Google will build a headquarters partially powered by solar energy

San Francisco - The American internet company Google will power its new headquarters in California's Silicon Valley with energy from solar panels. It will be the largest corporate solar-powered complex in the USA, the company announced late last night. The project is an example of support for alternative energy, but it will cover only a small share of the total energy consumption of the company.
    Google has named the area Googleplex and is beginning construction in Mountain View, about 50 kilometers south of San Francisco. The center will be capable of generating 1.6 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply a thousand California homes with energy. The company anticipates that solar energy will cover up to 30 percent of energy consumption in the offices.
    However, this does not include the energy consumed by data centers, which support the operation of the world's largest internet search engine. Energy experts estimate that the company's data centers consume ten times more energy than the offices.
    "This is the largest solar electric system on a corporate campus belonging to a client," said the chief spokesperson for the Solar Energy Industries Association.
    Google managers did not comment on the costs of the solar project. They also refused to disclose whether the installation would eventually generate enough revenue to cover the acquisition costs. "We wanted to dispel the myth that it is not possible to be environmentally friendly and profitable at the same time," said Google’s Vice President of Real Estate David Radcliffe regarding this.
    Before Google, other companies had large solar-powered office projects. The Microsoft campus in Mountain View is expected to generate 480 kilowatts of energy at peak, and Cypress Semiconductor has a system with a capacity of 336 kW, reported Reuters.