Just last week Google announced its plans to install over 9,200 solar panels in its “Googleplex” campus in San Francisco, CA. This project, which Google hopes could end up supplying up to 30% of its power needs, is being heralded as the biggest solar project ever undertaken by a U.S. company. The internet giant is obviously very proud and has been bragging openly about this new endeavor — with the vice president of real estate, David Radcliffe, quoted as saying “We hope corporate America is watching. We want to see a lot of copycats.”
The project is slated to be up and running by next spring, and although no dollar amounts have been released on just how much this will cost Google, the company has said that with the energy it will save they expect it to pay for itself in 5-10 years.
Solar power has been around for a long time (first invented 50 years ago) but it continues to be more expensive than fossil fuels here in the U.S. The use of solar energy is expected to grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years, and this publicity can do nothing but help.
Author by Rigel Gregg
