▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Google ' s ▁Senior ▁Vice ▁President ▁of ▁Techn ical ▁In frastr ucture , ▁Urs ▁H öl z le , ▁Google ' s ▁data ▁cent ers ▁( as ▁well ▁as ▁their ▁offices ) ▁will ▁have ▁reached ▁ 1 0 0 % ▁renew able ▁energy ▁for ▁their ▁global ▁operations ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁Google ▁plans ▁to ▁accomplish ▁this ▁mil estone ▁by ▁bu ying ▁enough ▁wind ▁and ▁solar ▁electric ity ▁to ▁account ▁for ▁all ▁the ▁electric ity ▁their ▁operations ▁consume ▁glob ally . ▁The ▁reason ▁for ▁these ▁green - init i atives ▁is ▁to ▁address ▁climate ▁change ▁and ▁Google ' s ▁carbon ▁foot print . ▁Furthermore , ▁these ▁green - init i atives ▁have ▁become ▁che aper , ▁with ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁wind ▁energy ▁lower ing ▁by ▁ 6 0 % ▁and ▁solar ▁energy ▁coming ▁down ▁ 8 0 %. ▁ ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁improve ▁a ▁data ▁center ' s ▁energy ▁efficiency , ▁reduce ▁costs ▁and ▁lower ▁the ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁environment , ▁Google ▁provides ▁ 5 ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁practices ▁for ▁data ▁cent ers ▁to ▁implement : ▁▁ ▁Me asure ▁the ▁Power ▁Us age ▁Effect iveness ▁( P UE ), ▁a ▁ratio ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁industry ▁to ▁measure ▁the ▁energy ▁used ▁for ▁non - comput ing ▁functions , ▁to ▁track ▁a ▁data ▁center ' s ▁energy ▁use . ▁ ▁Using ▁well - des igned ▁contain ment ▁methods , ▁try ▁to ▁stop ▁cold ▁and ▁hot ▁air ▁from ▁mixing . ▁Also , ▁use ▁backing ▁pl ates ▁for ▁empty