Apple Inc. (AAPL): Wind Energy Innovator?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is a technology company through and through, so that’s why it’s intriguing when we see news related to Cupertino’s involvement in the energy business.

First reported by Apple Insider, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application titled “On-Demand Generation of Electricity From Stored Wind Energy” earlier today, which was filed by Apple in June of last year.

The application, which can be seen here, details a rather unique method to generate electricity:

“The disclosed embodiments provide a system that generates electricity. During operation, the system uses a set of rotating blades to convert rotational energy from a wind turbine into heat in a low-heat-capacity fluid. Next, the system selectively transfers the heat from the low-heat-capacity fluid to a working fluid. Finally, the system uses the transferred heat in the working fluid to generate electricity.”

Modern-day wind turbines are reliant on a consistent level of wind to generate power, but Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s system transfers this energy into heat, storing it in a fluid, which could be “mercury, ethanol or an inert gas” according to Apple Insider.

The implications that Apple’s “on-demand generation” system will have on the wind power industry are unknown at this point, as it’s quite possible that the company is considering using the technology just to power its own property and equipment.

How do we know that this may be the case?

As TechCrunch pointed out, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s “massive data centers have huge power requirements, and the company has stated its commitment to harnessing wind, solar and other alternative energy sources to help keep these facilities running smoothly.”

On the company’s own website, it mentions that its data center in North Carolina will eventually use “the nation’s largest private solar arrays and the largest non-utility fuel cell installation operating anywhere in the country,” adding that “Onsite energy generation minimizes our dependence on the grid and reduces our environmental impact.”

Thus, it’s understandable that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) would be considering other areas of renewable energy to power its data centers as well.

Still, we have no way of knowing if Apple is developing this technology, so until we hear something specific from Cupertino, we’ll hold off on the speculation. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below, and for more Apple coverage, continue reading here:

Apple, China Mobile Deal Expected Next Year: Analyst

One Simple Fact That Many Apple Investors Are Forgetting

Two Top Tech Minds Discuss Future of Apple