Web Hosting Geeks' Blog » eco-friendly http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog Web Hosting Industry News, Latest Trends, and Analyses. Thu, 24 May 2012 11:11:11 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Carbon Offsetting Versus True Green Hostinghttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/carbon-offsetting-versus-true-green-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/carbon-offsetting-versus-true-green-hosting/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:01:22 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=631 It can be quite tricky when attempting to determine the difference between a web hosting company that touts itself as being 100% eco-friendly and a web hosting company that offers true green hosting.  What is the difference?  One purchases carbon offset credits in the equivalent of what they produce in carbon emissions while the other uses renewable energy sources to power their equipment, data centers and offices.

The eco-friendly group

One of the easiest ways for a web hosting company to proclaim its self as an ecologically friendly hosting company is by carbon offsetting.  Carbon offsetting can be done in several ways: reforestation efforts, purchase of carbon credits in the amount equivalent to one’s carbon emissions, or even the purchase of green tags (also known as Renewable Energy Certificates).

There are several web hosting companies online that currently participate in a larger reforestation effort.  The damage caused by wildfires each summer has a devastating yearly effect on the world’s eco-system.  Hosting companies like CR8change.org – for every new hosting plan started, this company will plant one tree for every month a customer hosts with them.

Many more web hosting companies are opting to go the route of purchasing carbon credits.  The purpose of carbon offsetting is as a financial way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Web hosting companies that participate in this practice find out how much in emissions they produce yearly and then, at a minimum, purchase carbon credits in an amount equal to their production.  These carbon credits then go to projects that are working toward creating cleaner energy sources.

Green tags, or Renewable Energy Certificates, are (according to Wikipedia) “tradable, non-tangible energy commodities” that show that 1 Mwh of electricity was generated from a renewable energy resource.  This renewable energy resource needs to be of a qualifying technology – solar, wind, geothermal, low impact hydropower, biofuels or fuel cells.

The green group

The number of web hosting companies either starting out or converting to green hosting is growing each day.  One needs to do a bit of research first to determine which are actually using green technology for their web hosting services.

Those hosting companies that are actually using green technology will proudly proclaim this on the front page of their web sites.  ThinkHost is one of these companies.  This web hosting company is powered 100% by wind and solar power.  AISO.Net is another truly green web hosting company powered by solar energy and that also uses wind and water to further maximize their total “greenness”.  Another great green web hosting company is Solar Energy Host – powered entirely by the sun.

Conclusion

The terms eco-friendly and green are easily tossed about by many web hosting companies these days.  While all of these companies are doing their part to give back to the environment, it’s important to realize the difference between the two terms.

If one is looking to place their business with a truly green web hosting company, it’s imperative to dig a bit deeper into the web hosting company’s claims and ensure that green technology is actually being used.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/carbon-offsetting-versus-true-green-hosting/feed/ 0 Digital Realty Trust Honored by Datacenter Dynamicshttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/digital-realty-trust-honored-by-datacenter-dynamics/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/digital-realty-trust-honored-by-datacenter-dynamics/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:03:10 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=152 Digital Realty Trust Inc. took home the “Innovation in an Outsourced Environment” award at the Datacentre Leader’s 2008 Awards.  The firm received the honor for the Turn-Key Datacentre it recently delivered to IBM to support the expansion of the company’s web hosting business in France.   Digital Realty Trust was presented with the honor on December 17, 2008 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.  The annual award ceremony is hosted by Datacenter Dynamics which also hosts a number of educational conferences for experts involved in mission-critical IT facilities.

Benared Geoghegan, Digital Realty Trust Senior Vice President, expressed what an honor it was to receive the award and aid in the project with IBM.  The completion of the new Turn-Key Datacentre in Paris, France provided IBM with the ability to eliminate a large capital investment and meet the financial and technical requirements for the project.  The award further proved Digital Realty Trust’s expertise in data center design and commitment to its partners.  Geoghegan says the firm was able to make it a successful project by utilizing environmentally sustainable development techniques as well as its industry-leading approach to optimizing energy efficiency.

Originally launched in 2007, the Datacentre Leader’s Awards were created to recognize technological innovation and reward excellence to organizations who specialize in facility design.  The award recognizes entities in London and throughout the entire continent of Europe.  The Datacentre Leader’s Awards provide organizations with the opportunity to showcase their ingenuity and professionalism in the essential data center industry.  Datacenter Dynamics launched the program to not only highlight teams, but individuals who make this vital sector what it is today, proving that it’s much more than sophisticated products and technologies.  Other than offering peer recognition, the Datacentre Leader’s Award also provide the opportunity to display the data center industry at its very best.

Located across Europe and North America,. Digital Realty Trust Turn-Key Datacentre facilities offer state of the art environments to support mission-critical infrastructures.  They are equipped with advanced power and cooling systems, multiple redundancy and sustainable elements to ensure that crucial applications are available and energy sources are optimized.  Each facility is physically secure, equipped with sophisticated power systems and environmental architectures that provide for efficient, eco-friendly operations.  All Digital Realty Trust Turn-Key Datacentre facilities are designed on the firm’s proprietary POD Architecture and utilizes metered energy to ensure that clients only pay for the power they consume.

The recent honor was fitting for Digital Realty Trust as the company is one of the most respected names in the data center industry.  The company is dedicated to providing its Turn-Key Datacentre facilities and Powered Base Building solutions for global clients across a wide range of industries.  Some of its partners include organizations in manufacturing, financial services, Information Technology and internet-based enterprises among other sectors.  This respected firm owns 74 facilities in 27 major markets throughout Europe and North America, each of which provide an infrastructure critical to the operations of its technology partners and corporate enterprise data center tenants.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/digital-realty-trust-honored-by-datacenter-dynamics/feed/ 0 The Emergence of Green Web Hostinghttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/the-emergence-of-green-web-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/the-emergence-of-green-web-hosting/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:49:17 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=142 Few ever believed the internet would explode into its current state of popularity.  Everyone from young to old is signing online to surf the web – communicating, shopping and seeking out entertainment.  At the same time, millions of people are creating websites in attempt to meet the needs of visitors across the globe.  A webmaster can’t reach their niche market without servers and the associated hardware found in today’s data centers.  In order to keep the web thriving, providers must use tons of electricity, contributing to the environmental concerns plaguing the earth today.  Data centers are located throughout the world, most of them allowing CO2 among other harmful emissions to pollute the atmosphere.  To reduce data center emissions and help preserve the earth, a number of web hosing companies have opted to go green.

The Power Behind Green Hosting

Green web hosting was scarce a few years ago, however, recently this type of web hosting has come into the limelight.  There are a handful of companies who started off 100% green while others have gradually converted.  Even some of the most widely known providers have made the switch to offer a more eco-friendly web hosting product.  Many begin in the office by recycling waste paper and utilizing bio-fuel for heating purposes.  This leads to the data centers where servers thrive off alternative sources such as wind, solar and geothermal energy.  Some have went out and purchased RECs (Renewable Energy Credits), a certification which assures the company is using alternatives forms of power.

Slowly but surely, the web hosting industry is making the transition to more efficient operations.  There are a few companies that go far and beyond to make sure they deliver green hosting.  For example, Green Web Hosting is one host that encourages its employees to telecommute in attempt to reduce pollutants caused by everyday transportation.  Some run an entirely paperless service to cut back on the unnecessary usage of trees.  Others will actually plant a new tree for each new customer they sign up.  Many of them will also offer discounts to customers who aid in environmental causes with their websites.  Green web hosting emerged from nowhere to become the preferred choice for an increasing amount of people.

Reliability and Performance

There are some who question the performance and overall reliability you receive with a green web hosting platform.  In actuality, renewable energy is proven to be just as reliable and effective as conventional electricity.  Green hosts are successfully running their businesses just as everyone else is.  Like the traditional provider is equipped with electrical backup sources, these companies are prepared to produce renewable energy to keep the operation flourishing.

Is Green Web Hosting for You?

Green hosting is great for obvious reasons but not everyone is ready to convert.  Some are turned off because the price varies and can be more than traditional hosting.  Cost aside, you want to find a company that is reliable and provides a quality service most importantly.  With the backing of a respectable green web host, you can feel good about your role in saving the earth.

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