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UKFast announces the launch of UKFast Energy and achieves carbon neutral status for not only its own business but all hosting solutions it provides.

(1888PressRelease) October 20, 2010 - This is the biggest environmental step taken by any top tier UK hosting provider in what is one of the world's most power hungry industries.

Summary of main points for quick consumption:

- UKFast is 100% carbon neutral both at its offices and data centres
- All client solutions are also 100% carbon neutral (free of charge)
- All new clients will gain carbon neutral hosting (free of charge)
- UKFast is the first hosting provider to achieve PAS 2060 certification
- UKFast Energy begins work on a series of Hydro electric power plants
- MaNOC3 data centre will reduce energy consumption significantly, helping to beat UK targets

The announcement comes as the company prepares to bring online a new data centre in the Manchester area. Achieving sustainability for the longer term means UKFast Energy has begun a three step plan that will see in-house generation of 'clean energy' through the production of hydro electric power plants in Wales and Scotland.

Working with some of the UK's foremost pioneers of hydro power, UKFast has already identified eleven locations with the potential to create up to 1MVA per plant. A selection of sites are already in phase three of development, with energy production a potential eighteen months away.

In the meantime, in order to gain carbon neutrality with immediate effect, UKFast has invested in a series of existing hydro electric plants in South America and Europe, offsetting more than 2000 tonnes of CO2e. The hosting provider will continue to invest every quarter to cover all new clients and expansion.

Having extensively calculated its carbon footprint, the company is also the first UK hosting provider to achieve PAS 2060 certification. This guarantees the validity of UKFast's carbon neutral status across all office activity, the commuting of all team members and its data centres including all devices and daily operational power consumption.

Managing director Lawrence Jones believes that leaders within the technology industry have a responsibility to lead the charge for sustainable IT. "I was fortunate to discuss green IT with Sir Richard Branson at the beginning of this year and his launch of The Carbon War Room encouraged me to escalate UKFast's plans to reduce our impact on the planet."

The company's new data centre represents the third step in the project. Already two years in development, MaNOC3 is designed with energy saving in mind, working towards the reduction of power needed to operate machinery and free cooling systems that harness the external ambient temperature to keep temperatures stable at the facility.

Jones is passionate about reducing energy usage where possible. "UKFast's new data centre will assist with the reduction of our overall power consumption and contribute toward the UK target to keep global temperature increase below the 2 degree Celsius threshold. If we can achieve this across the board we can help to stave off the worst effects of climate change."

To finance the Data Centre project, UKFast has worked in partnership with The Co-operative Bank and as an organisation with expertise in supporting small to medium scale renewable energy projects, the Bank is also keen to assist with UKFast Energy's future plans.

Dave Loughman, Corporate Manager at The Co-operative Bank's Corporate Banking Centre in Manchester said: "We are delighted to have supported UKFast in making this project a success. Data centres require significant energy compensation and UKFast is leading the way in managing its consumption efficiently whilst reducing its impact on the environment at the same time".

For more information on UKFast's plans, see their latest report Carbon Neutral Hosting, Your future is our business, which sets out the company's sustainability plan across 20 pages.

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