Posted on 10/17/2006 6:31:54 AM PDT by RayChuang88
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google Inc. (GOOG) is converting its renowned headquarters to run partly on solar power, hoping to set an example for corporate America.
The Internet search leader announced what is believed to be the largest solar project undertaken by a U.S. company during a solar energy conference in Silicon Valley on Monday. Google believes the sun eventually can deliver as much as 30 percent of the power at its 1-million-square-foot campus in Mountain View - a suburb about 35 miles south of San Francisco.
The ambitious project will require installing more than 9,200 solar panels on a high-tech mecca nicknamed the "Googleplex." After leasing the offices for several years, Google bought the campus for $319 million earlier this year.
Once they're in place next spring, the solar panels are expected to produce about 1.6 megawatts of electricity, or enough power to supply about 1,000 homes.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
They are cheaper but I believe it still takes 20 years to break even. Hardly a good economic choice...
Really? Send me some then. The spike in energy, commodities and especially refined silicon made mine very expensive this past summer. Google should get a quantity discount, but it will still take 50 years to recoup the costs.
Combine that with the coming of nanotube-based supercapacitor electric storage units and the day of distributed power generation (where every home generates its own electricity and shares the excess with other users) becomes reality within ten years.
Their money to do with as they wish. I wish them luck.
That metric is generally referenced for home owners, not businesses which have totally different usage needs.
Maybe they got a good deal, using Froogle. :-)
You went solar? How is it working out?
Does that mean that Google search will go dark until the Frisco fog burns off practically every morning. :)
I'm testing 3 panels. Haven't done much yet except hook up the regulators, batteries and a dummy load. My goal is to have a few things completely solar like the weather station, internet service, etc.
Actually, Mountain View, CA gets a lot less fog during the summer than up in San Francisco. You usually get low clouds early morning but it usually burns off by late morning.
The words long term investment come to my mind.
Not really. It's the shareholders' money, not the management's money. Management has a fiduciary duty to maximize shareholder value. Given that solar power is very cost ineffective, this could be considered a breach of fiduciary duty.
IMHO, wasting shareholder money on expensive green pipe dreams is that make the managers feel good is no better than stealing it outright.
Then don't invest in Google.
The only long term investment in solar that might make some financial sense would be investing in R&D to try to improve solar technology to make it more cost effective in the future. Pouring money into a costly, inefficient technology is hardly a good financial choice, even in the long term.
What about the people who already bought their shares before this green boondogle was announced? They are the ones who are getting ripped off, not new shareholders.
Then they can cry about it if they want but I doubt they will.
As long as things are going well, you're right, they probably won't. If Google ever experiences hard times, though, watch out.
Do you rent or own your own home? Which is the better long term investment? Do you believe that solar panels crumble and fall off the roof once they pay for themselves? Would a house with a solar array be more attractive to most buyers than without? I'll even bet you could easily recoup the costs plus some.
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