Sun Run Web from AISO
by TreeHugger on 12.18.04
We recently had a tip from Chris, saying that Treehugger readers might be interested in a link he'd seen to Hellacious Riders, a site for motorcycle enthusiasts, for a great deal. A ginormous 1TB of free email storage, with a maximum attachment size of 500MB. Good offer, but “Why is this all TreeHugger-y?”, as Chris so adroitly put it. Quite simply because the hriders servers are sun run. Yep, their ISP is Affordable Internet Services Online, which is a 100% solar powered facility. 120 photovoltaic panels grace their south facing roof. Using inverters they convert the solar energy into AC current. This in turn powers the data centre and their offices, including the air conditioners. The grid can be accessed in emergencies, although given the blackouts and brownouts of recent years, its likely the reverse would be the case. Seems they also channel natural lighting inside, through solar tubes. Sound like a technology company worth supporting? Thanks for the tip Chris. Check out the email offer via ::hriders [by WM]
The last time I looked last year this company charged rates that not were competitive enough yet with other services to really make a dent. Joining a solar powered ISPs shouldn't have to be a luxury. Sadly, often, such companies charge a premium for the "idea" of doing things green, when in fact the economics of doing business that way doesn't reflect the extra expense passed on to the user. When I contacted them asking if they could break down how their "boutique" rates factored into cushioning the set-up cost of the PV gear, they ignored my email. Sooner or later ALL Internet services will be powered by stand-alone renewable energy systems, it's the only logical way to go. But I wonder sometimes whether or not using this as a sales tool to justify higher prices doesn't work against that ultimate goal.