Something I’ve been discussing a lot recently is how a .COM can also be a .ORG.

Facebook, the social media giant, is currently the most visited .COM in the world. In addition, many have asserted that Facebook pages are replacing corporate websites as the main web destination and communication tool for organizations. The company’s “About” section is even set up as a Facebook page opposed to a more traditional corporate website.

What’s interesting, however, is that even Facebook has recognized the incredible value of .ORG by creating opencompute.org, which is the online home and primary source of information for the Open Compute Project. Launched in early 2011, Facebook created this initiative to accelerate data center server innovation and to build one of the most energy efficient, low cost computing infrastructures possible.

As a result of the Open Compute Project, Facebook’s Oregon data center is now one of the most efficient in the world. How so? The company’s energy consumption per unit of computing power has declined by 38%. The new data center’s PUE is 1.073, which is significantly below the EPA-defined industry average of 1.5. Facebook has also implemented Ethernet-powered LED lighting and passive cooling infrastructure, which reduce the energy needed to run the facility.

Clearly, this project has already seen significant results and is a key part of Facebook’s overall green initiative. Besides the strides Facebook is making environmentally with this project, what impresses me is that one of the most influential internet companies understands that .ORG is the proven and best choice for mobilizing a community around a cause.

By Lauren Price, Sr. Product Marketing Manager, .ORG, The Public Interest Registry.