What is Green Web Hosting?
Green Web Hosting or Eco-Friendly Web Hosting are website hosting services that involve green technology to reduce the environmental impact of computing.
Green Web Hosting providers use several methods to offset their carbon footprint, mainly by powering their devices with renewable energy. Other methods include planting trees to offset the carbon footprint of each server (50 trees can absorb 1 metric ton of CO2 per year), typical energy saving practices, and the use of more efficient and energy saving electrical appliances.
Why Green Web Hosting?
The average server produces the same amount of emissions as a 15 mpg automobile.
The average data center consumes as much electricity as 30,000 homes.
These are estimates of the annual carbon footprint of a typical server in Malaysia.
|
Server (W) |
Annual Power Consumption (kWh) |
Energy Source Carbon Emission (kg/kWh) |
Annual Carbon Footprint (metric tons) |
|
450 |
3745 |
0.69 |
2.6 |
|
150 |
1248 |
0.69 |
0.9 |
This chart represents Malaysia’s carbon footprint per capita in comparison to the region and other more developed nations.
In a recent study by McKinsey & Co., it is estimated that by the year 2020, the amount of carbon produced by powering the world’s IT infrastructure will surpass that produced by the airline industry.
Revolutionizing Data Center Efficiency McKinsey & Company UPTIME INSTITUTE SYMPOSIUM.
Authoritative bodies such as the Uptime Institute have demanded that corporations set goals of doubling the efficiency of their data centers and IT infrastructure, and has even gone as far as to produce efficiency standards akin to that of the fuel consumption rate of automobiles, “miles per gallon for data centers”.
Hosting with a Green Web Hosting provider offsets these massive carbon emissions as Green Data Centers rely on renewable energy and other fuels that are not carbon-based.
What criteria to look for in evaluating your web host? As you evaluate different hosting plans from that is shared hosting, dedicated hosting to VPS hosting, you will discover all of it a lot more confusing since these offers usually carry identical features for any successful site. If you check advertisements, you’ll discover out that most packages offer unlimited bandwidth, unlimited server space, free domain registration, 24/7 customer satisfaction and uptime guarantees.
10 Green Web Hosting Providers
Below is a list and simple review of 10 Green Web Hosting providers. We compare what makes them green, the features and benefits of their offerings and also potential pain points. Prices are compared across the range of products and rated from most expensive ($) to least expensive ($$$$$)
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| Hosting Provider | Price | What Makes It Green | Pros | Cons | Offers |
| DreamHost | $ | Carbon-neutral hostingRenewable energy credits | Good securityGreat uptime | No reseller hosting packagesLong customer support queuesCostly |  |
| GreenGeeks | $$$$ | EPA Green Power PartnerWind Energy | Great customer supportSome bonus features | No 24-hour support |  |
| Arvixe | $$$ | Green & sustainable practicesTelecommuting, green office | Windows and Linux hostingGood for small websites | Limited VPS packagesDowntime complaints |  |
| A2 Hosting | $$$$ | Carbonfund.org partnerRenewable energy credits | Managed and unmanaged hosting optionsSSDCustomizable hosting options |  |
|
| HostGator | $$$$ | Renewable energy credits | Great customer supportGood for small websites | Long support queuesDoesn’t support WordPressPrices increase after 1st year |  |
| iPage | $$$ | EPA Green Power PartnerWind Energy | Dedicated WordPress hosting packageLow prices for 1st year | Prices increase after 1st yearLong support queues | |
| FatCow | $$ | EPA Green Power PartnerWind Energy | Dedicated WordPress hosting packageGood for small websites | Prices increase after 1st yearSlow customer support | |
| HostPapa | $$ | Renewable Energy Credits | Good for small websites | No SSH accessPrices increase after 1st year |  |
| AISO.net | $$ | EPA Green Power PartnerSolar Panels | Great transparency in green practicesMany bonus features |  |
|
| NetFirms | $$$$ | EPA Green Power PartnerWind Energy | Dedicated E-Commerce packages | Decline in customer satisfaction |
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