Google has made some pretty strong claims in terms of their green building commitments, striving to become the ‘greenest’ IT service provider in the world.
While many would say that this is an outlandish goal, the company’s growing mass of green technology implementation, green architectural measures and green running practices may just position them as one of the greenest in business.
In the recent Greenpeace report looking into the running of global data centers globally (‘How Green is your Cloud’), it was found that Google was one of the top green IT companies, due in large part to its across-the-board commitment to environmental responsibility and transparency.
“Google has made significant efforts to increase the company’s transparency,” the report says. “This is a great step forward that will enable better awareness of energy and carbon management associated with data consumption.”
But how exactly is this company able to run in such an efficient and sustainable manner while remaining as economically successful as they do?
Like all things involved in healthy workings, it has a lot to do with what is going on inside the company that counts, with the interior function of its buildings offering insight into how this company has earned its ‘greenest’ title.
Green Technology
Incorporated into the interior design plan of all the company’s buildings – be it the data centres, office or ‘campus’ spaces and even the retail areas – are technological aspects that run as efficiently as possible.
Onsite renewable energy providers run the company’s data centres, which are some of the most energy efficient in the world. Further power needed to run the centres is gained through the purchase of renewable energy credits (RECS) in order to support on-grid renewable energy providers.
Technologies used throughout the various fitouts also meet an incredibly high environmental standard. The company’s London Campus, Googleplexes and retail spaces use highly energy-efficient technological advancements in addition to LED lighting in order to maintain a high level of energy efficiency without sacrificing what lies at the foundation of the company: information technology advancement.
Green Design
Company spaces are designed to ensure the utmost efficiency and productivity. Environmental and social sustainability work together effortlessly in the London Campus, where recycled shipping containers act as sustainable homes for company employees, who are then encouraged to work together and create a community setting through the implementation of collaborative design measures. In terms of the design measures, reclaimed materials and décor features are used in the space, creating a built environment that lies on a foundation of low environmental impact.
In terms of the design’s social implications, environments are adaptable and ‘hot seating’ has been implemented, encouraging interaction between staff and offering employees the ability to mould the workspace into the facility they want and need.
While the London Campus is but one example, it strongly demonstrates the company’s design mentality, which is duplicated through their various other spaces.
Green Running
As mentioned, the running of Google’s data centres have been proven by Greenpeace to be some of the cleanest in the world. The transparency with which the company runs all of its different spaces is what sets them apart and truly allows the industry and the public to see their environmental commitment in a realistic way.
The green level of this company runs across the board. They do not try to greenwash this industry or the public by offering one LEED building or one solar panel to stand as the cornerstone of their environmental commitment. That is the Google difference and, with their overall success, businesses worldwide would be wise to follow in their footsteps.
