Google makes biggest corporate renewable energy purchase, publishes 2019 Environmental Report
Google hits 2017 goal of purchasing enough renewable energy to match global usage
Last October, Google reiterated in its annual environmental report that it was on track to purchase enough renewable energy to match all the electricity it consumed in 2017. The company today confirmed this for its offices and data centers, and in fact exceeded the goal.
Google publishes Environmental Report recapping last year, progress update for 2017
Google today published an updated Environmental Report that “closes out 2016” and provides an update on ongoing efforts for 2017. Three major milestones made 2016 a “landmark year” for Google, while the company is expected to reach 100% renewable energy in both offices and data centers this year.
Behind Apple & Facebook, Google gets an ‘A’ from Greenpeace in 2017 green internet report
The 2017 Clicking Clean report from Greenpeace takes an annual look at the performance of internet companies in terms of energy usage, with Google coming in third-place behind leader Apple and Facebook. The company was awarded an A for its continued usage of renewable resources and for pushing governments, utilities, and other vendors it works with to do the same.
Google’s 14th data center is opening on the grounds of a closing coal power plant
If you send email with Gmail, host your school papers on Google Drive, or watch YouTube videos, you’ve taken advantage of one or more of Google’s many data centers. Today, Google has announced that it’s opening up its 14th site globally, but they’re planning to do something interesting — they’re planning to rework the existing infrastructure of the soon-to-be shut down Widows Creek coal power plant in Alabama…
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Google powering Mountain View HQ from wind power as of next year
Google has announced that it will be powering its Mountain View headquarters with wind power from 2016–or, more precisely, that it will be purchasing enough wind-generated electricity to cover the power used by its HQ.
The agreement with NextEra Energy Resources will help to repower an iconic Bay Area wind farm at California’s Altamont Pass with new turbines that will pour 43 MW of electricity onto the grid starting in 2016 […]
Even though the electrons follow an untraceable path through the California electricity grid, we can be sure that we’re offsetting the electrical consumption of our North Bayshore headquarters with the renewable energy from the new turbines.
Google has been a carbon-neutral company since 2007, and already uses renewable energy to power its data centers (winning praise from Greenpeace), but this is the first time the company has made a direct commitment regarding its offices. Google also runs a free electric shuttle bus service for local residents.
Google shared the news the day after Apple announced that it is building a solar farm to offset all its California operations, including its new campus building currently under construction.
Google Street View flood mod shows your city under water
The impact of climate change is a hot topic and many environmentalists are urging the powers that be to take action. To help spread awareness and promote World Environment Day on June 5th, an eco-friendly crowdfunding outlet by the name of CarbonStory has put together an interactive website called World Under Water. Available exclusively on Chrome, this modified version of Street View paints a dramatic picture of what the world’s cities will look after sea levels have risen.
Google thinks outside the box, designs green cooling system for datacenter
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VChOEvKicQQ?rel=0]
Did you know a Google datacenter uses half the energy of a typical industry data center? The search company has gone to great lengths exploring green energy and it’s not just electric cars for employees. Unlike Google’s, about 70 percent of the world’s data centers are lacking the resources and expertise to go green, explains senior vice president of technical infrastructure Urs Hoelzle. Google’s Hamina, Finland facility depicted in the above clip is an example of such environment-friendliness.
Originally a paper-mill built in the 1950s, it takes raw sea water directly from the Gulf of Finland, pumps it through the existing seawater tunnel and runs it through heat exchangers to dissipate the server load heat from the facility. It than routes the warm water to another building where it’s mixed with the fresh sea water so it could be returned to the Gulf at a similar temperature in order to minimize an impact on environment. Investing in such innovations makes sense from the financial standpoint, too…
