"Other people may not have had high expectations for me... but I had high expectations for myself."~ Shannon Miller, Olympic Gold Medalist, Gymnastics
With so much talk about saving energy, the idea of being green has moved into every aspect of life. We think of the web as an electronic device run by millions of computers worldwide, but people rarely consider the environmental impact this huge energy drain has on our environment. Well hosting companies are waking up and have come to realize that being green applies to the Internet too!
What is a Green Host?
A green host focuses on three aspects of energy savings:
1) Saving energy by reducing usage through modification of data center design and technologies used
2) Utilizing renewable energy sources to ensure the electricity they use was generated in an environmentally friendly manner.
3) Saving energy in the manner they run their company.
How do they reduce energy usage?
- Purchasing servers that are more power efficient.
- Installing more memory into servers to make them run more efficiently.
- Raising the room temperature of their data center so not as much cooling is required.
- Designing the layout of the data center so air flow is maximized and cooling is kept to a minimum.
What renewable energy sources do they utilize?
- Electricity generated from solar panels
- Electricity generated from wind power
- Creating a green roof on the data center to naturally reduce inside temperatures
- Collecting rain water for use in air conditioning systems
How do they run an eco-friendly company?
- Renting in an office building that uses solar or wind power to generate electricity
- Purchasing carbon credits to offset their energy consumption. These credits are used to invest in the creation of renewable energy sources and reforestation.
- Allow employees to telecommute
- Creating incentive programs for carpooling
- Becoming a paperless office
- Plant a tree on behalf of every customer who signs up for hosting
- Doing an office energy assessment and turning off or unplugging unused electronics.
- Renting offices that use renewable energy sources for heating/cooling and electricity
- Recycling all paper and plastic waste
Who are these green hosting companies?
There are dozens of them out there, but these days the most talked about include:
If you care about the environment, it is very easy to switch your site to a green hosting company. It's a 1-hour project that can contribute years of positive impact on the environment.
Who is ready to win?
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