Global warming has emerged as the most important issue of our generation and the topic of "the environment" is hot these days- no pun intended. The question is: how do we best run our businesses in this context? We as businesspeople are becoming conscious of our ability to take an active role in solving our societies environmental crisis. At the same time, studies show that people will choose an eco-friendly or green option if given the opportunity. Increasingly, consumers are "voting with their dollars" to support green businesses that are reducing their carbon footprint and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.

Given this reality, it makes business sense for each of us to make our companies as eco-friendly as possible. Given the economic context of running a business, this shift towards low carbon use must be balanced with sound financial judgment; we must chose options that reduce our carbon footprint and also maintain profitability.

In this context, choosing green web hosting is a good business investment. In terms of pricing, green web hosting rates are reasonable. Solar Energy Host offers individual plans starting at only $9.95 per month ($119.40 per year.) For larger businesses, managed dedicated servers are also available. This compares to about $6.99/month for hosting that uses non-eco friendly energy sources. Conventional hosting seems cheaper. However, when the marketing benefits to your company of using green web hosting are taken into account, an option such as Solar Energy Host is actually more cost effective than conventional hosting.

The key to maximizing the benefit of green web hosting to your company is in publicizing it properly and using it as a marketing tool. Green web hosting conveys a key marketing message; "Trust us, we are doing the right thing, just like you are." However, consumers are increasingly aware and critical, they are looking for proof. They want to know that the businesses they support are not engaged in "green washing." This is why it is critical that companies go further and explain to their customers just what makes their web hosting "green." This in turn will increase the customer’s trust and loyalty. Using an option such as Solar Energy Host allows companies to promote their web hosting as the "greenest" because they power their servers directly with solar panels. This reduces the carbon footprint of the Internet. This contrasts sharply with other "green" hosting companies that simply buy Carbon Credits while they continue to use "dirty" energy.

How this information is communicated depends on the nature of your company and target market. For example, it can be displayed on a special page of your website and/or links and logos can be displayed at the bottom of each page of the site to signify that your company is using the greenest hosting option possible. Your companies "green web presence" can also be promoted in other marketing material. In such a way your efforts to green your businesses can also improve your sales and leads and, ultimately, your bottom line.

We are pleased to offer a new range of tutorials to help you learn more about Joomla and the Solar Energy Host Plesk Control Panel.

1. Click here for Plesk control panel tutorials.
2. Click here for email client configuration tutorials.
3. Click here for Joomla 1.0.X tutorials.
4. Click here for Joomla 1.5.X tutorials.

We are pleased to announce the release of the world's first Joomla 1.5 auto-installer. Now our customers will be able to install Joomla with just a few mouse clicks, and without any knowledge of FTP (file transfer protocol.)

This release co-incides with the release of the world's first Joomla 1.0.14 rc1 auto-installer.

Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.

We at Solar Energy Host are very excited to have joined Kiva! We have already made one loan to a small business woman in Ghana named Christina Boateng, and will be making more an more loans as the year progresses.

Check out Kiva.org, you can join too!

You can check out our company profile to monitor our lending activity here: http://www.kiva.org/lender/solarenergyhost1500.

The Internet is perhaps one of the greatest technological advances of our time. It gives us the ability to be connected and to share information instantly with the potential to dramatically reduce our need for travel; thereby reducing the amount of CO2 emissions we produce. But, how much CO2 is the Internet itself producing?

We asked Aaron Handford, President of Solar Energy Host how much carbon the net itself is generating and he had some surprising answers. 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."

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.”

A new wave of these solar powered companies is on the leading cusp of moving away from traditional power sources.  

Says Handford: “A server such as ours is “Carbon Free”, which is a step beyond “Carbon Neutral” because you are not adding more pollution and then buying carbon credits to make up for it.”

Handford went on to explain that the data center used by Solar Energy Host stops the emission of the following gasses/toxins:

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.”

Solar Energy Host is part of perhaps the only commercial carbon-free data center in existence.

We had to ask, what happens to your server at night? “Good question,” laughed Handford “We have a large set of batteries, a propane generator, and as a last resort, the conventional energy grid, which we have never needed to use!”

Looks like the future is now.

For more information about Solar Energy Host please visit:
www.solarenergyhost.com.

Author Bio:

Deirdre Rowland is a media specialist and communications consultant who works with visionaries and organizations with a values based lens. Her favorite projects are the ones that make the world a better place.

Deirdre is Principal Publicist of CME Communications and Floating World Web Development.

Salt Spring Island, BC, October 2007 – 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 Canadian 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.”

Handford adds, “If your website is currently running power from the grid you are tied to a system where you can never be sure where that energy is coming from, possibly from coal burning or nuclear sources. Solar Energy Host offers something unique by getting off the energy grid that our planet is paying a big price for.” This way you are not adding more pollution and then buying carbon credits to make up for it.

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.