QUICK NEWS, August 18: WHY MICROSOFT IS BUYING WIND; GOOGLE MAPS THE SUN; TULSA, OK, GOES GEOTHERMAL

WHY MICROSOFT IS BUYING WIND Inside Microsoft's wind energy strategy

Stephen Abbott, August 18, 2015 (GreenBiz)

“Over the past two years, Microsoft has contracted for 285 MW of renewable power from two off-site wind energy projects…capable of generating enough electricity to power 125,000 U.S. homes…[that] could not have been built without the long-term off-take agreement provided by Microsoft…The [Rocky Mountain Institute Business Renewables Center (BRC)…is working to accelerate corporate procurement of off-site renewable energy, such as Microsoft’s, by bringing together corporate buyers, project developers and service providers…Microsoft’s data center energy group, the principal champions of these transactions, pursued renewable energy contracts to both reduce costs and limit the company’s operational exposure to future energy price fluctuations, especially increases…[R]enewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) [allow] the company to balance…large, long-term demand with a similarly large, long-term, fixed-cost supply…[and] save the company money…” click here for more

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GOOGLE MAPS THE SUN Google Launches ‘Project Sunroof’ To Show Where Solar Energy Works Best; How Much Free Power Can You Get From Your Roof?

Mary Beth Griggs, August 17, 2015 (Popular Science)

“…Google’s Project Sunroof uses data from Google Maps to tell people whether their homes are good candidates for solar panels…[The website uses location data], Street View, and satellite imagery to calculate the shape of your roof, how much sun your roof gets, and factors in shade from trees and other buildings. It even connects you to solar panel installers in the area, just in case you're so pumped by the results you can't wait to take that next step…[It] is only available in a few places right now…[but] there are plans to expand the project to locations across the country… in keeping with Google's previously stated clean energy ambitions…” click here for more

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TULSA, OK, GOES GEOTHERMAL Geothermal Tapped for 2 Downtown Tulsa Buildings

Linda Hardesty, August 17, 2015 (Energy Manager Today)

“Beneath an urban reuse area in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as Guthrie Green, a system of geothermal pipes provide cooling for two nearby buildings…A field of 120 500-foot geothermal boreholes were drilled in Guthrie Green prior to the construction of the Tulsa Paper Company building and the Hardesty Arts Center building. The field ties into a hybrid system of geothermal heat pumps and a ground-mounted cooling tower that serve as the main mechanical systems for the buildings…The geothermal-borehole field, which is organized into 15 operating circuits, provides 600 tons of heating and cooling to both buildings, with the capability of reducing heating and cooling costs by about 60 percent…The Tulsa Paper Company building has 15 geothermal-heat-pump systems…and the Hardesty Visual Arts Center has 59…” click here for more

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