What Is It?

A green server often refers more to a company that utilizes alternative forms of energy to power its resources than it does to the actual hardware, or server. Many hosting services have recognized that their services can equal tons of CO2 emissions per year. Therefore, these services have begun to connect to companies that supply alternative forms of energy.
In addition, new technology is allowing hosting services the option to purchase or rent green servers that are smaller and more efficient than standard servers (see ‘features’ below). Some hosting companies have gone as far as looking at the total environment that houses their hosting servers. Finally, this “greening” of hosting companies includes other forms of environmentally friendly operations such as conscientious recycling of waste paper and electronic hardware.

Who Is it For?

“Green servers,” given the definition above, provides customers with a choice between servers hosted through traditional or renewable energy sources, and sometimes with the choice of a “green” server that is smaller and more energy-efficient. This type of option extends beyond the hosting provider to individuals and businesses who seek to find a less wasteful form of Internet communication and networking services at home, in the business, and through their host provider.

The person who chooses to use co-location services is probably more affected by the green alternative than other hosting customers. Hosting services typically provide electricity as part of the co-location provision service, but as electricity costs increase, the co-locator may find that the power needed to operate that individual server may be billed separate from the hosting services other servers. In this case, the potential server owner may seek to replace that server with a server that can be kept in a low-power state when not utilized.

Features

There are three main features that apply to green servers and green server environments. First is the power, or electricity, needed to run a hosting environment provides a main drive to go green. Some renewable energy resources that can be used to power servers and server farms include wind, geothermal, and solar power. In some cases, the alternative energy source is less expensive than traditional nonrenewable energy resources (such as geothermal power in Iceland), so these savings may be passed on to the customer. However, this savings may be negligible if the hosting company needs to relocate to take advantage of those renewable resources.

Secondly, the servers can become ‘greener’ as they’re replaced. Some newer servers now offer performance levels that match traditional servers but with up to 40 percent energy savings. The savings come in the form of improved power supply units and smarter cooling technologies such as a chassis design that optimizes air flow and liquid-filled “heat pipes” that dissipate heat away from processors and toward fans. Plus, these servers are smaller than the standard tower servers, so this size ensures that fewer raw materials are used in its manufacture and results in less waste.

The waste is the third concern, as many electronics end up in landfills where mercury and lead poisoning are factors. Over time, these chemicals can leach into the ground and resurface in drinking water supplies. Proper disposal and recycling of these products are more of a concern in publicly owned companies that need to report to stockholders. Smaller concerns often can hide their waste disposal methods from consumers, as waste disposal often isn’t regulated.

Compatibility

There are no compatibility issues surrounding the use of green servers in a greener serving environment. The green server is built to operate “as usual,” depending upon the platform it was developed for.

Web Hosts that Offer Green