I Solutions, the systems integration arm of Energy Innovations, will begin constructing a solar electricity system for Google’s Mountain View, California, headquarters campus. With a total capacity of 1.6 megawatts -? enough to supply 1,000 average California homes -? the Google system will be the largest solar installation on any corporate campus in the United States and one of the largest on any corporate site in the world.
Google will save more than $393,000 annually in energy costs – or close to $15 million over the 30-year lifespan of its solar system. At this rate, the system will pay for itself in approximately 7.5 years.
The project will involve 9,212 solar panels provided by Sharp Electronics. A majority will be placed on the rooftops of some of the buildings in the Googleplex and others will provide shaded parking as part of newly constructed solar panel support structures on existing Google parking lots. The solar energy will be used to power several of Google’s Mountain View office facilities.
“We are pleased to be working with EI Solutions to undertake this major initiative to bring green energy to the Google campus,” said David Radcliffe, vice president of real estate at Google. “When the project is completed this spring, Google employees, shareholders and the community around us will begin to enjoy the environmental as well as economic benefits of clean, renewable energy generated on-site.”
A three-dimensional representation of how the project may look once completed can be viewed online at www.eispv.com. Visitors to the Solar Power 2006 conference and exhibition in San Jose can also view these renderings and discuss the project with EI Solutions management at Booth 517.
