Green Web Hosting Services
Most web-hosting companies pride themselves on the speed and reliability of the servers they house in their data centers.
But, according to Wired Magazine, for a select few, the pride comes from knowing that the electricity coursing through their servers is 100 percent clean. "Over the past several years, these boutique firms have carved out a 'green' niche in the crowded web-hosting market by running data centers powered entirely by solar panels.
The panels are not only good for the environment, they're also good for business. In addition to saving the companies thousands of dollars a month in electric bills, they're drawing in customers from all over the world who want to host their websites in a green data center."
2 Comments. Add your comments!
I am a climate scientist and an environmental consultant. I have looked into several of these so-called "Green Web Hosting Services" and I've come to the conclusion that they are not very environmental. They don't actually purchase solar panels or wind turbines. Instead, they buy renewable energy credits (REC), which are intended to help power companies and other big polluters beef up their green portfolios and meet EPA and state guidelines. Put quite simply, buying REC's does not increase the amount of renewable energy that is generated, and therefore it has no impact on the environment. What these "Green Hosting" companies are doing is called "Green Washing", which is a marketing tactic. They want you to think that you are helping the environment by using their services, but in truth they pollute just as must as every other hosting company. If you want to help the environment you have several great options including: buy solar panels and/or wind turbines for your home or business; purchase a hybrid car; recycle as much as possible; etc.
By esarep, at 3:17 PM, July 05, 2005
It is good that some companies want to be more environmentally friendly. Great consideration must be given to where the electricity they are using is coming from. Is it really from a company that is generating their power from environmentally safe practices or are they simply buying the REC's to make their own image look good without truly knowing where their power is generated.
By Kevin, at 9:50 PM, January 16, 2006
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