Tech giant to go 100% solar-powered

She added that because Singapore is located at the equator, it is a “good source of solar energy”.

Though Apple declined to comment on when the Singapore store will open, anticipation is building among locals.

The iPhone maker has also committed to buy power from a California solar farm to supply electricity for its new Silicon Valley campus and other facilities.

The demand for iDevices such as iPhones and iPads has been growing in various parts of the world but not all countries have Apple stores.

“We have more than 900 incredible employees working in our Singapore contact center and are thrilled to begin hiring the team that will open our first Apple Store in Singapore – an incredible worldwide city and shopping destination”, says Angela Ahrendts, senior vice president for Retail and Online Stores in Apple.

As Reuters reports, the company also confirmed it will be opening its first retail store in the city-state after previously relying on third-party retailers. “We can’t wait to deliver the service, education and entertainment that is loved by Apple customers around the world”.

Sunseap said the panels to be used for Apple’s Singapore operations will be capable of generating “50 megawatts of solar energy”, or enough to power 9,000 homes.

Pure Fitness said this will make way for the opening of Apple’s first store in 2016. 33 megawatts of that power will go to Apple.

This makes Apple the first company in Singapore to run entirely on renewable energy, marking yet another first for the increasingly green company.

However, the IDC analyst firm reported this past summer that smartphone sales across Southeast Asia has grown by 66 percent, spelling a reachable audience for Apple and other tech companies to sell to.

“Sunseap’s strategic partnership with Apple represents a new frontier in Singapore’s drive to utilize more cost-competitive renewable energy”, said Goh Chee Kiong, a top official at the government’s Economic Development Board. Most of Sunseap’s solar panels use crystalline solar modules, which generate more energy from a smaller area.

Apple notes on its corporate website that the company is not just using solar energy to reduce carbon emissions.

This company will also most likely supply power for Apple’s new buildings that are launching next year.