Search Power Takes a Stand for Sun Power
"The Google service called Google Earth captures images of the planet from satellites. Now the search engine company is trying to capture the sun.
Google said Monday that it would build a large solar electricity system to provide about 30 percent of the electricity used each day at its one-million-square-foot office complex in Mountain View, Calif.
The system, which would use 9,200 solar cells -- capable of powering 1,000 average California homes -- would be one of the largest corporate solar installations, alternative energy experts said.
''This is significant -- both symbolically and practically,'' said Nicholas Parker, chairman of Cleantech Venture Network, a trade and research group for investors in alternative energy technology.
David Radcliffe, vice president for real estate at Google, declined to say how much the company expected to spend on the project. He said it would pay for itself in 5 to 10 years.
Mr. Parker estimated that such a project could cost Google $10 million.
The system is being constructed by El Solutions, a division of Energy Innovations, based in Pasadena, Calif.
Andrew Beebe, president of El Solutions, said solar cells that capture the sun's energy would cover the rooftops of Google's main buildings, along with the tops of several parking structures.
Mr. Beebe and Mr. Radcliffe said one reason Google was not trying to supply more than 30 percent of its electricity was that the plans required the use of all the available space for the solar cells.
Google was drawn to solar energy for economic, social and motivational reasons, Mr. Radcliffe said. He said the solar power system, in addition to paying for itself over time, would be socially responsible and would help attract smart, high-level engineers who wanted to work for a company trying to diminish the damage it does to the environment.
Mr. Radcliffe declined to say whether Google planned to use solar energy to power any of its other offices or the data centers where it keeps its server computers.
Mr. Beebe said Google would be in no danger of losing power on a cloudy day or because of a malfunction in its solar power system because the company would still rely heavily on the power grid of Pacific Gas & Electric, effectively giving it a backup system.
Google might even be able to generate surplus solar electricity that it could sell back to PG&E, creating another stream of revenue, said Mr. Parker of Cleantech Network.
''Google is now in the utility business,'' he said.
Mr. Parker said Google was making its move at a time when solar energy was moving ''from a cottage industry to being a significant industry.'' He said he expected that Google's name and influence would help spur the trend.
''Big companies targeting the kind of demographics Google targets are falling all over each other to be greener than each other,'' Mr. Parker said."