According to a filing, Apple’s 4.8 megawatt fuel cell farm in North Carolina will shortly witness the fuel cell installation close to the adjoining solar farm, which currently powers the N.C .data center. Bloom Energy is the company that will supply the fuel cells; is already providing servers to Apple’s Cupertino campus. This step is most likely to generate greater confidence in the use of hydrogen energy and bring the home of iCloud data center into the limelight once again.
The first phase will constitute installing 24 Bloom units. Details about the amount of natural gas required for extracting hydrogen has not been disclosed yet, it is only known that the Piedmont Natural Gas will be used. Since the administration wants the facility to be renewable facility, therefore, they are reported to produce biogas in course of time to replace it with natural gas.
Reports from the Energy Information Administration reveal that the cost using fuel cell is approximately $6.7 million per megawatt, which makes it one of the most expensive forms of energy and that this project is likely to cost Apple $30 million. Although tax rebates, selling surplus electricity to Duke University may help compensate some part of the cost, the rest will have to be endured by Apple.
Via: Appleinsider
