The consumption of electricity is huge and it’s only growing per day. It takes a lot of electricity to keep the digital world on the float. Although electricity consumption is very bad for the environment because of the adverse effect of fossil fuels, we have to use it in order to survive. So how to find a good balance between using electricity without harming our environment? Renewable energy offers a safe and powerful solution to the world’s electricity needs. The shift away from fossil fuels is crucial to the prosperous future of our planet. As of now, most of the tech businesses depend on fossil fuels for their electricity. However, during recent years, a lot of big companies made a shift towards renewable energy. Moreover, according to an analysis by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, by 2050 renewable energy will account for 50% of the world’s energy.

Some of the tech giants have started implementing a strategy towards going green back in 2016. More specifically, Google and Apple had serious intentions of hitting a 100% renewable energy target by 2017 and 2014 accordingly. And they both succeeded. Big companies realize the importance of doing business in a more environmentally friendly manner. That’s why they want to be an inspirational example for smaller businesses to motivate them to go green. They support green energy for the sake of the planet, people and future generations. In this blog post, we will reveal why big tech companies support clean energy and choose to be an impact-maker.

How Google Achieved 100% Renewable Energy

Tech companies are the fastest growing energy consumers. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, on average, data centers handle almost 32 quintillion bytes of information per day, which is an equivalent of streaming 32 billion hours of Netflix shows. If you think about it, it’s insane that you need so much energy just for using the internet. Big companies have realized the importance of supporting clean energy, not only for social corporate responsibility but also for minimizing the negative impacts on the environment. Google is one of such companies. Back in 2016, Google’s Senior Vice President for Technical Infrastructure announced that the company plans to shift to 100% renewable energy sources.

At the time, Google was the largest tech company that was buying renewable energy. In fact, in order to hit the 100% clean energy target, the company needed to buy a unit of wind or solar energy for every unit of electricity consumed, such as coal or natural gas plants. Google kept its promise and proudly achieved the 100% clean energy goal in 2017. It is the largest consumer of green energy in the world with more than 3 gigawatts, while an average nuclear plant generates around 1 gigawatt of electricity. So the fact that Google has achieved this result is truly amazing for our planet. Smaller companies should look up to Google’s decision and get inspired to support the renewable energy industry.

Why Apple Supports Clean Energy

Another tech giant company that chose to be an impact maker is Apple. This company has tones of renewable energy projects, and it’s one of the first companies to go 100% green. Apple’s data centers had been supported by renewable energy sources since 2014. The tech company has proactively reacted to the climate changes that are the results of excess CO2 emissions. Because of the excess usage of fossil fuels, there's a huge cost we have to pay today in order to keep our environment healthy, reduce CO2 emission and tackle climate change. If big companies don’t consider switching to renewable energy sources in the nearest future, the consequences will be devastating for our planet and the environment.

In 2011, Apple had already started working on adopting renewable energy sources. Its renewable energy projects were powerful enough to reduce the CO2 emissions by 54% from its facilities. Around 2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions entering the atmosphere had been prevented. Apple has changed the way tech businesses should use electricity and has set an example for them to follow. The company is 100% clean in its own operations, however, many of its suppliers and contract manufacturers are not. But Apple is fully committed to changing the mindset of business owners. As of now, 23 of its suppliers are also operating on 100% renewable energy. In 2017, Apple’s suppliers helped avoid 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, which is an equivalent of 300,000 cars greenhouse gas emissions.

Renewable Energy For Small Businesses

Renewable energy is not available to big companies only. In fact, Google and Apple want to set an example to smaller businesses to follow. Taking care of our environment and the future of our planet is our responsibility. A study by the UN shows that human beings have just another decade to make changes in energy usage before irreversible damage is done to the environment. We have to change the way we treat the environment and should adopt renewable energy sources. So people need to dramatically change the way they use energy. This relates to businesses too because they use energy a lot. Choosing safer energy sources like wind turbines or solar panels can offer huge benefits to your small business. Moreover, renewable energy sources are more reliable and sustainable in the long-run.

Let’s consider the main advantages of businesses that support renewable energy:

Lower Energy Bills

When you’re using traditional energy sources, you will have a high energy bill to pay for every month. However, if you invest your money in buying solar panels or wind turbines, it will be an intelligent purchase for the future prosperity of your business. Firstly, you won’t compete for resources anymore, as the sun and wind have an unlimited energy supply. Secondly, you will invest in the panels or turbines and never think of paying for utility cost ever again. So unlike a popular myth about energy sources that they are too pricey, in the long run, they will save you lots of money. Alternatively, you can buy 100% renewable energy from an energy supplier like Phoenix and avoid spending too much money on installation.

Corporate Social Responsibility

In the 21st century, it’s extremely important for all businesses to set sustainable goals. Smart business owners know that to achieve customers’ trust, they must create value that is beyond the product or service they offer. By going green, businesses become influential impact-makers in their industry and win people’s trust. Adopting renewable energy is simply one of the many steps of becoming an environmentally friendly company.

Incentives of Going Green

There are some states in the US that offer incentives to companies that go green. For example, Phoenix helps businesses register with EPA, and put up a Window Decal Providing Social Media Posts to increase and engage followers. So companies that choose to go green will get lots of benefits from their energy supply company.

Any business, small or big, should consider supporting clean energy. In 2015, wind and solar energy made up only 7% of electricity generation. According to some predictions, clean energy will grow dramatically in the next 30 years. Thanks to cheaper prices of batteries and a reduction in the cost of clean energy sources, renewable energy in 2050 will account for 50% of the overall energy. So whether you want to save money, become an impact-maker, cut your carbon footprint or all together, adopting renewable energy is essential for achieving your business goals.