Sustainable IT | Ted Samson » TAG: Wind power

November 28, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Google to invest millions in seeding green energy

TAGS: Alternative energy, Google, Solar power, Wind power

In a move with clear environmental and business benefits, Google has announced plans to pour tens of millions of dollars next year into research and development and related investments in renewable energy. The company also plans to invest hundreds of millions of greenbacks in breakthrough renewable energy projects that have a tangible financial ROI.

Dubbed RE < C (which presumably stands for "renewable energy costs less than coal-generated energy"), the initiative initially will focus on advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, enhanced geothermal systems and other potential breakthrough technologies.

"Our goal is to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. We are optimistic this can be done in years, not decades," said Larry Page, Google co-founder and president of products

Coal is used to supply 40 percent of the energy in the world, according to Google. Coal-spawned energy also results in the production of greenhouse-gas emissions. Renewable energy can reduce the amount of GHGs spewed out each year.

As part of the RE < C, Google will work with various organizations in the renewable energy field, including companies, R&D laboratories, and universities. Among them, there's eSolar, a Pasadena, Calif.-based company specializing in solar thermal power which replaces the fuel in a traditional power plant with heat produced from solar energy.

There's also Makani Power, located in Alameda, Calif. The company is developing high-altitude wind-energy extraction technologies aimed at harnessing the most powerful wind resources.

Sergey Brin, Google co-founder and president of technology, cited by both the economic and environmental benefits of fostering renewable energy sources: "Cheap renewable energy is not only critical for the environment but also vital for economic development in many places where there is limited affordable energy of any kind."

Of course, "places in the world where affordable energy is sparse" aren't the only ones to benefit from emerging alternative-energy technologies. As with other companies that have power-hungry operations and are investing in renewable energy, Google's move ties in to its own long-term sustainability. Being able to reduce power bills and to generate its own electricity results in more resources to expand.

Posted by Ted Samson on November 28, 2007 09:06 AM

November 27, 2007 | Comments: (0)

HP harnesses solar, wind power

TAGS: Alternative energy, Solar power, Wind power

Looking to reap financial savings and reduce its carbon footprint, HP today announced that it will use solar power for its forthcoming datacenter in San Diego and wind power for facilties in Ireland.

For the San Diego facility, HP has signed an agreement with SunPower that covers the installation of a 1-megawatt solar-electric power system and required maintenance of the system for the next 15 years. The solar installation won't belong to HP; rather, it will be financed and owned by a third-party financier. That means HP won't put down a dime in upfront capital costs. Moreover, under the terms of the agreement, HP has locked in a reduced, locked-in rate under the SunPower Access program.

HP estimates it will save approximately $750,000 in energy costs during the next 15 years. The company also will earn renewable energy credits as the installation will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 16 million pounds during the next 15 years.

The SunPower installation will include 5,000 solar panels atop five of the seven buildings. Notably, it will only provide just over 10 percent of HP's energy use at the San Diego facility.

Over in Ireland, HP has sign a contract with Airtricity, a renewable energy company developing and operating wind farms across Europe and North America. Through the agreement, Airtricity will supply renewable wind energy, generated by both onshore and offshore wind farms. to a number of HP's facilities in Ireland for fiscal year 2008.

Through the contract, HP will purchase more than 80 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy. The company predicts it will save around $40,000 over the year-long contract, and that it will reduce its carbon emissions by 40,000 tons.

Posted by Ted Samson on November 27, 2007 08:37 AM