Google Campus to Become Solar-powered

prostoalex writes "Reuters is reporting that Google is equipping its headquarters with a solar panel 'capable of generating 1.6 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power 1,000 California homes.' This will make Google's Mountain View campus the largest solar-powered office complex in the United States."

Does this mean...

[Anonymous Coward]

I can only google stuff when the sun is shining in Mountain View?

Oh, the implications!

[SocialEngineer]

I wonder how easy the transition will be for them to leave Linux behind in favor of a sun [sun.com] powered setup.

Oh yes. I went there.

Google too powerful?

[x2A]

Yeah but wait til Google becomes too powerful, the only option we'll have to shut the computers down will be to black out the sky :-/

I think I heard a story about it once...

Re:Just one?

[SirSlud]

They'll all show up at your door one day and go, "Wern't you the guy who dropped incredible internet science at slashdot? Our one single panel broke, and we're out a vast amount of money. Apparently, you're the man who will lead us into the next generation of solar powered offices."

Re:Just one?

[gbobeck]

What if it breaks?

Two words: Duct Tape.

Microsoft's response

[wardk]

you know they'll have to have one....

Ballmer unleashed....yes, a campus run on fear

Re:Commendable

[Reality Master 201]

Maybe if they bought New Mexico and turned it into one big panel array though.

So, they'd be replacing New Mexico with something useful? And the catch is?

Re:Google too powerful?

[enharmonix]

I suppose that joke was ... inevitable.

Hours

[DoofusOfDeath]

Well, I guess that's one way to keep people from working late...

Now

[Revenge_of_Solver_Ta]

"This Search Powered By The Sun" -Now with 1/3 Less Evil?

Re:Hours

[Dunbal]

Well, I guess that's one way to keep people from working late...

      Nawww, at night they just turn the lights on to power the solar ...oh, wait!

Re:How big is it?

[Dunbal]

The article didnt say anything about its physical size.

      3nL4rG3 Y0uR S014R p4N3Ls!!!

Re:Crazy

[PygmySurfer]

I had JUST read this on Google's blog, and when I clicked back to Slashdot, boom: deja vu on the top of the front page (and not from a dupe! :P).

This is obviously a sign that you should submit it, and it'll make the front page tomorrow! :)

Re:Google too powerful?

[shut_up_man]

Obj Simpsons:

Technician 1: I got it! We can just shut off the power!
Technician 2: No such luck. It's solar powered.
Technician 1: Solar power! When will people learn?

Re:Just one?

[sethstorm]

Two words: Duct Tape.

Would that be to fix it or to shut up the person who revealed the problem?

Re:Does this mean...

[aussie_a]

I'm actually worried about a hostile takeover from sun. With Google being so reliant upon sun for their energy, they won't have any defence.

Re:Long Term Benefit?

[Anonymous Coward]

The windfarms will take care of the birds. Crisis averted!

Re:How big is it?

[binarybum]

hmm, I have this weird image in my mind of it looking something like this [google.com]. notice the giant shadow cast over Nevada ?

Re:Just one?

[sniepre]

Remember: There are only two tools in life. WD-40, for when something doesn't move, and should, and Duct Tape, for when something is moving and it shouldn't.

Re:Install panels for data centers?

[slack-fu]

what they should do, is use the heat the data centers produce to produce steam, to run a generator, to make electricity, to run the datacenter, to generate heat...

Re:Just one?

[flyingsquid]

Remember: There are only two tools in life. WD-40, for when something doesn't move, and should, and Duct Tape, for when something is moving and it shouldn't.

So does the universe explode if you spray duct tape with WD-40?

Re:Just one?

[gbobeck]

Lets conduct an experiment and investigate what will happen if duct tape is sprayed with WD-40.

But, before we use any power tools, let's take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools properly will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these -- safety glasses and a funny hat.

I have with me a brand new roll of duct tape, and a fresh can of WD-40. Next to me is my trusty lab assistant, Timmy, who will be assiting in this experiment.

I am now going to rip a piece of duct tape approximately six inches long off of the roll and have Timmy hold it.

(I rip tape and hand it to Timmy)

Ok, Timmy, hold the tape tight, I am going to commence spraying the tape.

(I spray the tape)

Ok, Timmy... continue to hold it as we observe what happens.

(wait 5 seconds)

Timmy has told me it is starting to shake and do funny things...

OMG! A black hole has opened where the tape was. Timmy, hold on to it... this is the crucial moment...

Uh, oh! I think we are going to need another Timmy! It looks like Timmy was consumed by the black hole.

Luckily, I was prepaired for this. I will now throw into the black hole a few New Kids on the Block tapes and a copy of the movie Hobgobblins. This should cause the blackhole to enter "terminal suckage phase" and end its existance.

(I throw in the NKotB tapes and the copy of Hobgobblins. The black hole immediately ceases to be)

Well, it looks like yet another experiment has occured.

Tune in next week when I will show everyone how to build a perpetual energy generator using a cat and a slice of buttered toast.

Solar Power?

[cralewyth]

Why don't they just hire the russians to build them a big floating nuclear plant?

Re:Long Term Benefit?

[zcat_NZ]

With a bit of luck, small dust-devils will clean off the panels and it will end up running years longer than it was designed for....

Re:Good, but not a huge deal

[jazir1979]

A fine philosophy indeed. I salute you!

I mean the "not being part of the problem" bit - I'm a bit concerned about your combination of tofu, handjobs and watermelon.

Typical response

[rbarreira]

Yeah yeah, but they only did it because they predicted Google would do it! To look better than Google! See, Microsoft, is evil...

Re:Payback?

[Trogre]

It's down to about ten years to payback the cost of household solar system

What an age we live in.

Re:Does this mean...

[TopShelf]

I can only google stuff when the sun is shining in Mountain View?

Apparently they believe the sun shines out their ass, so these panels will actually be mounted into the flooring - weather be damned...

Just filter it out....

[shaneh0]

This is a HIGH TECH company we're talking about. Who's going to get out of their aeron chairs and leave their grape-feeding brazillian fan-women behind to go on the roof and scrape bird shit?

This is what the not-operator is for.

No bird shit?

-"Bird Shit"

simple as that.

No bird shit or tree sap?

-"Bird Shit"|"Tree Sap"

See how easy it is?

What, exactly, do you think those server farms do all day?

I think a "..duh.." is in order here.

Re:Good, but not a huge deal

[Anonymous Coward]

Damn... Shell is fast with their comments today....

Re:You must be thinking of some different movie

[aplusjimages]

Well that does make sense. Because I've always said that the Matrix would be better off using animals as batteries because a group of renegade cows would do nothing in the Matrix.