Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Microsoft Installs Silicon Valley’s Largest Solar Panel System at Its Mountain View Campus
System Offsets Electrical Demand During Peak Load, Reducing Impact on Environment

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.asp?Feed=PR&Date=20060421&ID=5660525&Symbol=US:MSFT

Additional Environmental-friendly initiatives at Microsoft Silicon Valley:

    — Replacement of high-energy lighting with more efficient lighting
    — Reduction of hours of operation for heating, ventilation, air
       conditioning (HVAC) and full lighting
    — Adjustment of set points and efficient operation of HVAC systems
    — Reduction of parking lot ground cover landscaping to reduce irrigation
       requirements
    — Modification of water timing to improve water effectiveness
    — Continually monitor heating and cooling systems so that they at maximum
       efficiency

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    — Recycling and conservation. Microsoft has an extensive recycling and
       conservation program at its corporate headquarters that reduces waste,
       and conserves resources at all the company’s facilities, recycling a
       daily average of 24 tons of material. The company also recycles old
       PCs, monitors, servers and other surplus hardware. In addition,
       Microsoft participates in programs throughout the world that refurbish
       thousands of PCs every year and donate them to schools and
       nongovernmental organizations.
    — Employee transit. Microsoft encourages its employees to take action in
       their daily lives through car-pooling programs and alternative
       commuting choices. At many campuses, the company offers public
       transportation passes to its employees and assists with the arranging
       of van and car pools. One of the most popular days at the SVC is the
       "bike to work day," when employees are encouraged to pedal their way to
       the office.
    — Environmental design. Software and hardware products are designed to
       comply with worldwide environmental regulations. Microsoft does not use
       heavy metals, such as lead or cadmium, in packaging for any of its
       products, and the company restricts the use of toxic substances in its
       manufacturing operations as well.
    — Vendor requirements. As a global company manufacturing all over the
       world, Microsoft requires that all vendors abide by the applicable
       environmental laws and follow good environmental practices that reflect
       the spirit of those laws.