Energy production and capacity

Early Production Figures

Some numbers and green energy production capacity

Though the aim for Guru3D.com was to get 100% CO2 neutral we unfortunately do not have enough room on the roof to make that happen completely. However, we are pushing hard. With the current solar array roughly 2/3 of the power required by the Guru3D servers compensated as saved CO2.

The solar array produces roughly 2100-2400 KWh of current per year. Typically to create one KWh of power (1 KWh is using 1000 Watt of current for one hour) you ditch 0,57 Kilograms (just over a pound) of CO2 into the air.

This solar array is working well, and with an average of 1600 sun hours per year here in the Netherlands, based on some projections we'll create ~2450 KWh of current this year. That means we will be saving an amazing 1397 KG of CO2, that is close to one and a half tons of pure carbon dioxide folks.

While writing this article, April 09 just ended which really showed the potential of solar array. That month alone the array created 335 KW/h of current. Here in the Netherlands we are now moving onward to summer with hopefully a lot of sun and optimal conditions for the solar array, really great stuff.

Final words 

Looking back, creating a solar array was a big project to achieve, let alone a big investment to make. But ever since the beginning I just felt very strong about accomplishing this, merely based on a personal feeling. It is something I felt needed to be done and accomplished. It is a bit of a shame that with the current economic crisis, the green element seems to be forgotten a little. But with this project and now article, I hope to raise some more awareness. This project on a global scale is of course incredibly small, but we all need to look at the big picture. Our energy demands are rising and we are really poluting planet Earth, we need to act on that to keep the Earth .. the Earth.

Investing in a solar array is expensive, but our break even point is roughly 12 years. The panels will last 30 years, anything after the 12 years therefore is a really nice bonus.

Ever since finalizing this project, I feel a large sense of pride. Though I wish we could have been 100% CO2 neutral, I feel we made a very big step forward. I hope that will serve as an example for some of you as well. In my belief, all houses should have PV-panels. Much like new technology, prices would go down massively. And the benefit .. a direct and intricate result on the environment we live in.

Each day that the sun shines I have a smile on my face, it is just amazing that you can create so much power from just the sun, it is a very satisfying and fascinating experience.

Each hour, of each day, more energy from the sun reaches our planet than is used by the entire global population in an entire year? Why not make use of that ?

So while Guru3D's house branding color is blue ... we are now colored green as well, and we are very, very proud of that.

Thanks for reading this article, this staff sincerely hopes you can appreciate what we are trying to achieve here. In the near future I'll try and see if we can link our PV monitoring towards some automated graphics. So we can monitor Energy production and CO2 saving levels from within this website.

Y'all have a sunny day now ;)

   Hilbert

Other Decade of Guru3D articles:

• Click here to go back to the A decade of Guru3D landing page. Other (global) contests and article:

  • 24th May - History of Guru3D part 1 (open)
  • 25th May - Start Contest 1 - The Wicked Guru3D  Photo Contest (open)
  • 26th May - History of Guru3D Part 2  The VGA Flashback (open)
  • 27th May - Start Contest 2 - The Logo Hunt Contest (open)
  • 28th May - Guru3D going Green article (open)
  • 29th May - Start Contest 3 - The Dragon challenge (open)