Google backs solar thermal technology

As part of its new initiative known as ‘Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal,’ Google is investing in eSolar, Inc., a Pasadena, California-based company specializing in solar thermal power.   "Google.org's hope is that by funding research on promising technologies, investing in promising new companies, and doing a lot of R&D ourselves, we may help spark a green electricity revolution that will deliver breakthrough technologies priced lower than coal," noted Dr. Larry Brilliant, Executive Director of Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm.

Google intends to invest in a range of renewable energy sources with ‘tens of millions’ being allocated to research in these fields starting in 2008.

"We have gained expertise in designing and building large-scale, energy-intensive facilities by building efficient data centers," said Larry Page, Google Co-founder. "We want to apply the same creativity and innovation to the challenge of generating renewable electricity at globally significant scale, and produce it cheaper than from coal."

Google recently installed 1.6MW of solar power modules at its Mountain View campus and is one of the largest single installations at a U.S. company.

For more information on Google's commitment to a clean energy future, see http://www.google.com/renewable-energy.  

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