.

More than that, however, Intel is also backing renewable energy projects, partnering with third parties to complete 21 separate solar installations across 12 Intel campuses, generating more than 12 million kWh per year of clean solar energy.

Maybe most importantly is the LEED Certifications that Intel can boast of, accruing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for more than 40 new and existing buildings across nine countries.

Intel’s new micro-turbine project, therefore, is just another in a long line of such projects that Intel hopes will keep them at the front line of sustainable manufacturing and business.

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“Based on average local wind speed, we expect the micro-turbines to generate power about 65% of the time, most likely during the often-breezy afternoon hours,” said Marty Sedler, the Director of Global Utilities & Infrastructure for Intel Corporation. “The micro-turbines are JLM Energy “Zefr” model, a small and efficient unit that offers ease of application, making them very versatile.”

Image Credit: via Intel


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Joshua S Hill

I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

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