Green Host?

[h0std3m0n]

Hi, I'm new... now that introductions are out of the way, living & working in cyberspace and a zero-paper world is it really a good start to being environment friendly? If your web servers contribute to CO2 emissions 'round the clock do web hosts care or is it all about the "green" as in money?

By choosing a hosting company are you getting both a host with first class customer service and positively contribute to reducing the global warming and reliability? And that, at the same low prices as with the most competitive non green hosts?

 

[Artashes]

That is a fantastic topic, and one that deserves better investigation into the future of green web hosting and what it is.

Personally, I think there is definitely future in green hosting, however, we are a very long shot from making it mainstream. Some of the phrases like green energy hosting or carbon neutral hosting were already coined. However, it still seems like a luxury product since companies who are seriously involved in advancement of hosting solutions that are environmentally friendly (all the credit to them!), seem to transfer the cost on consumers' shoulders. Check just two first companies that came top in search engine results:
GreenHosting - products and services
Affordable Internet Services Online, Inc. - Solar Powered Web Hosting

Yet seems like they turn on consumers (GreenHosting.org): "The consumer who does not pay a premium to GREENMAX cannot claim to be a supporter of green energy." So just because I would refuse to pay such a high price for a product makes me not a supporter of green energy??

 

[ANMMark]

There is a lot wrong with GreenHosting.org's statements.

For example, they're claiming that the reasons their prices are so high is because it's expensive to use wind.

After watching a huge 4 hour special on this, the majority of the reasoning behind using wind powered electricity is because:

1. It's renewable.
2. It's very inexpensive

Right now, the consumption of petrolium is so high that they predict a peak, within our own generation. This of course means prices will soar, as it gets closer to peaking. For those that don't know, "peaking" means there will be no more. The earth is not magically going to create more oil for us. So we will be forced to make some kind of transition.

I think that GreenHosting is in this for all of the wrong reasons.

They seem to be taking advantage of people who know little about alternative energies, and using the "it's the cool thing, and the right thing" approach. "Yeah it's the right thing, but since it's also the cool thing, we're gonna charge you more."

Solar, Wind, and Magnetism are our most reliable renewable resources, and it costs very little to harness those particular energies. As for the reliability, the sun is basically a battery with a 5 million year life span (kinda puts the Energizer Bunny to shame lol), the wind will continue as long as the Earth rotates (if it stops, electricty will be the least of our worries), Magnetism is generated by the Earth itself and will be here as long as the Earth is.

Places like this need to realize that while they are helping, it will always be on a small degree until they stop taking advantage. You'll never get people to switch to alternative energies willingly, if you imply that it costs more, when the basis of it is to cost less in both dollars and resources.

 

[CrazyTech]

Well I don't buy into global warming. For me it doesn't take the equivalent of a rocket scientist to see that man does adversely affect his environment. I thought and knew that long before I had ever heard of global warming. I just wanted to make the past few statements because I consider myself pretty much the average person in that regard. I do believe in going to fuels and methods where we can keep nature a little more beautiful, always have, always will.

With that being said, this type of company is exactly what's wrong with the entire global warming scene. It has become a business trend where you can buy a few ambiguous credits and/or plant a few trees and then you can call yourself green and charge more. You can walk into any supermarket or retail store here in America and see all of these "green" products that cost 2x as much in some instances. That's obviously not the case for everything, but it is always more expensive.

For us as a race to be better with the environment, the solution is not going to come from paying more. Right now, these companies are making a killing off of green and the web hosting industry is no exception. In the meantime, we're not really getting anywhere and it honestly seems to me that some blind eyes are turned simply because it seems like the right thing on the very shallow surface.

 

[ANMMark]

Exactly my point Denver. Factually, global warming is a serious issue. However, unless people start getting their heads outta their arses, there is not a lot going to happen.

The problem is, people always preach about the environment, but never want to sacrifice anything. They all want lower gas prices, but if it means giving up the Hummer, then forget it.

People don't always realize that we not only had an ice age, we also had a "mini ice age" not entirely long ago.

Some companies see crisis as a profitible business. Just look at the whole y2k crap. The money that was made off of that farse was staggering. Companies and media had it portrayed as "doomsday". When in reality is was a mere single line of code to be changed in a minority of distributed software. Of course the logical step was to buy generators, first aid kits, stock pile food, build bunkers, etc lol

Even Microsoft got in on the game, and distributed a real half assed version of Windows....Windows ME. "Quick buy Windows ME, it will fix the clock in your task bar, but break everything else, but at least you'll be y2k compliant."

 

[Rob]

Greenhosting really is expensive. $390 a year for 5mb space???

Due to a premium cost for green power

wtf... that cant be right for the same reasons as mark said:

1. It's renewable.
2. It's very inexpensive

I wonder how many clients this company has...

 

[ldcdc]

1. It's renewable.
2. It's very inexpensive

From my understanding, the problem with renewable energy sources is that they're more expensive than conventional ones. I'm not saying that's the case with wind, as I don't know specifically about it.

seem to transfer the cost on consumers' shoulders.

I see no problem with that. It's normal, as ultimately, any costs are supposed to be paid for by the consumer. Question is though, is energy such a huge part of the cost of hosting services, to warrant huge increases in price? 🙂

 

[Rob]

In the UK, if you want to get colo then yes energy costs do play a big part of the cost - especially if you want London colocation. But the prices on that website are ludicrous

 

[timihosting.com]

Interesting.

Maybe one could use solar power to generate some of the required power for a DC? Maybe.

 

[Rob]

Interesting.

Maybe one could use solar power to generate some of the required power for a DC? Maybe.

That statement is correct 🙂

A few hosting companies power their entire DC with solar power.

 

[$alesMan]

From my understanding, the problem with renewable energy sources is that they're more expensive than conventional ones. I'm not saying that's the case with wind, as I don't know specifically about it.

I see no problem with that. It's normal, as ultimately, any costs are supposed to be paid for by the consumer. Question is though, is energy such a huge part of the cost of hosting services, to warrant huge increases in price? 🙂

Agree which is why I turned down a job from them at webhostingtalk when they were first plalnning it.

I think the approach is smart but there plans suck.