A new web hosting company, based on Salt Spring Island, is set to become Canada's first carbon-free web host. Solar Energy Host is offering 100% carbon free web hosting that generates zero green house gas emissions. While consumers are familiar with the term carbon-neutral, many will be hearing the phrase ?carbon-free? for the first time.
Company founder, Aaron Handford explored the idea on a recent trip to San Francisco earlier this year. ?I was really impressed with the idea of reducing the ?carbon footprint? of the Internet. By using solar power to host the sites I saw an opportunity to make a difference in a real way. Instead of using the ?carbon neutral? system where companies purchase carbon credits to offset their green house gas emissions, we offer a cleaner solution ? websites powered by solar energy ? nothing comes from the grid, it's carbon-free.?
How much carbon is "the net" itself generating? According to Handford, ?The Internet has a big carbon footprint. It's estimated that globally it takes about 868 billion kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity per year to run the Internet, associated PCs, routing infrastructure, and phone networks.? (http://uclue.com/index.php'xq=724)
He notes, ?Of this, about 112.5 Billion kWh are used to power ?data centers?, which are the servers that store all the websites."
It has been estimated that as of early 2007 there were about 108,810,358 of these websites in existence. (See the link below for further details. (http://www.boutell.com/newfaq/misc/sizeofweb.html)
This represents a lot of energy, and potentially a lot of CO2 emissions. What can be done to reduce the carbon footprint of the Internet? Handford has some suggestions for those willing to research the net itself for answers. ?There are web hosting packages now available that are responding to the need to be ?carbon friendly?. My company Solar Energy Host powers our websites directly with solar energy.? Handford adds, ?If your website is currently sitting on a server powered by energy from the grid, then you are tied to a system where you can never be sure where that energy is coming from, possibly from the burning of coal or other greenhouse gas producing sources. Solar Energy Host offers consumers another choice ? a way to get your website off the energy grid.?
What makes it possible is a state-of-the art server that is part of the only solar powered professional web server system in the world. The servers and technology are based in California where solar powered solutions are cropping up in dramatic fashion. A Salt Spring Island based company; Solar Energy Host presents a great hosting solution ? and another way to make a difference in the fight to stop global warming.
Handford went on to explain that the data center used by Solar Energy Host stops the emission of the following gasses/toxins:
* 19,890 lbs of Carbon Dioxide (CO2/GHG) per year
* 5.9 lbs of Nitrous Oxide (NOX/smog) per year
* 0.45 lbs of Sulfur Dioxide (SO4/acid rain) per year
He is also following a socially responsible business model by giving back. ?We donate five dollars from each account to the ?Gardens of Hope? Project,? says Handford. ?This money funds the planting of one tree and helps link five communities in Lesotho, southern Africa, into a network of projects that share ideas, skills, resources and common purpose while supporting the educational needs of orphaned and vulnerable children.?
For more information please visit: http://www.solarenergyhost.com
That's the problem. Our water heaters are on 24/7 trying to keep 30 or 40 gallons of water hot. It's like keeping a kettle on the stove all day in case you want a cup of coffee tonight. It wastes a lot of energy. It wastes a lot of resources. It wastes a lot of money. Your water heater is second only to your furnace as a user of energy in your home.
An average hot water tank holds about 35 gallons of water. It takes energy and lots of it to keep that much water hot. Let's assume you have a shower at 8:00 Am and go to work. Let's assume you eat out and have no dishes to do. Let's assume you don't need any hot water until the next morning at 8:00 AM. You spent a lot of energy and money keeping 30 or 40 gallons of water hot for no reason. The bigger your tank, the more it wastes.
The yearly operating costs for conventional gas or electric storage tank water heaters in the USA average $200 or $450, respectively. Imagine the good we can do for the environment if we used water heaters that only used energy when we need hot water. Amazingly, you can completely pay for a tankless water heater in about 2 years. It also saves on your water bill and sewer bill, as it preserves resources.
sentence 3 The best tankless systems monitors how much water you are using and only uses enough electricity to heat the water you are using. This saves the environement by cutting the amount of electricity and resources.
We all talk about the environment and reducing our carbon foot print but tankless water heaters represent a real way average citizens can save energy and help the environment without giving up any comfort.
In fact, switching to tankless heaters means never running out of hot water. The best tankless systems come with a lifetime guarantee. This means youu will never need to buy another water heater. This saves space in landfills and wasted energy and resources to manufacturer old tank models. Tankless water heaters are far superior in technology and in delivering the hot water you heed when you need it.
These systems save space too. Unlike the older systems, these take up very little space and can be installed in far smaller spaces. This means condos and factory built homes do not need to allocate precious storage space to a huge water storage tank.
Best of all, these tankless water heaters save so much energy, you can afford to replace your old energy guzzler and pay for the new system with the savings in energy.
You don't need to wait for alternative fuels. You can do something today that will start saving a significant amount of energy right away and making your life more comfortable and enjoyable.
Get more information on tankless water heaters. The technological miracle that will save energy, protect the environment and improve your life.
Both Aaron Handford & Carl Davidson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Aaron Handford has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet. Aaron Handford is president of He is excited about reducing the carbon footprint of the Internet.. Aaron Handford's top article generates over 1000 views. to your Favourites.
Carl Davidson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Health and Computers and The Internet. This article discusses how getti. Carl Davidson's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.