Google Watch - Google Strategy - Google's Sparking Lot

Google’s Sparking Lot

Written By
Steve Bryant
Steve Bryant
Dec 13, 2006
1 minute read
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While the Googleplex’s unique architecture may inspire the Googlers to do great work, the multifaceted buildings aren’t exactly made for accommodating Google’s planned 1.6-megawatt solar system.

So a company called Energy Innovations will install about one-third of the new solar panels as overhanging shades in Google’s parking lot.

“It was a design challenge,” company spokesperson Steve Chadima told Wired News. “What you want is a gigantic, flat Wal-Mart roof; what we had was a campus with 11 buildings, interesting architecture and challenging angles.”

Energy Innovations recently completed a similar structure for a park-and-ride in Vacaville, Calif. Below, a shot from Google Earth that shows the lot. I can’t see much in the way of overhanging structures, but that may just be testament to the company’s ability to camouflage its work.

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