Future Apple campus to use solar first

Further drawings of Apple's spaceship-like future campus have provided even more detail of its green focus. An updated posting from the city of Cupertino has shown the solar panel canopies that will cover most of the roof. Hopes are that the building will have so much solar power that it can rely on this first, and use the local grid only as a backup.

Cross-sections show the ring having a central gap that will serve both as a space for elevators as well as a place to circulate air. The "penthouse" at the top should help let in more natural light. Most of the needed mechanical system will be tucked away just under the roof, much like an attic.

Apple was already known to be focusing on having as much natural space as possible and will exactly reverse the ratio of greenery from HP's approach, jumping from 20 percent to 80 percent being covered by organic landscaping. A plan to nearly double the number of trees from 3,700 to 6,000, helped partly by apricot orchards, will have its own corporate benefit: the trees will obscure the line of sight, making it difficult for outsiders to look in from a distance.

Construction starts as soon as this year and would have the building ready for occupancy by 2015. For many, the building will stand as Steve Jobs' final legacy, having been one of his last public presentations and a design that would equally embody his design philosophy and the success the company had during his second tenure. [via AppleInsider]

By Electronista Staff

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industry, Steve Jobs, Apple