Dropbox Leverages Solar Panels to Bring Sunshine to the Cloud
Popular cloud storage service Dropbox recently installed a solar panel system at their six-storey corporate office.
Looking to off-set their carbon footprint, the San Francisco based company installed a 25.2 kW solar array to fuel their data center and serve their 300 million global users.
Renewable energy solutions provider UGE designed the solar power system that features 84 300w solar panels, and comprises only one of many energy efficiency upgrades planned for the premises.
“On-site renewable energy will power a sustainable future for Dropbox; a visible step forward for an innovative company located in the heart of the tech capital of the world,” said Scott Van Pelt, Director of Engineering at UGE. “It’s both exciting and fitting that one of our energy solutions will top the headquarters of a leader in cloud technology.”
Dropbox allows users to store and share files, including documents, photos and even video on the cloud. The service makes it easy to access your most valuable files on any computer, tablet or smartphone.
Renewable energy is certainly gaining momentum within Silicon Valley. Last month tech giant Apple announced they had taken ownership of land on which they intended to construct a 17.5 megawatt solar farm to power their own data centers. Meanwhile smartphone competitor and web search leaders Google have installed a 1.9 megawatt solar system to power their Mountain View campus.
It’s not just tech companies taking advantage of clean energy solutions. Solar also played an important role in reducing the carbon footprint of the recent FIFA World Cup in Brazil with solar arrays being installed prior to the tournament to power both the stadiums and visitor centers, while providing sustainable energy to the locals for decades to come.
Australian businesses are increasingly warming to the benefits of solar power. With an energy profile that peaks during solar’s optimal hours, localised solar energy production is an equitable solution for all businesses and often delivers a return on investment within five years.
