EcoCloud™, a project of Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) in conjunction with public and private sector partners, is a virtual space where business leaders and facility managers can work with technology innovators, researchers, and government agencies to make enterprises more sustainable and profitable. Drawing on the latest social networking tools, participants can collaborate, learn, plan, and make valuable connections.

Just as “cloud computing” uses the distributed power of the internet for more efficient data processing, EcoCloud™ harnesses the power of web-based social networking tools. EcoCloud™ is intended to be a virtual industrial ecosystem that enables local leaders to work together to implement and share sustainable business practices, putting the principles of industrial ecology to work in Silicon Valley and beyond.

EcoCloud™ was launched in December 2010, and is still under development.  It will ultimately address all the major intersections of industry and environment, including water, materials, and energy. Currently, EcoCloud™ members are paying particular attention to the principles of integrated water management, focusing on how to mitigate the impact of the urban water cycle on the environment.

Our Mission

As a project of Sustainable Silicon Valley, EcoCloud™ partakes of that organization's overarching mission to lead Silicon Valley to a more sustainable future through collaboration with local government agencies, businesses, and community organizations to identify and address highest-priority environmental issues. EcoCloud™ provides an online collaboration space where partners and stakeholders in prominent Valley organizations can work toward self-imposed goals of reducing regional CO2 emissions and water use—and help them translate those goals into measurable results.

Inspired by the model of industrial ecology, EcoCloud™ is designed to provide a forum for companies in the Bay Area to collaborate and establish the linkages key to any industrial ecosystem. Although most industries in the EcoCloud™ are not located next to each other, they share a common interest in reducing energy usage, conserving resources, and eliminating waste—while at the same time cutting costs to improve their bottom line.

We provide leadership

While natural gas and gasoline usage appear to be declining, regional electricity use, overall CO2 emissions, and water usage are rising. The practices of more than 120 SSV Partners buck the trend, but as a region, a sea change is needed to meet the goals set forth by the State of California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32). SSV provides educational forums for the public and technical assistance to member organizations and serves as a clearinghouse to share best practices through meetings, events, and the virtual community of the EcoCloud™ site.

We take a collaborative approach

Our aim is to move beyond the traditional command-and-control model of environmental regulation to one of collaboration and partnership. By focusing on the desired outcome and the experience and skills of experts and peers, rather than on compliance-driven standards, EcoCloud™ participant organizations can choose the methods to reach the outcome that makes the most sense for them both financially and technologically.