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High-tech Goes Green
When your business is fairly clean to begin with, it's trickier to make a difference; purchasing renewable energy certificates to offset energy consumption
Manchester, NH — May 2, 2008 — It's one thing to develop Earth-friendly policies when you're a manufacturer or a retail operation — efforts such as recycling, using renewable energy sources, and scrubbing emissions to remove pollutants are all options.
But what if you're a high-tech company whose products appear only in cyberspace? How do you reduce your carbon footprint when it's largely an electronic footprint?
That was the dilemma facing SilverTech, an interactive agency based in Manchester, N.H. "We felt an obligation to do our part, specifically in the area of carbon emissions," says Nick Soggu, president and CEO of SilverTech.
Beyond being the right thing to do, there's another reason for high-tech firms like SilverTech to address their carbon footprint: their customers expect it. "Many of our clients are environmentally conscious and want their suppliers be also," says Soggu.
Take Pizza Fusion, an up-and-coming chain of gourmet, organic pizza restaurants with a strong environmental focus. "Our commitment to the environment is a core part of our business mission," says Vaughan Lazar, cofounder and CEO of Pizza Fusion. "As part of that commitment, we decided early on to seek out environmentally conscious vendors and suppliers to partner with." Pizza Fusion came to SilverTech seeking not only a design for its website that would reflect its core values, but a web partner that shared them.
SilverTech did share those values. But having a commitment to the environment and being able to implement it on a daily basis are two different things. "When your business is fairly clean to begin with, it's trickier knowing how to make a difference," says Soggu.
The company resolved this dilemma by purchasing renewable energy certificates. The money paid for the certificates goes toward generating clean energy, like wind power, which gets delivered to the electricity grid in place of energy generated by coal, oil or natural gas, thereby reducing emissions into the atmosphere.
SilverTech has purchased renewable energy certificates to offset 50 percent of the electricity used at its headquarters, amounting to 280,000 kilowatt hours per year. "This will prevent more than 381,000 pounds of CO2 from entering the earth's atmosphere," says Soggu. "That's equivalent to the amount of CO2 absorbed by 144 acres of trees annually or removing 37 cars from the road each year."
The certificates purchased by SilverTech represent a "national renewable mix" of clean energies, which may include wind, biomass, geothermal, landfill gas or solar energy. The certificates are also "green-e certified," which ensures they meet strict environmental and consumer protection standards established by the Center for Resource Solutions.
By purchasing green-e certified certificates, SilverTech has become a member of the EPA's Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program that seeks to increase the use of clean, renewable energy sources among leading U.S. organizations. In return for purchasing green power that meets EPA benchmarks, partners receive EPA technical assistance and recognition. The Green Power Partnership currently has more than 600 Partners, including Fortune 500 companies, states, federal agencies, trade associations and universities.
"We're committed to supporting renewable energy, and supporting our clients' environmental efforts as well," says Soggu.
Proving that while it isn't always easy being green, you can do it if you try.
But what if you're a high-tech company whose products appear only in cyberspace? How do you reduce your carbon footprint when it's largely an electronic footprint?
That was the dilemma facing SilverTech, an interactive agency based in Manchester, N.H. "We felt an obligation to do our part, specifically in the area of carbon emissions," says Nick Soggu, president and CEO of SilverTech.
Beyond being the right thing to do, there's another reason for high-tech firms like SilverTech to address their carbon footprint: their customers expect it. "Many of our clients are environmentally conscious and want their suppliers be also," says Soggu.
Take Pizza Fusion, an up-and-coming chain of gourmet, organic pizza restaurants with a strong environmental focus. "Our commitment to the environment is a core part of our business mission," says Vaughan Lazar, cofounder and CEO of Pizza Fusion. "As part of that commitment, we decided early on to seek out environmentally conscious vendors and suppliers to partner with." Pizza Fusion came to SilverTech seeking not only a design for its website that would reflect its core values, but a web partner that shared them.
SilverTech did share those values. But having a commitment to the environment and being able to implement it on a daily basis are two different things. "When your business is fairly clean to begin with, it's trickier knowing how to make a difference," says Soggu.
The company resolved this dilemma by purchasing renewable energy certificates. The money paid for the certificates goes toward generating clean energy, like wind power, which gets delivered to the electricity grid in place of energy generated by coal, oil or natural gas, thereby reducing emissions into the atmosphere.
SilverTech has purchased renewable energy certificates to offset 50 percent of the electricity used at its headquarters, amounting to 280,000 kilowatt hours per year. "This will prevent more than 381,000 pounds of CO2 from entering the earth's atmosphere," says Soggu. "That's equivalent to the amount of CO2 absorbed by 144 acres of trees annually or removing 37 cars from the road each year."
The certificates purchased by SilverTech represent a "national renewable mix" of clean energies, which may include wind, biomass, geothermal, landfill gas or solar energy. The certificates are also "green-e certified," which ensures they meet strict environmental and consumer protection standards established by the Center for Resource Solutions.
By purchasing green-e certified certificates, SilverTech has become a member of the EPA's Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program that seeks to increase the use of clean, renewable energy sources among leading U.S. organizations. In return for purchasing green power that meets EPA benchmarks, partners receive EPA technical assistance and recognition. The Green Power Partnership currently has more than 600 Partners, including Fortune 500 companies, states, federal agencies, trade associations and universities.
"We're committed to supporting renewable energy, and supporting our clients' environmental efforts as well," says Soggu.
Proving that while it isn't always easy being green, you can do it if you try.
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