除了每天為上億網客提供搜尋解答,谷歌(Google)公司現在還會利用太陽能提供電力。谷歌於18日開始啟用太陽能發電系統,這套從2006年10月著手建造的設施,一天可從太陽獲取7795千瓦小時的電力。
在谷歌位於加州山景城(Mountain View)的總部,8棟大樓的頂部覆滿了太陽能電板,公司使用的可充電式油電複合車(plug-in hybrids)還可以在兩個新建的太陽能車棚內充電。
全系統共有9千片以上的太陽能板,其中9成已正式運轉,完工後將成為全美國、甚至全世界單一企業最大的太陽能發電設備之一。
該系統產生的電量約等同於加州1千個家庭的平均用電,谷歌將把電力用在山景城的辦公設施,可提供該公司目前3分之1的尖峰用電量。
太陽能車棚內將停放谷歌的新型可充電油電車,由Toyota的Prius車款改裝,主要以電能作為行車動力,耗油里程每加侖可達73英里(約每公升31公里)。
此外,為了加速可充電油電車的問世,谷歌的慈善分支機構Google.org今天也在網站公佈一項名為RechargeIT的行動計畫。
在該計畫中,Google.org已提供100萬美元的經費,並預計接受總額1000萬美元的提案申請,資助可充電車、全電力車與相關汽車電網(vehicle-to-grid,即以汽車提供家庭用電)技術的商業化量產。
Google.org氣候與能源行動計畫(Climate and Energy Initiatives)的執行長瑞舍(Reicher)表示,「RechargeIT.org這個新計畫的目標,是推廣可充電油電車並發展汽車電網技術,以減少排放及降低對石油的依賴,同時提倡清淨能源科技,提供消費者更多選擇。」
In the last 24 hours, Google has produced more than answers to search questions from millions of Internet surfers - the company produced 7,795 kilowatt hours of electricity from the Sun.
For the first time today, Google switched on a solar power system that has been in the planning and building stages since last October.
At the Googleplex in Mountain View, solar panels now cover the rooftops of eight buildings and two newly constructed solar carports that will power the company's plug-in hybrids.
About 90 percent of the installation's more than 9,000 solar panels are now in place. When finished, it will be the largest solar installation on a corporate campus in the United States, and one of the largest on any corporate site in the world.
The amount of electricity that will be generated is equivalent to powering about 1,000 average California homes. Google will use that electricity to power several Mountain View office facilities, offsetting one-third of the company's peak electricity consumption at those buildings.
Those solar carports will house Google's new plug-in hybrids, re-engineered Toyota Prius cars that get 73 miles per gallon because they run mainly on electricity.
To accelerate the adoption of plug-in hybrids, Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, today announced the RechargeIT initiative at www.google.org/recharge/ .
Google.org awarded $1 million in grants and announced plans for a $10 million request for proposals to fund commercialization of plug-ins, fully electric cars and related vehicle-to-grid technology as part of RechargeIT.
"By accelerating the adoption of plug-in hybrids and vehicle-to-grid technologies," said Dan Reicher, director of Climate and Energy Initiatives with Google.org, this new project, RechargeIT.org, "aims to reduce emissions and dependence on oil while promoting clean energy technologies and increasing consumer choice."
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