Leaseweb is deeply committed to protecting our planet for present and future generations, and creating green data centers is key to honoring that commitment.
With the recent acquisition of iWeb in Montreal, Leaseweb has established a foothold in one of the cleanest energy regions in the world. Sustainable mindsets are at the core of Leaseweb as an organization, so moving into the Quebec area was an easy decision for many reasons.
Hydroelectric Energy in Quebec
With three data centers based in Montreal, Leaseweb can now take advantage of the hydroelectric energy system of Quebec. As a province, Quebec is famous for its large bodies of water and authorities have utilized these, as well as wind, to produce over 99% clean, renewable energy. As a result, their GHG emissions-electricity mix is lower than that of Norway and Sweden. It’s no wonder that Montreal was named Data Center Location of the Year at the 12th Data Cloud Global Congress and Awards in June 2019. Leaseweb is proud to be a part of such an ecosystem.
Data center energy efficiency
Keeping data centers cool is generally a massive cause of power consumption in the IT industry. The benefit of data centers located in the frosty climate of Quebec is that much of the cooling is handled by nature. This means that data centers are more energy efficient, and much of the cooling is free!
But this doesn’t mean we can sit back and call the job done. Leaseweb is currently upgrading and investing in our Canadian data centers to improve energy efficiency even further. This includes ensuring that we can deliver truly green data center cooling systems – even when the weather is not there to give us a hand.
Hydroelectricity won’t mean higher costs
Sustainability has become synonymous with spending more money, but in the case of Quebec’s hydro generated electricity, the reverse is true. Quebec boasts some of the lowest and most stable rates in North America, making green computing highly affordable in the region.
Additionally, Hydro-Québec has a reputation for reliable, high-performance grids. Every year, C$2 billion is invested into the system to ensure dependability. The grid is completely independent from neighboring systems, protecting it from any disturbances or outages which may occur next door. In short, using sustainable data centers in Quebec will not mean compromising on price, performance or reliability.
Learn more about Leaseweb’s commitment to sustainability.