HOUSE OF SOLAR

Some time ago, Google announced that it would install a number of solar panels on the much-discussed Googleplex. Those panels are now in place, on, and, according to the company, generating “an electricity output capable of powering approximately 1,000 average California homes.”

It’ll still be quite a while before that free electricity offsets the initial cost of the system, but at least the panels have earned Google a little positive PR. The Earth Times Online, for example, states, “The Google system is also now the largest solar installation on any corporate campus in the United States.”

To help people grasp the size of this development, Google has even created a new performance monitoring site; I’m told that, over the past day, those solar panels have generated enough electricity to run almost 6,000 loads of laundry. There are interesting charts, as well – as it is solar power Google’s using, you’ll note that output drops to zero overnight. more..

Googles daily Solar energy output graph