Microsoft Commits to a Brighter Future with Energy Deal from Sunseap
On Thursday, computer giant Microsoft took its first step in its commitment to clean energy with a deal with Singaporean solar energy company Sunseap. It marks the technology company’s first renewable energy deal in Asia and the single largest solar energy portfolio in Singapore to date.
In a press release, Microsoft stated the 20-year agreement with Sunseap is part of a global objective to supporting the growth of clean energy economies. By purchasing all the power generated by a planned rooftop solar project, Microsoft aims to maintain environmentally sensible and responsible business practices serving its data center operations.
Lawrence Wu, the co-founder, and director of Sunseap said:
“We see exciting potential in our partnership with Microsoft to raise awareness within the tech industry of the importance of adopting renewable energy solutions. Their investment in Singapore solar indicates a growing momentum for clean energy in the country and will further the positive ripple effect for organizations in Singapore to incorporate sustainability practices into their businesses.”
Sunseap’s rooftop solar energy project consists of an array of solar panels on rooftops across Singapore, generating an approximated 60 megawatts in solar power. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, a single megawatt can power 164 American homes. That impressive amount of power will be directed toward Microsoft’s datacenters that deliver cloud computing services to the millions of customers who use Azure, Office 365, OneDrive, and more.
The agreement with Sunseap is the third in Microsoft’s international clean energy initiative. In 2017, it made similar deals to buy all the power generated from wind farms operated in Ireland and the Netherlands. Microsoft reported that these three deals position the company on track to exceed renewable energy goals for powering global datacenters this year.
