Opera Data Center in Iceland Runs on 100% Renewable Energy

Opera Data Center

Here on the West Coast of the U.S., people are still up in arms about the new Facebook Data Center in Oregon that will use a lot of dirty, coal-based power.

But thousands of miles away in Thor, Iceland, an Opera Software data center is running on 100% renewable energy.  The company that operates Opera Mini – the world’s most popular mobile browser – now serves 20 million people in Europe, Africa and Asia via its clean, green data center.  That’s nearly 1/3 of its total 70 million users worldwide.

The power it takes to run operations is significant, but as of November 1, energy used at the Opera data center in Iceland now has a minimal carbon footprint.

If you are not familiar with Opera Mini, you can get the browser as a free download to thousands of phone models, ranging from the iPhone4 to more basic cell phones.  Opera Mini routes your web page request to one of its servers where the page is compressed by as much as 90%, giving you faster and cheaper net results on your mobile device.

Earlier this year, Iceland made headlines with its volcano that spewed ash for days and disrupted international travel.  But before then, Iceland has been widely known for its geothermal resources and vast expanses of natural beauty.  Perhaps it only makes sense that the Opera data center in Iceland is now running on 100% renewable energy.

Not only is the company helping to preserve the environment with green energy and cooling methods, but the move is already saving Opera Software money by locating the server close to natural resources on which it relies.

Facebook – are you taking notes?