In 2007, a high-tech search engine company wanted to take advantage of the California sunshine to reduce its carbon footprint, reduce energy costs and lead the industry in incorporating sustainable business practices. It hired Cupertino Electric to install a 1.6-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic system (PV) at its worldwide headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.
When the PV system went live in June 2007, it was the largest single corporate campus solar installation in the United States. It was estimated that the company would save approximately $393,000 annually in energy costs for total projected energy savings of $15 million over the lifetime of the system.