Corp. Intel is the largest consumer of clean energy in the U.S., part of which is solar. The energy obtained from renewable sources is 47% of all energy, which is buying the company.

Enterprise Intel in Bangalore (India) receives the hot water, heated by a special unit working on solar energy. Similar devices are installed in Israel. Within 5 years, Intel plans to equip them virtually all businesses, wherever possible.

By analogy with the way Nike recycles old shoes by making new shoes or school in your area collects waste paper for its processing, Intel annually sells 60 tons of scrap wafers, remaining as a result of manufacturing processors, manufacturers of solar cells. Millions of tons of scrap is the basic material needed to create such a number of solar cells that can produce more than 6 MW of clean energy per year.

Intel Capital has invested more than $ 50 million in companies engaged in the production of solar cells. Activity Intel aims to promote the development of environmentally-oriented development strategies in different countries: we show how the field of information and communication technologies, which together are responsible for the release of 2% of world total carbon dioxide, can reduce these emissions in other sectors, which account for the remaining 98% . This year we plan to reduce consumption by 5%. Will solar energy be useful to achieve this goal?

According to Todd Bradley (Todd Bradley), Intel directors to assess the impact of activity on the environment, investing in the installation of solar panels on the roofs of the buildings still be profitable if there is no additional subsidy and incentive offers from the state. Nevertheless, for the Intel Corporate Services the use of solar heaters brings some benefits.

"Environmental" investments made in companies working with "green" energy, but not profitable, or technology that continues to be profitable from a financial point of view, are the focus of the investment fund Intel Capital (ICAP). Over the past few months made a major investment fund that will support the development of solar energy.

In June, as a result of separation from Intel was organized by the new company, created on the base unit Intel New Business Initiatives, - SpectraWatt. The new company will manufacture photovoltaic cells, which are an integral part of the solar panels that generate electricity from sunlight.SpectraWatt received $ 50 million as seed capital from ICAP and other investors.

In early July, ICAP has become the largest investor in Sulfurcell - German manufacturer of thin-film solar modules - investing $ 35 million to expand production capacity of the company. In July, ICAP has invested $ 12.5 million in Voltaix, which supplies materials for semiconductor manufacturing and production of solar cells. The turning point in market development of solar energy, according to Managing Director of ICAP Cleantech Sector Ayhenlauba Steve (Steve Eichenlaub) will be "network equity", where you can buy electricity from renewable sources, for the same price as usual. "This moment will come when the photovoltaic and other solar cells will cost so much that I can exclaim:" Wow, I can buy tiles or solar panels for my roof for the same price! "", - Said Ayhenlaub. .

"Until this year, in which Intel has become the biggest consumer of" green "energy, we did not think to win in this competition", - commented director of Intel on the formation of energy policy development and programs to protect the environment, Stephen Harper (Stephen Harper).

Information on energy consumption of ICT and large data centers is not always correct and sometimes not perceived adequately. For this reason, and despite the fact that Intel is seeking maximum performance per watt in its products, regulatory bodies begin to revise the maximum allowable energy consumption, which ultimately hinders the possibility of large computing centers.

We continue to improve the efficiency of computer systems, but must show that ICT can significantly reduce the consumption of electric energy in other sectors, which account for 98% of remaining global carbon dioxide emissions. Show it - work Harper. The fact that Harper called "digital campaign against CO2», involves work, Intel and several other companies and organizations aimed at promoting the United States, China, India and other countries in information technology to help improve the efficiency of spending power.

One recent study - Smart 2020 - The study concludes that IT and the Internet in their use in designing intelligent buildings, logistics, electrical networks and production can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15% globally by 2020. Harpner and his team will support this strategy and promote technologies that will solve this problem.