Solar Powered Search by Google

Heh, not a central topic here, but having just watched Al Gore's multimedia data extravaganza and being California types, we appreciate that Google has signed an agreement to generate a significant amount of their Mountain View, CA CPU juice via solar panels. Not only will it be a money saver (of about US$ 400 000 per year), but a great moment of not-evil PR ta boot.To quote:

Soon we plan to begin installation of 1.6 megawatts of solar photovoltaic panels at our Mountain View campus. This project will be the largest solar installation on any corporate campus in the U.S., and we think it's one of the largest on any corporate site in the world. The panels will cover the roofs of the four main buildings of the Googleplex, and also those of two additional buildings across the street. The amount of electricity that will be generated is equivalent to powering about 1,000 average California homes. We'll use that electricity to power several of our Mountain View office facilities, offsetting approximately 30% of our peak electricity consumption at those buildings. [more...]

The project is in motion. The materials to be used will have a 30 year lifespan and are projected to save Google approximately US$ 15 million over that time period. At the estimated saving rate, the system will pay for itself in approximately 7.5 years. Bravo Google. And to diverge even further, this builds on earlier successes in the California solar movement as well as our dear Schwarzenegger's (good grief) recent and nearly astonishing good thing. The contractor, California-based EI Solutions, was founded in 2001 and handles engineering, construction, as well as capital financing. They have a fancy video overview of the project.