Google inks $250 million deal with SunPower Corporation, will lease solar power to consumers

Yesterday was Earth Day and Google announced its biggest renewable energy purchase ever and today as an encore the company is looking to get into the home utility business. The Mountain View software giant has announced a $250 million partnership with solar cell manufacturer SunPower Corporation ($100 million from Google and $150 million from SunPower) that will see the two companies leasing solar panels to American households.

The idea is to offer this service to consumers at a price lower than the an average electricity bill, but Google has yet to provide any further details on costs or availability. With some homebuilding companies offering solar panels with new homes and firms like Solar City selling systems to consumers, this eco-friendly tech is becoming more of the norm and most importantly more affordable. If this trend continues, Google could easily recover its investment over an extended period of time.

(via Google)