Google Has Matched 100% of Its Electricity Use With Renewable Energy Since 2017

Published

August 31, 2020

Ambitions

Carbon Neutral: Since 2007, Google has operated as a carbon neutral company through a three-part strategy:
100% Renewable Energy: In 2017 and 2018, Google reached 100% renewable energy for its global operations. With 52 projects and contracts to purchase 5.5 gigawatts (GW) of output from renewable energy projects, Google is the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy on the planet. These projects are leading to $7 billion in capital investment globally.
Moving toward 24/7 clean energy: Google is focused on achieving a much greater, longer term challenge: sourcing carbon-free energy for its operations on a 24x7 basis. Meeting this challenge requires sourcing enough carbon-free energy to match electricity consumption in all places at all times.
Designing efficient data centers:On average, a Google data center uses 50% less energy than a typical data center and delivers seven times more computing power than five years ago. The company owns and operates 14 data centers globally, 12 of which maintain ISO 50001 (energy management) certification, which together represent more than 96% of its IT energy use.

Renewable Energy Investing: Since 2010, Google committed to invest nearly $2.5 billion in large-scale renewable energy projects and residential solar rooftop funds with a combined capacity of 3.7 GW. These targeted investments go beyond its operational footprint, enabling renewable energy deployment at a larger scale, while generating attractive risk adjusted returns.

Geo for Good Tools:The Geo team has built services like Project Sunroof, which uses Google Maps data to help users evaluate whether rooftop solar is right for them. These tools apply machine learning and advanced computational capabilities that are driving new efficiencies and managing resources.
Nest Energy Savings: The Nest Learning Thermostat controls residential heating and cooling systems, reduces home energy consumption, and helps achieve collective savings. As of December 2017, Nest Thermostats have helped customers save more than 17 billion kWh of energy combined based on average savings studies – enough energy to power all of San Francisco’s electricity consumption for three years.