Despite economic pressure, the green roof movement continues to gain popularity. Buildings of all shapes and sizes have jumped on the bandwagon to join large solar installation projects. Solar roofs offer great benefits for homes and buildings looking to reduce their carbon footprint and their dependence on traditional energy sources. Even the big companies are coming together to become some of the biggest solar projects in the world.

Making headlines

The Google administration building currently has a 1.6 megawatt (MW) solar panel system capable of powering itself through daily operations. While Google’s project was one of the first of its kind, its capacity has been overshadowed by several new projects in recent months. A 4.26 MW system in Edison, NJ and a 5.38 MW system on the roof of a ToysRU in Sunny, NJ currently hold the title of the largest solar panel installation project in the United States. These two are also in the top five in the world. Yet a leading innovator is close behind.

Apple Inc. has plans to lead the largest solar panel system in the United States, with a system of almost 6 MW. Apple’s plans are to cover numerous buildings on its headquarters campus. The main building has a roof area of ​​750,000 square feet, of which two-thirds will be made up of photovoltaic solar cells. This building alone is expected to produce nearly 5MW of the power by the end of the project. Several other buildings at Apple will be covered by solar panels, including a 320,000-square-foot surface parking building. Apple hopes to generate enough electricity to power its daily operations and store additional power in a backup component.

Why the controversy?

While many are pleased to see energy conservation feature prominently in large corporations, others are less than excited about the news on such large solar projects. After a number of solar companies filed for bankruptcy in recent months, some worry that government-backed funding for these corporations is being mismanaged. After all, how can such a lucrative industry lose profitability during peak demand? Regardless of whether solar companies are actually guilty of mismanaging their funds, the fact is that American manufacturing will never be able to compete with foreign manufacturing companies. This is not the first time that US-based manufacturing has been hit by fierce competition and slim profit margins due to cheap foreign labor. However, having government-backed funding for US manufacturing systems is rare and is becoming a major concern for many. Only time will tell if large solar installation projects and continued demand for solar roof systems are enough to resolve financial differences.