AutoblogGreen

Not wanting to let a sprawling parking lot go to waste, Google will build car ports topped with solar panels at its headquarters. The entire project involves some 9,000 solar panels, a third of which will be used in overhanging parking shades. The others go on rooftops at the million-square-foot campus. The 1.6-megawatt solar system could power 1,000 homes but covers only 30 percent of Google's electron appetite. Officials say that by building the parking-lot panels the company makes a visible statement of its commitment to the environment. Energy Innovations will handle the work. The photo shows one of the company's other solar parking lot projects that includes charging stations for EVs. Engineers say that building these "solar trees" is easier than installing solar panels on rooftops. One company, Envision Solar, is developing a residential-friendly, do-it-yourself solar car port.

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• Google co-op search for hybrid cars

[Source: Wired]