Google’s San Francisco office complex will boast the largest ground-source heat pump system installation in North America, using the heat from the surrounding ground to power the building’s climate control. The system utilizes geothermal heat pumps, relying on the steady 65-degree temperature of the ground to absorb and reject heat. Without the heat pumps, the buildings would have been heated with natural gas. The pumps eliminate the use of gas altogether. In addition, excess heat from the buildings can be sent into the ground to be stored until needed. A big proponent is Eric Solrain, a principal at Integral Group, the engineering firm working with Google on the design. “In the wintertime when we need to heat the buildings,” he states, “we’re actually absorbing that heat from the ground. Then in the summertime, when we are cooling the buildings, we’re actually rejecting heat to the ground and warming the ground.”
It’s one piece of an overall design for Google’s corporate campus that aims for LEED Platinum certification. Outside, 20 acres of open space will be planted featuring native species. Stormwater will be collected and treated for reuse in on-site ponds. In terms of building features, the windows are being treated with a pattern that helps birds avoid crashing into the glass. To reduce light pollution, these windows can also automatically shade themselves and darken at night. As with other Google campuses, electricity use will be offset by renewable energy.
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