A Solar-Powered Site
Dec 24 - Association Management
TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS
"Since the company (Solar Data Centers) that hosts our Web site
currently purchases power collected from solar panels scattered across the
country, its power supply isn't affected by local weather or atmospheric
conditions," explains Deborah H. Wakefield, POVA's director of
communications and public relations. Solar Data Centers (SDC) is the only
company in the world that uses solar energy for every aspect of its clients'
Internet operations.
The reason. For POVA, whose tourism slogan is "It's not easy being
green," the switch to a clean, renewable energy source made sense.
"People think of Portland as a green destination, both in terms of scenery
and the city's environmental commitment," says Joe D'Alessandro, POVA's
president and CEO. "This is just one way that we can live up to Portland's
impressive international reputation."
The selection. POVA researched several Internet service providers that use
wind, sun, and other alternative energy sources but ultimately selected SDC
because of its commitment to renewable power, Internet security, customer
support, affordability, and technical support. The CVB's former Web host used
electricity generated primarily by hydroelectric dams.
The money. POVA spends $100 more each month for Web hosting through SDC than
it did with its previous host. The energy switch is the monthly equivalent of
1.72 acres of forest not being cut down; 16,286 auto miles not being driven;
4.32 tons of coal not being burned; or 14,482 pounds of carbon dioxide not being
produced. "We believe that $1,200 more per year is a miniscule price to pay
in exchange for being a more eco-friendly system," says Wakefield.
"Plus, more and more of our client meeting planners are specifically
looking for green destinations and green components that they can add to their
meetings. This is as important to them as it is to us."
The results. POVAs decision to go solar has drawn interest from such business
media outlets as CNNMoney, CBSMarketwatch, and Yahoo Finance.com, as well as
local media outlets. What's more, the switchover was painless. "There were
no glitches related to the switch to solar power," says Wakefield. "We
had a few links that didn't go live and a few of the images in our image library
weren't willing to download. But those are normal bumps that occur when moving
any large multilayered Web site to a new host, and we were able to fix most
everything in just a few hours."
Copyright American Society of Association Executives Dec
2004