Apple part of third-party solar certification program in Singapore and Taiwan

Apple and the Center for Resource Solutions are launching a new solar certification program in Singapore and Taiwan by certifying the Wan Ja Shan soy sauce brewery's solar installation.

The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) is expanding its Green-e certification program to renewable energy projects based in Asia. The first projects are in conjunction with Apple, and are located in Singapore and Taiwan.

"CRS is excited to launch its Green-e renewable energy standard in Singapore and Taiwan with Apple's support," said CRS Executive Director Jennifer Martin. "The new Singapore and Taiwan standards and Apple's pilot projects will create opportunities to rapidly increase renewable energy development and adoption throughout Asia."

Wan Ja Shan Brewery manager Tony Chung told Bloomberg News that it took 18 months of discussion with Apple for a deal to be reached. The project appears to be an extension of a program that the brewery started five years ago. Outside of the manufacturing and supply chain, this appears to be Apple's first solar deal with a third party.

Chung says that the solar project, which will involve a 50,000 square meter roof, will start before the end of 2019. Wan Ja Shan Brewery co-developed this rooftop solar array and secured a long-term contract with Apple to own the project's renewable energy certificates.

CRS previously worked with Apple to complete the pilot certification of Apple's 32-megawatt 800-rooftop solar project in Singapore. This energy is now certified under the Green-e Energy program's Direct certification option, which is designed for organizations building generation themselves or contracting renewable energy directly.

When asked for comment, Apple referred to its environmental initiatives page.

Apple has been working toward net zero energy for years, starting with a promise to power its Maiden, N.C., data center with renewable resources in 2012. Identical projects involving solar, wind and fuel cell solutions have rolled out with each new facility, including a $2 billion data center in Mesa, Ariz.

In 2016, Apple joined the RE100 initiative, effectively pledging to transition its worldwide infrastructure to renewable energy sources.

After significant investments, Apple reached the net zero milestone in April 2018.

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3 Comments

seanismorris

said about 4 years ago

Does Apple get tax breaks? It’s odd to put solar panels on someone else’s roof...

Mike Wuerthele

said about 4 years ago

seanismorris said:

Does Apple get tax breaks? It’s odd to put solar panels on someone else’s roof...

We don't know. We're trying to get some answers, but aren't expecting much.

tht

said about 4 years ago

seanismorris said:

Does Apple get tax breaks? It’s odd to put solar panels on someone else’s roof...

It’s a business. It gets “tax breaks” all the time. It’s the way the USA designed it and wants them to do it. Like they can reduce their taxable income in some fraction of the amount of the monetary depreciation of their hardware and facilities. This is like a standard tax break that every single business uses in the USA, and likely elsewhere in the world. Eg, your work truck worth 50k in 2010 is now worth 5K in 2019. You can claim this depreciation on a year by year basis, as long as it is used for work. You can claim the miles driven in that work truck! You can claim almost any form of loss. You sold your stock at loss? You can claim that loss and reduce your taxable income. You can reduce taxable income by claiming taxes paid on new products purchased. This is basically a lump sum, one line item value for the vast majority of private citizens, but for a conglomerate who buys in billions of dollars new stuff every year, that sheet will be measured in inches of stacked paper, not the number of lines in a table on one sheet.

In Singapore and Taiwan? Who knows what the tax code is there. They’ll likely have similar financial tools for businesses though. For renewable energy, Apple probably takes advantages of any lower taxes levied on feeding power into the grid from their energy plants (solar, wind, hydro), or takes advantage of it as part of their power purchase agreements between power provider - utility- consumer. They often are the power provider and the consumer, so there might be a reduction in “taxes” due to that, resulting in cheaper power costs for them.

As for putting solar panels on someone else’s roof, that’s not uncommon. A lot of companies do this as there primary source of business. They essentially lease someone’s roof to put solar panels there. The roof owner gets a bit of money, the panel owners get more power to sell to the utility, and if it is in a deregulated market, sell as energy units to the market of energy buyers. I think Sunrun (or is it Sunpower?) does this as big part of their business. Nothing unusual about it. In Singapore, that may be the primary way a solar generation company can do it as it’s basically nothing but dense housing and buildings with very little free spaces.

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