A Powerful Combination: Energy Conservation and Green Electricity
How companies use energy is important both for their efficiency and for the health of the planet. For Dell, there are two sides to smart energy use: conservation and renewable energy purchases.
How Much Energy We Use and What Types
During fiscal year (FY) 2011, our total energy use for operations, including a small fleet of security, site maintenance and other vehicles, is estimated to be 812.4 million kilowatt-hours (kWh). This number takes into account Perot Systems, which Dell acquired in the fourth quarter of FY 2010. Of this figure, approximately 83 percent is purchased electricity.
  | As the chart to the side shows, electricity from local utility companies provides the primary power for our factories, offices, labs and data centers. We use natural gas, propane and cooking gas in some buildings for food preparation, hot water heating, and building heating and cooling. Diesel fuel helps power backup electrical generators and fire system booster pumps in some locations. Reducing Energy Consumption Compared with FY10, total electricity used in FY11 increased by 11.9 percent. Most of the increase can be attributed to acquisitions, such as Perot. Over the past 4 years, we have completed more than 170 of efficiency improvement projects — for example, lighting upgrades; equipment optimization; installation of timers and sensors; heating; ventilation; and air-conditioning modifications. We're also explorer options to maximize the efficiency of new and existing data centers. New technology and design features, including the availability of green power, are changing how we look at data centers. Renewable Power Purchases Energy efficiency can help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, but it doesn’t eliminate them. That’s where renewable energy comes in. Eight of our global facilities — including our headquarters campus in Round Rock, Texas — are now fulfilling their power needs with 100 percent nonfossil fuel, renewable power. In the US, we are one of the top purchasers of renewable energy according to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partnership. During FY11, 21 percent of our global electricity purchases came from green power sources, as defined by the EPA. Our green power purchases in FY 2010 (including Perot Systems) reached 140.8 kilowatt-hours. We intend to continue our strategy of purchasing a significant amount of renewable power, in place of fossil fuels, from our utility providers in the coming years. |
