| Web hosting services and data centers maintained by | | | | * Hydropower can reduce CO2 emissions |
| them serve various purposes. They provide web | | | | considerably in hosting service data centers. In this |
| hosting services, domain registration, back up services, | | | | process, energy from flowing water is converted to |
| storage services, etc. Web hosting companies have | | | | electricity through turbines and generators. The flowing |
| revolutionized the world! However, major inefficiencies | | | | water can be derived from two sources - Storage |
| exist when it comes to data center management. | | | | and Run-of-river. Storage use dams. Run-of-river use |
| Their management is becoming an expensive affair. | | | | turbines placed according to the natural flow of water |
| Their costs have increased significantly in the last five | | | | in rivers. Hydropower emit very little CO2 as |
| years. Researches show that data center cost is | | | | compared to the conventional sources of energy. |
| growing twice as rapidly as revenue. Besides cost, | | | | * Wind can also be used as a source to generate |
| their emissions are a serious drawback of web hosting | | | | low-carbon emitting energy. Wind mills can be seen at |
| services. | | | | many places. As the blades of a windmill turn, the |
| Data centers consume large amount of energy. | | | | central shaft spins a generator. Electricity is thus |
| Studies indicate that they alone consume 0.2% of the | | | | produced. Datacenters of hosting services may use |
| total electricity production in the world. A single data | | | | wind energy to generate electricity. Wind energy is the |
| center consumes as much energy as consumed by | | | | world's fastest growing energy technology. |
| nearly thirty thousand houses. As it consumes, so it | | | | * Geothermal energy source can also be used to |
| emits! They emit large amount of carbon into the | | | | generate electricity. It emits less CO2 as compared to |
| atmosphere. Carbon emissions by web hosting | | | | the conventional sources of energy. Geothermal |
| services and its data center is a major topic of | | | | power uses natural source of heat inside the earth. |
| discussion amongst environmentalists. Leaving carbon | | | | Steam or hot water from beneath the earth's surface |
| footprints in air may lead to enhanced risk of global | | | | is utilized to generate electricity. This source of power |
| warming. | | | | generation is environment friendly and efficient. |
| Majority of the web hosting services rely on | | | | Apart from these, data centers may also make use of |
| conventional sources of energy to generate power. | | | | biomass, solar power, and nuclear sources of energy |
| Facebook, a popular social networking site, was in | | | | to produce electricity. Web hosting companies are |
| news recently because of its new data center in | | | | facing criticism from around the world for increasing |
| Oregon utilizing coal to generate power. | | | | pollutants emission. Web hosting services are under |
| Environmentalists protest against this as it may lead to | | | | pressure from environmental groups to reduce carbon |
| huge carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Coal, oil, | | | | footprints from data centers. Global warming is a direct |
| gas etc. have the largest carbon footprints as they | | | | consequence to high carbon emissions from their |
| burn these fuels during operation. It is advisable to use | | | | centers. It has become extremely important to reduce |
| renewable energy sources for their operation in | | | | energy inefficiency. This, in turn, may also reduce the |
| website hosting services. Main renewable sources of | | | | overall expenditure in data center management. |
| energy for power generation are as below: | | | | |