Solar is on everyone’s mind at the moment. Millions of Australians are set to benefit from a government-backed solar sharing scheme, solar home battery installations are through the roof, and now Apple is getting in on the action in Australia.
As part of the tech company’s renewable energy efforts, Apple has started building a major array of solar panels in Lancaster, Victoria. Set to finish before 2030, the year Apple plans to be completely carbon neutral, the solar project will reportedly supply more than a million megawatt-hours each year to the National Electricity Market.
Currently underway, Apple expects the solar project to start supplying power in Australia next year. By the end of the decade, the company plans to generate enough energy to match the amount of electricity its customers use to power their devices.
“By 2030, we want our users to know that all the energy it takes to charge their iPhone or power their Mac is matched with clean electricity,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “We’re proud to do our part to support Australia’s transition to a cleaner grid and drive positive impacts for communities and nature — all while moving closer to our ambitious goal to be carbon neutral across our entire footprint.”
In addition to its solar plans, Apple also highlighted its forest restoration efforts in New Zealand and its farmland revitalisation project in Queensland.
Australia reportedly has more than four million solar installations across the country, which is a main driver of the Federal Government’s Solar Sharer scheme. If the scheme goes ahead as planned, households across New South Wales, South-East Queensland, and South Australia will have access to at least three hours of free electricity every day when solar generation is at its peak.
