Apple has been in the news recently regarding its environmental initiatives, but Google also ranked quite well on Greenpeace's most recent clean energy index and now the company is set to push its environmental programs even further. Like Apple, Google also makes use of clean energy sources to power its datacenters, and will now look to offer lower cost renewable power sources to residential homes.

The search giant and solar cell company SunPower Corporation have put together $250 million to purchase rooftop solar panels and lease them back to residents at a "typically lower" price than your average power bill. "So by participating in this program, you don't just help the environment---you can also save money," a Google Blog post reads.

Google is putting in $100 million of its own cash, with the other $150 coming from SunPower, but there is no direct details on how the system works beyond SunPower being responsible for both making the panels and managing the installation process with home owners. There is also no word as to when the project is slated to get underway yet.

According to Google, the company has now invested more than $1 billion across 16 different renewable energy products around the world, and this is its third residential rooftop solar panel initiative after Solar City and Clean Power Finance. Yesterday, the company announced its "biggest renewable energy purchase yet" which will see its Iowa utility partners supply its data center facilities "with up to 407 megawatts of wind energy."