Most people do their part to protect the planet through a series of small but consistent decisions. They
bring reusable bags to the store, recycle trash, put rechargeable batteries in the remote or maybe even
driving a hybrid or electric vehicle.
All of which is great, but there’s one part of life where one’s environmental impact is basically invisible –
online. Every time someone logs on to check an email, binge watches a favorite show, downloads a new
album by a favorite artist or just plain gets some work done, there’s a data center packed with servers,
routers and other equipment operating somewhere to make that internet magic happen.
The problem is data centers run on a significant amount of electricity. Some burn diesel fuel to meet their
energy needs and many use eco-unfriendly batteries as a power back-up power in case of an outage
(imagine the chaos of a data center that serves a global bank had a sustained power outage). The
electricity consumption doesn’t just power the technology, either. Over 40 percent of data center’s
electricity use actually stems from keeping servers nice and cool. Then there’s the routers, switches and
other gear itself, all of which have components ranging from plastic to precious metal.
Before you beat yourself up too much for that last social media session, however, relax. But servers
themselves are becoming far more efficient in part due to the need to reduce data center costs. And there
are a number of ingenious ways to cut down energy usage by using solar power or piping in sea water for
cooling. And while your small business may run on the internet – literally, if it’s an online retail store or
remote-work organization – there’s still a simple way to be environmentally responsible without
unplugging everything.
White Hat Technology wants to help businesses be better for the planet, especially when they’re online.
That’s why we partner with IONOS, a web hosting company that’s also an EPA Green Power Partner. We
were impressed and thrilled to find this company does everything it can to ensure its data centers have as
small a carbon footprint as possible. They use the most efficient servers possible and upgrade them when
necessary. When it’s time to dispose of a server, it’s recycled and disposed of responsibly. Two IONOS
data centers based in Europe, one in Germany and one in the United Kingdom, are powered by renewable
resources. When that’s not an option, other IONOS data centers offset their impact through carbon
certificates. Even outside the data center, offices are energy efficient and employees are encouraged to
recycle and carpool or use public transit.
Reducing one’s carbon footprint is a huge responsibility achieved through many small decisions. One of
the most simple decisions an environmentally conscious business can make is to opt for a green webspace
solution.
Contact us today to learn how.
