With more and more Websites going online every day and adding more bells and whistles, Web hosting companies need more and more energy to keep their customers up and running. In fact, a recent study estimated that energy consumption by data centers around the world doubled between 2000 and 2005, and now amounts to the output of 14 power plants.
So what's an energy-conscious, green-minded Web hosting customer to do? How about choosing a hosting company that uses renewable energy to power its operations? A growing number of Web hosts are moving in that direction, including these 9 solar-powered companies:
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Based in Romoland, California, AISO is a 10-year-old Web hosting company whose data center is powered by 120 solar panels. AISO also uses solar tubes to light its offices naturally, and is now designing a green roof topped with drought-resistant plants for its data center. The company also hosted the Live Earth concert Websites.
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In 2005, the U.K.-based Athenaeum launched Ecological Hosting, which is powered by a solar-energy data center in California. Owner-operators Jamie Simpson and Sue Rhodes are also strict vegetarians and avid recyclers.
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Atypica completed its conversion to grid-tied solar power in February of 2005. The 10-year-old company, located in Scotia, New York, offers application development, email and hosting services.
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Based in the U.K., Eco Web Design uses solar-powered Web servers to provide three types of hosting plans, from entry-level to professional.
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Launched just this past summer, Greenest Host is powered fully by solar power. The company, located in San Diego, California, offers a variety of Web hosting plans along with email and e-commerce services.
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Another U.K. based company that uses a solar-powered data center in California, Green WebHost also operates Solar WebHost (http://solarwebhost.net/) and plants a tree on behalf of every customer.
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While most of Planetmind's services are run by 100-percent wind power, the Netherlands, Colorado-based company has also added a low-powered Web server running completely on solar power. It offers a limited number of hosting accounts for its solar server.
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A subsidiary of Floppynet Ltd., Solar Host uses energy from a solar-powered data center in California. The U.K.-based company offers email, Web hosting, and Website management services.
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Founded in 1999 and based in Portland, Oregon, ThinkHost switched to 100-percent solar/wind power in last 2005. Most of its team members also telecommute to reduce their environmental impact. The company offers Web hosting, e-commerce and other services.
