Google has been working to build and deploy a new tool that will allow governments, businesses, and energy generators to track energy consumption and production in real time, according to a new blog post form Google Cloud.
The development is also expected to help the tech giant achieve its carbon-free energy goal of 24 hours a day, seven days a week by 2030.
Last March, Google introduced the ‘Time-Based Energy Attribute Certificates’ (T-EACs) tool to improve clean energy certification.
Once T-EACs are fully developed and deployed, they will help offer society with crucial new information into the availability of carbon-free energy on power grids at all hours of the day. At the same time, this data will be able to assist energy customers in better understanding their energy usage.
Google is now piloting the T-EACS project in the United States, Denmark, and Chile.
In the U.S., Google is collaborating with M-RETS, a non-profit organization that specializes in energy certificates, and APX, an environmental technology provider, and as a result of this work, electricity generators in the Central and Midwest of the U.S. will soon be able to obtain data on an hourly basis and generate certificates at the same time.
Meanwhile, Google’s T-EAC work in Chile has focused on matching its data center’s energy consumption with certified sustainable energy on an hour-by-hour basis.
Since 2017, Google has used 100% renewable energy to power its operations, however, this has been achieved through REGOs and RECs, as well as self-generation, rather than real-time 24/7 generation from outside sources. By 2030, the company seeks to replace all operating electricity use with renewable generating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Given the growing corporate backing for net-zero and the fact that countries such as the United States and EU member states are adopting T-EACs, Google expects it to become commonplace.
Beyond confirming green claims, the benefits are promoted as increased investment in “high-impact” clean energy projects and burgeoning associated sectors such as green hydrogen. Governments might also use the information to entice corporations to invest in renewable energy.
