Microsoft to Buy Solar Power From Singapore Public Buildings

Singapore – In a significant move towards achieving its ambitious climate goals, Microsoft has signed a 20-year agreement with EDP Renewables (EDPR) to purchase 100% of the solar energy generated from the SolarNova 8 project in Singapore. This landmark deal is a vital part of Microsoft’s broader strategy to ensure that by 2030, all its electricity consumption is matched by zero-carbon energy sources.

The SolarNova 8 project, awarded to EDPR in February 2024, is poised to be the largest solar initiative in Singapore’s history. The project will install up to 200 megawatt-peak (MWp) of solar capacity across 1,075 public housing buildings and 101 government-owned buildings, all feeding renewable energy into Singapore’s grid.

“Building our renewable energy portfolio with EDPR ensures that we can continue to secure renewable energy supply to meet Microsoft’s ambitious renewable energy and decarbonization goals.” – Adrian Anderson, GM, Renewables, Carbon-Free Energy, Microsoft

“Contracting with Microsoft is a catalyst for accelerating the energy transition and continuing to invest in the region,” said Miguel Stilwell D’Andrade, CEO of EDP Renewables. This deal strengthens the ongoing global collaboration between Microsoft and EDPR, a partnership aimed at pushing forward sustainability initiatives across multiple continents.

The SolarNova Programme, under which this project falls, was launched in 2014 as a joint initiative by Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB) and Housing Development Board (HDB). The program consolidates the public sector’s demand for solar panel installations and facilitates the widespread adoption of solar energy across the nation. The SolarNova 8 phase alone is expected to generate around 420 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of power annually, accounting for roughly 5% of Singapore’s total energy consumption.

“Building our renewable energy portfolio with EDPR ensures that we can continue to secure renewable energy supply to meet Microsoft’s ambitious renewable energy and decarbonization goals,” said Adrian Anderson, General Manager of Renewables and Carbon-Free Energy at Microsoft.

This deal represents Microsoft’s latest effort to recover from a 30% increase in carbon emissions reported last year, a spike attributed to its expanding investment in artificial intelligence and the resultant demand for more power-intensive data centers. Microsoft’s commitment to purchasing all the solar energy generated by SolarNova 8 demonstrates its determination to address the environmental impact of its operations.

The SolarNova 8 project not only supports Microsoft’s sustainability targets but also aligns with Singapore’s national solar goals, which aim for at least 2 gigawatt-peak (GWp) of solar energy capacity by 2030.

In 2018, Microsoft marked its first clean energy deal in Asia by signing an agreement to purchase all the energy generated by a similar 60MWp solar project developed by Sunseap Group, now part of EDP Renewables. This latest agreement builds on that foundation, reinforcing Microsoft’s role as a major player in the global transition to renewable energy.

As Microsoft intensifies its climate initiatives, partnerships like this with EDPR are essential for securing the renewable energy resources needed to power the future, both for the company and for the global community.