Google Signs Agreement with Sol Systems for Solar Energy at its Campuses

Google signs pact with Sol for solar energy

American multinational technology firm Google has signed a pact with US solar energy firm Sol Systems to help power up its campuses in North and South Carolina with solar energy.

The statement called the pact a “unique renewable energy procurement and investment strategy” facilitating the development of new solar energy projects that also help provide support to the local communities where projects are established.

As per Sol, Google and the firm have planned an ‘integrated clean energy investment and procurement strategy’ for solar projects that are being constructed by Pine Gate Renewables in North and South Carolina. These projects will facilitate 225 MW of new solar energy projects and 18 MW of battery storage resources.

Google has set its sights on meeting its 24/7 carbon-free energy goal and usher greater capacities of renewable power to an area with an energy mix dominated by fossil fuels.

“We are honoured to be working with Google, a pioneer in renewable energy procurement and community investment,” said Yuri Horwitz, CEO, Sol Systems. “As they have in the past, they continue to provide leadership and innovation for our industry. We look forward to building on this work in the future.”

“The investment will focus on reducing energy burden by enabling critical home pre-weatherization and safety upgrades to low- and moderate-income (LMI) households,” he added.

In addition to this investment, Google and Sol Systems will also be looking at capital deployment into regional community firms that serve minority communities and those that do lack access to resources.

“By 2030, we’re aiming for every Google data center to operate on clean energy every hour of every day. As we work toward this goal, we are committed to ensuring that the communities where we operate are actively benefiting from the clean energy transition,” said Christopher Scott, Energy Lead at Google. “We’re excited to partner with Sol Systems to not only bring new solar projects online to one of the most difficult grids to decarbonize but also work with them to help lower the energy burden in under-resourced communities through the clean energy transition.”

Presently, the search giant Google has in operation a data center campus located in Berkeley County, South Carolina. Another one is at Lenoir, in North Carolina’s Caldwell County.

Previously, Sol has signed solar deals with other tech giants. It has signed an agreement with Microsoft for a cumulative capacity of 500 MW and with Amazon for 17 rooftop solar projects for a total capacity of 55 MW.