Data Center Google

Data Center Google

Data Center GoogleAcross Google, we're currently using renewable energy to power over 30% of our operations. We're committed to using renewable energy like wind and solar as much as possible. So why don't we build clean energy sources right on our data centers? Unfortunately, the places with the best renewable power potential are generally not the same places where a data center can most efficiently and reliably serve its users. While our data centers operate 24/7, most renewable energy sources don’t—yet.So we need to plug in to the electricity grid, and the grid isn’t currently very green. That's why we're working to green the electricity supply as a whole—not just for us, but for everyone.We’ve purchased renewable energy from wind farms, adding new clean power near our data centers and the communities around us. We found an opportunity in Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)—long-term contracts (typically 20 years) to buy clean energy from a particular producer.When we enter into a PPA, we choose projects that add new renewable energy sources to the market. By providing developers with a solid commitment, we help them get the money they need to finance new clean energy facilities. In exchange, we get clean energy at competitive prices as well as the renewable energy certificates (RECs) to help reduce our carbon footprint. Together, we make the grid a little bit greener.Here’s how a PPA works
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We've also partnered with a utility provider to increase the amount of renewable energy powering one of our data centers, and with other utility partners to develop more options for large customers in the state that want to buy renewable energy. Until renewable energy is readily and constantly available in the areas where we have data centers, we'll continue to find creative ways to supply our data centers with clean energy.We’re going beyond investing in renewable energy for our own operations. We’re also investing in renewable energy projects to grow the industry as a whole. Specifically, we've committed over $1 billion to renewable energy projects such as large-scale wind and rooftop solar. These projects represent a total capacity of over 2 GW, which is far more electricity than we use for our own operations. To put this in context, these projects will generate the same amount of energy used to power over 500,000 homes.Google is the first major internet services company to gain external certification of our high environmental and workplace safety standards throughout our US and European data centers. More specifically, all of our US and European data centers have received voluntary ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications. Additionally, we’re the first company in the United States to obtain multi-site ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification, covering 6 US data centers