Green Blog
A better web. Better for the environment.
Welcoming Internet Engine No. 15
12/22/15
Data centers are the engines of the Internet. As the next billion users come online—whether making payments from a mobile phone in Nairobi or
sequencing DNA
at Broad Institute in Boston—we need to increase our capacity to serve them, and keep things running blazing fast.
Today we’re announcing what will become our 15th global data center—we’re thrilled to be named new owners of the former Hemlock Semiconductor site in Montgomery County, Tennessee.
When selecting any site, we look at the unique attributes and base our designs around them to build the most efficient and high-performing data centers possible. For example, our newest data center
in Alabama, U.S.
will be built on the site of a coal power plant, and in
Hamina, Finland
we built on an old paper mill and use seawater as the sole cooling mechanism.
The Hemlock site was originally developed as a Semiconductor manufacturing plant, but unfortunately was never completed. We’ll be able to re-use much of the existing infrastructure, and will recycle and re-design what we don’t. Based on our assessments, this site will be able to house new technologies we’re currently testing in research & development, which would make this data center the most technologically advanced in the world.
We are excited to again be working with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), who will be our electricity provider at this site. Thanks to an arrangement with TVA we’ll be able to scout new renewable energy projects and work with them to bring that power onto their electrical grid; another step toward Google’s ultimate goal of being powered by 100% renewable energy. As the largest corporate energy purchaser in the world,
we have signed 2 gigawatts of renewable energy supply contracts
to offset the power used across our portfolio of data centers—equivalent to taking nearly 1 million cars off the road.
It’s a real pleasure to be moving into this space, and to become a part of Montgomery County. Total investments in this project will amount to more than $600 million, and we’ll start engaging with city and county officials to launch a formal community grants program around three issues: science and technology education, clean energy, and access to the Internet.
While opening a data center can take years, we can’t wait to get to the drawing board to design the next internet engine in our lineup. Good things come to those who wait!
Posted by Joe Kava, VP, Data Center Operation
s
Notes from COP21
12/16/15
From November 30 through December 11, the French government hosted
COP21
the UN Climate Change Conference which resulted in 195 countries coming together to adopt the most ambitious climate change agreement in history. Roughly 40,000 people attended including 195 nations and thousands of NGOs and corporations.
Over the past two weeks in Paris, Googlers have been discussing how sustainability has been making good business sense for us. We believe that strong action from the business community is critical to meeting the climate challenge. We were official sponsors of COP21 through the French Government, we co-hosted an event with RE100 and The Climate Group on the role of industry in driving renewable energy growth, and we showcased a Google immersive
Portal display
with rolling presentations of climate content from various partners!
At our event with
The Climate Group
and
RE100
, we hosted leaders from government and business at our Paris office to discuss the role that companies can play in leading the way to a 100% renewable energy future. More than 60% of global Fortune 100 companies have set public renewable energy or GHG reduction targets not only because they believe in environmental sustainability but because they think that renewable energy makes good business sense. Leaders from Google, Ikea, Unilever, Marks & Spencer, and Philips Lighting
discussed their business cases
for purchasing renewable energy, and were joined by officials from the European Commission and the South Australian Government to focus on the role of government policy in unlocking private sector demand for renewables.
To help showcase climate issues, the “Google Portal,” an immersive 9 screen, 3 x 3 meter square interactive display, was constructed in the public Climate Generations Area to allow people to explore and learn about their world, and to encourage public discussion. With 70 presentations, nonprofit demonstrations ranged from sea level rise by
Climate Central
, deforestation from
Global Forest Watch
and
MapBiomas
,
coral bleaching
from Underwater Earth and Sylvia Earle, and
Climate Reality
on the current state of climate changes. The Mayor of Paris, along with a
broader coalition of mayors
, presented their climate commitments before formal submission to the United Nations. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization discussed
Collect Earth
and land classification tool to enable country reporting and measurement and the EU Commission previewed the first look at a Global Water Surface map over the last 30 years. Google projects including
Makani’s
energy kites, the
Earth Engine platform
, a
timelapse movie
of the changing landscape, and YouTube’s
#OursToLose
campaign were shown.
It's great to see a strong international climate agreement coming out of Paris that moves us towards a zero-carbon economy. Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges of our time. Rising to that challenge involves a complex mix of policy, technology, and international cooperation and Google is committed to doing our part.
Posted by Kate Brandt, Lead for Sustainability
Should you go solar? Just ask Project Sunroof.
12/10/15
As the
COP21 conference in Paris
comes to an end this week, we’re expanding
Project Sunroof
, our online tool to help homeowners explore whether they should consider installing solar panels to reduce their energy costs, which we
first launched
in August. Starting this week, millions of homeowners across
select metro areas
in the most active solar states in the U.S., including California, Massachusetts, Arizona, New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Connecticut, Colorado and North Carolina, will be able to calculate their roof’s solar energy potential by using the same high-resolution aerial mapping technology used in Google Earth. Having this information will give you information on how to increase energy efficiency while cutting your monthly electric bill.
To provide accurate estimates,
Project Sunroof
uses a unique set of data that assesses how much sunlight your roof gets, the orientation, shade from trees and nearby buildings, and local weather patterns—essentially creating a solar score for every rooftop that it maps. You can then provide your current average electricity costs and compare them to what you'd pay with solar. So not only can you learn whether your house is a good fit for solar panels, but you can also determine whether paying for installation will pay off in the long run -- in short, see the effect sunlight can have on your wallet.
Map of sunlight hitting roofs in downtown Boston
Solar installations today are growing rapidly (a system is installed every
2.5 minutes
in the U.S.), but there remains tremendous untapped potential. In fact, only half a percent of U.S. electricity comes from solar power. According to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association’s
U.S. Solar Market Insight Report
, the US is on track for a record-breaking year, thanks to a booming residential photovoltaics market. By end of 2016, cumulative solar installations are poised to nearly double.
Solar may help you cut costs while increasing efficiency. With
Project Sunroof
, you can more easily assess your home's solar energy potential—and help move us all toward a more renewable future.
Posted by Carl Elkin, Engineering Lead for Project Sunroof
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