by Search Copywriter
B. Emirzian
As if Google wasn't already a shining star amidst the world's search engines, the company has just made another momentous move - one that's already attracting a whole load of nods in its direction. On Monday, 16 October, Google Inc. announced its plans to convert the 'Googleplex' - the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California - to run partly on solar power. B. Emirzian
The project, which will require an installation of 9,200 solar panels on the Googleplex site, is thought to be the biggest solar project taken on by any US company. Google believes that the sun can provide as much as 30 percent - or 1.6 megawatts - of the power required by its 1 million-square-foot, $319 million headquarters in Mountain View. The operation is expected to be in place by next spring, and will be headed by Pasadena-based EI Solutions.
It comes as no shock that the 1 million-square-foot Googleplex consumes a staggering amount of power - as do most corporate companies. But Google is taking serious measures to lessen its impact on the environment. The solar-power project is yet another initiative to add to the various steps Google has taken whilst doing its part for the environment. The search engine, for example, operates a shuttle bus service which transports about 1,000 people every day.
Google's co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are apparently big supporters of environmental conservation and alternative energy - both began driving hybrid cars after the vehicles hit the mass market some years ago. What's more, Page is a major investor in Telsa Motors, Inc, a Silicon Valley company which develops electricity-run sports cars.
Technological advances - mainly the invention of photovoltaic cells - have enabled the use of solar energy in place of fossil fuels for over fifty years, so if solar-power conversion is highly beneficial to the environment, why aren't more companies 'going solar'?
Well, the problem seems to be that solar power is still two to three times more expensive than fossil fuels in the US, and the process relies on government subsidies. However, the industry is undergoing expansion, with an increasing number of companies generating a small portion of their power from solar panels. What's more, the solar energy industry is expected to make a big jump, growing from $11 billion to $51 billion within the next ten years. And while Google hasn't disclosed any details about the project's cost, anticipated savings from future energy bills are expected to compensate for initial expenses within five to ten years.
David Radcliffe, Google's vice president of real estate, said:
"We hope corporate America is paying attention. We want to see a lot of copycats."
Google's move certainly advances its status as a conscientious and responsible company, and continues to give it a 'shining star' status among the world's search engines - and who wouldn't want to follow in the steps of a shining star?
