Clean energy of Google

[SensoVision]

I've just come across article which tells about how Google using solar power and try to promote it through www.google.org
I think that if this project would become popular as their previous ones than it could really make a difference to global ecology...

Google's love for solar may extend to other renewables
Posted by Martin LaMonica

BOSTON--When it comes to bragging rights and solar power, Google's on top: it has the largest corporate installation of solar-powered electricity yet.

But that apparently is just the beginning. The search giant is also considering other forms of renewable energy, according to Robyn Beavers, the director of environmental programs at Google. Google intends to generate 50 megawatts of electricity from renewable forms for its operations by 2012.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin charge a plug-in beneath its solar-powered car port.

Beavers spoke at the Conference on Clean Energy here on Monday where she outlined a number of initiatives that Google participates in aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Those include the 1.6 megawatt solar installation at its corporate headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. In addition to panels on building roofs, Google has constructed a car port with solar panels as a roof, under which people can charge up plug-in hybrids.

Asked whether Google was considering wind power, Beavers said she couldn't say. But she didn't leave much doubt that all forms of renewable energy are actively under consideration.

"Wind, solar, geothermal, fuel cells--you name it, we're looking into it," she said.

Corporate buyers are prized customers for the thousands of clean-tech start-ups that have cropped up over the past few years. Wal-Mart's decision to invest in solar has been a closely watched move and indicator of solar power demand.

Renewable energy projects like solar, wind or biomass can be financially interesting to businesses because they typically allow companies to get a contract with fixed energy prices, which acts as a hedge against rising rates.

In the case of Google, which consumes a lot of electricity to power its operations and data centers, its investment in solar electricity will pay for itself in seven and a half years. Its consumption from the grid has been reduced by 30 percent and its bills cut down a lot more than 30 percent, Beavers said.

source: http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9807330-7.html

[Andy]

It's great to see big G doing this. I just hope the staff are drinking cold drinks such as tap water rather than hot coffee which wastes energy.

p.s. off topic: an SEO tip revealed here... register a .org for high non-profit ranking in big G  Copy what they do, reverse engineer etc. Look at the emphasis of the .ORG in the logo!

[White Wolf]

I just hope the staff are drinking cold drinks such as tap water rather than hot coffee which wastes energy.

Wow thats kind of extreme, I'm enjoying a HOT coffee right now. Google uses massive amounts of energy to power all of it's data centers etc. and your worried about a coffee maker?

[Andy]

Hmm, I guess I use a few giga watts of Google's energy just linking to them.

[SensoVision]

Shame on you Kevin and Andy! 

Talking seriously if I understand correctly they are not going to stop and plan to power them not from main grid but alternative power sources. I think with their massive power consumption such investments like buying solar panels would quickly return IMHO.

[Queen Bee]

It's great to see Google taking these steps to improve the environment. There's nothing more outstanding than seeing a big corporation putting forth the effort... it raises standards.

[SensoVision]

yeah and it surely make them more popular IMHO and could raise price of their shares as shows that they are innovative and have a vision of future.

[charles.steve]

This will help them to raise their business