United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
April 2009
CLIMATE LEADERS
CORPORATE CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTS - CASE STUDY #1
Applied Materials
Solar Panel Installation at Corporate Office Buildings
APPLIED MATERIALS*
Company Overview
Applied Materials, Inc. is the global leader in
nanomanufacturing technology solutions with a
broad portfolio of innovative equipment, service
and software products for the fabrication of
semiconductor chips, flat panels, solar photovoltaic
cells, flexible electronics and energy efficient glass.
Founded in 1967, Applied Materials creates and
commercializes the nanomanufacturing technology
that helps produce virtually every semiconductor
chip and flat panel display in the world.The company
recently entered the market for equipment to
produce solar arrays and energy efficient glass.
To support its customers, Applied Materials employs
approximately 14,000 people throughout the world.
In fiscal year 2006, Applied Materials recorded net
sales of U.S. $9.17 billion.
Vision
To meet its corporate goal of reducing emissions
by 20 percent by the year 2012, Applied Materials
demonstrated their commitment to solar power
by installing photovoltaic panels at a number of its
buildings around the world.
Project Description
In 2007 and 2008, Applied Materials added 1.99
megawatts of solar energy to its research and
development campus in Sunnyvale, California,
making it the largest solar system in the San
Francisco Bay area and the largest system in the
United States to be installed at an existing corporate
complex.The project consists of two major solar
components: a rooftop installation of 4,653 panels
(completed in late 2007) and a tracker system
featuring 3,344 panels that covers the employee
parking lot (completed in mid 2008).
Applied Materials also installed solar panels at their
office campuses in Austin,Texas and Xi'an, China.
TheTexas location generates 24 kilowatts and is one
of the largest systems in the Austin area. The Xi'an
site generates 56 kilowatts and is currently the only
installation in the Shaanxi Province of China.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
• Annual Energy Savings: $1.28 million
• GHG Reduction: 2,700 metric tons of C02e
• Payback Period: 10-11 years
Climate Leaders Goal: reduce total global GHG
emissions by 20 percent from 2006 to 2012
Climate Leaders is an EPA industry-government partnership that provides guidance and recognition to
companies developing long-term climate change strategies. Through program participation, companies CLI MATE V
create a credible record of their accomplishments, reduce their impact on the global environment, and
identify themselves as corporate climate leaders.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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APPLIED MATERIALS
Over 4,600 solar panels installed on the rooftop of Applied Materials' Sunnyvale, Ca. corporate complex
Benefits and Energy Savings
Applied Materials estimates its annual energy savings
from the Sunnyvale installation to be $1,280,000, or
approximately 4,000 megawatt hours of electricity
and 2,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide - the
equivalent of removing 495 passenger vehicles from
the road.
The installation's payback period is projected to be 10
to 11 years, which includes two financial incentives
paid by their utility company under the California
Solar Initiative. The rooftop system qualified for a
one-time rebate based on the system's size, whereas
the parking lot installation qualified for a $0.34-per-
kilowatt-hour discount that ties into the system's
electricity output. This performance-based rebate will
be phased out over a five-year period.
Project Challenges
Applied Materials experienced no legislative setbacks
related to zoning requirements or state permits and
found the city, state, and utility company to be very
cooperative with their solar project.
There were a few minor construction concerns
associated with altered traffic patterns during
construction and removal of a number of trees
blocking sunlight to the parking lot panels. Trees
were replanted elsewhere on the Sunnyvale campus.
Communication Strategy
In preparation of the Sunnyvale installation, Applied
Materials sent out intranet messages to its employees
and put up posters informing its workers about the
upcoming project, its benefits, and the potential
disruption in parking patterns.
Upon the solar project's completion, Applied Materials
held an employee-only dedication and reception
followed by a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring
Governor Schwarzenegger a few months later.
In addition, Applied Materials keeps its employees
informed of their solar projects via an interactive,
intranet website that highlights their projects
around the world, offers real-time information about
power generation, and tallies current and future
environmental benefits and energy reductions.
Future
Applied Materials will continue with its commitment
to reducing emissions and resource consumption
by identifying additional locations to install solar
panels. They are looking into constructing the largest
solar system on the island of Singapore, which could
generate approximately 400 kilowatts at their new,
LEED-certified manufacturing facility.
WWW.EPA.GOV/CLIMATELEADERS
CLIMATEr
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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