Internet powerhouse Google said that it planned to install solar panels at its Silicon Valley campus to harness energy from the sun.
Google said the photovoltaic grids installed on a set of its buildings and
parking structures would be the largest at any US corporate campus and
among the biggest solar power networks at business headquarters in the
world.
The solar grid at the "Googleplex" in Mountain View, California, would
generate 1.6 megawatts of electricity, enough to meet the power demands of
about 1,000 typical California homes, according to the company.
The electricity was expected to offset about 30 percent of the peak power
needs of the buildings equipped with the panels.
"We believe that improving our environmental practices is not only our
responsibility as a corporate citizen, but good business planning," Google
said in a release.
"And of course by saving electricity (not to mention producing clean
renewable energy), we also save money. In fact, we believe this project
demonstrates that a large investment in renewable energy can be
profitable."