Key Features to Look for That Make a Hosting Service Environmentally Responsible
When choosing green web hosting, factors include renewable energy sources, carbon offset programs, energy efficiency, green certifications, and the provider’s overall reputation.
This guide sheds light on these and other key features to look for in a web hosting service.
Key takeaways
Green hosting providers use solar, wind, or hydroelectric energy for their data centers
Alternatively, they might use geothermal or biomass energy
Energy-efficient lighting, advanced cooling systems, and server virtualization
Consider the data center’s Power Usage Effectiveness
A lower PUE means the center is using less power to run secondary functions
Carbon offset programs support initiatives like reforestation projects
Green hosts offer guidance on reducing file sizes and optimizing site performance
Renewable energy sources
Environmentally responsible hosting providers use renewable sources like solar, wind, or hydroelectric energy for their data centers. This reduces reliance on fossil fuels and contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022, renewable energy sources comprised 29.1% of all electric power generated, amounting to 8 440 TWh. The remaining 20 591 TWh (70.9%) corresponded to nuclear energy, fossil fuels, and other non-renewables, coming to a total of 29 031 TWh from all sources.
There is substantial demand for renewable energy, especially in some sectors. Green energy consumption in the transport, heat, and power sectors will increase by almost 60% between 2024 and 2030. Renewable capacity worldwide is predicted to exceed 5 520 GW by 2030, and offshore wind sector growth will continue at a steady rate. Experts expect global installed capacity to surpass 520 GW by 2040.
Solar, hydroelectric, and wind energy
Green hosting services use solar, hydroelectric, or wind energy to reduce dependence on non-renewable resources. Hydroelectric energy is commonly found in areas with abundant water resources. Wind energy is a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative that powers servers and data centers. The hosting company GreenGeeks uses wind power credits to replace three times the energy used by customers’ websites.
Geothermal and biomass energy
Electric power can be generated using geothermal energy, which is heat from the Earth’s core. Some green hosting providers use wood, agricultural waste, or other organic materials to produce electric power or heat. This biomass energy lowers carbon emissions.
Energy efficiency
Annual global investments in energy transition technologies reached a record $1.77 trillion in 2023. Environmentally responsible web hosting companies use energy-efficient hardware, optimize cooling systems, and leverage virtualization to minimize waste and energy consumption. Green hosts’ data centers incorporate energy-efficient lighting, advanced cooling systems, and server virtualization to make the most of available resources.
Green hosting providers use hardware with solid-state drives and low-power processors because this equipment consumes less power and contributes to energy efficiency.
It’s advisable to inquire about the data center’s PUE or power usage effectiveness. This metric reflects the ratio of a data center’s total energy usage to the energy only the IT equipment consumes. To calculate the PUE, you divide the total power supplied to a data center by the power used to operate the equipment in the center. A lower figure corresponds to higher efficiency because the center uses less power to run cooling and other secondary functions. Data centers’ PUE is decreasing worldwide, having dropped from 2.5 in 2007 to 1.56 in 2024.
Carbon offsetting
Carbon offset programs support initiatives like reforestation projects, which aim to reduce or do away with greenhouse gas emissions. Your hosting service of choice might support renewable energy or methane capture projects. The company should be transparent about the carbon offset initiatives it supports, providing details about each project’s impact and the number of carbon emissions being offset.
Encouraging eco-friendly practices
Green hosting companies offer guidance on reducing file sizes, optimizing website performance, and implementing sustainable design. They might also obtain certifications like ISO 14001 and LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
