Could solar power power Silicon Valley's Silicon Valley headquarters?

California’s high-tech giants have long used renewable energy to help power their Silicon Valley headquarters. Now, companies such as Google, Adobe Systems, and eBay are preparing for the next step — investing in off-site solar and wind installations and innovative technologies that will supply their offices and data centers with green electricity.

How many solar panels will a Silicon Valley campus have?

The internet giant, which also is a world-leading clean energy procurement company, has installed around 7 MW of the product on two buildings at its Silicon Valley campus. The 90,000 individual solar panels will generate enough electricity to cover around 40% of the electricity used in the buildings, known as Bay View and Charleston East.

Who makes solar panels that don't use silicon?

California-based Solyndra, which made solar panels that did not use silicon, raised almost $1bn in funding, as well as a $535m loan from the US government. “The best work in solar is happening in Silicon Valley,” billionaire Silicon Valley investor Vinod Khosla said in 2008.

Which Silicon Valley companies went bankrupt?

Almost all the Silicon Valley-backed companies went bankrupt. Chinese solar company Hanergy bought the promising solar start-up MiaSolé, which had been backed by Kleiner Perkins, in 2013. In batteries, A123 Systems was bought by Chinese auto parts maker Wanxiang Group for $257m.

Where is the best work in solar?

“The best work in solar is happening in Silicon Valley,” billionaire Silicon Valley investor Vinod Khosla said in 2008. But a surge in production in China, much of it in the north-western Xinjiang region where Beijing has been accused of labour abuses, changed the picture.

How many solar panels will Google use?

Some 90,000 individual solar panels will generate enough electricity to cover around 40% of the electricity used in two buildings for Google. Dragon scale tiles on a building at Google's Silicon Valley campus.