The complex will stand on land leased from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and seeks to obtain the LEED Platinum certificate, which represents the highest level of green buildings certification in the world.
The fastcompany.com website, which reported on the construction of the campus, described how the geothermal pumps work. In winter, buildings will absorb heat from the ground, while in summer, heat will be drained back into the ground. Natural gas, which would otherwise be needed to heat the buildings, will not be required here at all.
The campus will be further planted with local plant species, and rainwater tanks will be built in the area so that the water may be recycled for further use. Windows will be equipped with special smart glass, able to adjust the degree of darkening according to the current light situation and also minimise the number of birds crashing into the windows. As on all other Google campuses, renewable electricity will be used here.
A geothermal pumps system has been considered by Google for several years. In 2010, the company tested it on a small scale on its main campus for supplying a kitchen with hot water. The pipeline to heat the new buildings reaches a total length of 69 miles. While similar systems have been working in Europe, this is the largest project of its kind in North America.
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