Google on Thursday announced plans to invest about $5 million in a solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Germany.

This marks Google's first clean energy project investment in Europe, the company said in a blog post, though it still requires formal approval from Germany regulators. Google is teaming up with German private equity company Capital Stage for the project, a firm that "brings strong experience in the German photovoltaic and renewable energy market," Google said.

The power plant is located on 116 acres in Brandenburg an der Havel, near Berlin. It has a peak capacity of 18.65MWp, which Google said puts it among the largest in Germany. The effort will provide clean energy to about 5,000 households in the area surrounding Bradenburg.

"Google is always looking for new ways to encourage development and deployment of renewable energy across the world," wrote Benjamin Kott, Google's clean energy advocacy manager. "Until the early 90's, the site was used as a training ground by the Russian military. We're glad it has found a new use!"

Why Germany? The country "has a strong framework for renewable energy and is home to many leading-edge technology companies in the sector," Kott wrote. "More than 70 percent of the solar modules installed in Brandenburg are provided by German manufacturers."

Google has already made clean energy investments in the United States. In May, it put $38.8 million into two North Dakota wind farms, the company's first direct investment in a utility-scale renewable energy project. In October, Google also announced plans to invest in a wind farm initiative that will fund 350 miles worth of wind farms off the East Coast.

In related news, General Electric today announced plans for a 400 MW solar plant, which will be the largest in the U.S. and produce enough panels to power 80,000 homes each year. GE did where in the U.S. the plant will be built, but it will produce CdTe thin film solar panels, which GE said produce the highest-ever reported efficiency.

pcmag.com