Equinix, Inc announced the deployment of a 1MW rooftop solar system at its ME1 International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre in Melbourne. The initiative is part of its efforts to reduce energy costs and combat climate change by incorporating renewable energy sources into its operations.
The new deployment marks one of the largest rooftop solar projects in Australia’s data center history with installations of rooftop solar systems at eight of its data centers across Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Total 1.8MW of Clean Energy To Local Power Grids
Collectively, the installations provide approximately 1.8MW of clean energy to local power grids, furthering Equinix’s commitment to sustainable practices in the regions where it operates.
To assist in the funding of this latest rooftop solar deployment in Melbourne, Equinix claimed Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs), which is part of the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) programme established by the Victorian government to help reduce power bills and greenhouse gas emissions.
According to Minister for Climate Action, for Energy and Resources the Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio Data centres are energy intensive, but through the VEU program Equinix has been able to install a large-scale solar system that reduces their operating costs and helps to lower their emissions
“Since 2009, the VEU has helped more than 2 million households and 150,000 businesses lower their energy bills and we look forward to saving them even more when we bring more options into the program soon.” D’Ambrosio said.
The 1MW rooftop solar system is Equinix’s largest onsite rooftop solar PV system globally, and one of the largest at any data centre in Australia. It reinforces Equinix’s continued focus to add clean energy to the local grid and contribute towards decarbonation.
Equinix Australia’s Managing Director Guy Danskine, said, “Deploying rooftop solar systems at our Australian data centres is an important step in our overarching strategy to help decarbonise the grid and foster a more sustainable future for data centres,”
“In Australia, we have invested millions of dollars in solar systems and have plans to expand this further. We are constantly exploring ways to deliver our digital infrastructure in the most sustainable way to address surging digital needs of businesses and support the development of the country’s digital economy.” he said.
Meanwhile, Equinix announced the signing of its first long-term renewable energy Power Purchase Agreement in Asia-Pacific, securing 151MW of renewable energy from the Golden Plains Wind Farm – East in Victoria, which will supply enough energy to the grid to cover Equinix’s 17 IBX data centres across Australia.
Since 2018, Equinix has consistently maintained a renewable energy coverage of over 90% globally. In 2022, the figure rose to 96%.
Despite the company’s growth, its renewable energy purchasing on a MWh-basis has surged by 29% over the past two years. Equinix aims to reach 100% renewable energy coverage by 2030.
Based on current load projections, the recent Power Purchase Agreement between Equinix and Golden Plains Wind Farm is anticipated to contribute the remaining 4% needed to achieve this goal by 2030.
