Let's put it this way - we're not going to suggest that "going green" with a web server is for everyone. But for those of you who are concerned by increasing energy consumption to run and maintain web servers nationally, we may be a possible solution for you.
Consider this: similar to the way computer processing speed doubles every 18 to 24 months, energy consumption by web server companies also increases. In a study by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2007, web server energy consumption doubled between 2001 and 2006, and will double again by 2011.*
In fact, the E.P.A. calculated that 1.5% of the United States electricity supply is consumed by data centers!
A web server farm on average 30 billion kilowatt-hours - generating heat, requiring additional cooling - a ratio of 1-to-1 for each kilowatt-hour. That's 60 billion kilowatt-hours a year in total!
It costs $4.5 billion a year for the electricity to run the nation's server farms, according to the E.P.A.*, a sum ultimately picked up by consumers and costing our environment with more production of "dirty" energy.
Whichever web hosting company you use, we hope you consider these statistics in your decision!
|
