According to The Royal Society’s Digital Technology and The Planet, “Tech companies should further promote the use of renewable energy for computing activities”, and that is because “global emissions made by digital technologies”, are up to 5.9% of all global greenhouse gas emissions.
It makes sense when you think of all those data centers powering Facebook and Google, as just a part of the problem. Those data centers alone use 1% of all global electricity (30 billion watts of electricity, roughly equivalent to the output of 30 nuclear power plants). Then consider Bitcoin, and the harm it does.
Web Neutral Project founder Jack Amend has calculated that powering the average (what is average?) website produces 4,500 pounds of CO2 every year, which is the equivalent of driving a car for 10,000 miles. That is relatable!
So when you choose your web hosting, a green choice can make a difference. By telling your visitors that your site is green, that increases the possibility of others following quit, and also means that your visitors will like you / buy from you more.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Keep in mind that the level of green you are looking for is up to you. Outsourcing the planting of one tree costs around 50c, and how a tree helps is hard to gauge. Using renewable energy is at least directly meaningful.
Eco web hosting companies can get their electricity from providers who adhere to strict environmental guidelines, and have Green-E certification. That’s the gold standard.
If a hosting service is unable to directly use renewable energy directly, they can still purchase of carbon credits that offset the use of conventional energy. These are known as Renewable Energy Credits (or RECs).
This website uses Green Geeks, as it suits us best in terms of being ecologically responsible, but also fast and affordable. See the badge at the bottom of this page.
RECOMMENDED
Reduce your online carbon footprint with these eco-friendly web hosting providers
Eco Web Hosting UK – £3.49 shared, £7.99 VPS, £5.99 managed WordPress & £23.99 reseller. Primarily tree-planting. 20% commission
Green Geeks – This hosting company goes above and beyond, buying 3x more RECS than they need to offset their electricity use – “for every amperage we pull from the grid, we invest three times that in the form of renewable energy via Bonneville Environmental Foundation.” Plus they will plant a tree for each account. Green Geeks have servers in Europe, Singapore, US or Canada. They are known for their great support and WordPress says they are fast
Standard hosting prices (per month) start at $10.95 shared, and $19.95 for a reseller. They often have deals.
iPage – 200% RECs
HostPapa – 100% RECs. $10/mo shared. $20/mo managed WP. VPS $20. Reseller $30 $50/sale. NEEDS TRAFFIC AND SOCIALS
Web Neutral Project offer the only directly solar powered web hosting, from $10 per month. It is hard to gauge what else is good about the hosting, but they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. They do use their own custom control panel instead of CPanel…
NOT RECOMMENDED
Obviously most hosting services don’t even care about caring for the environment.
Of those that do, many are simply not convincing enough. For example:
- Eco Hosting UK – they used to use some kind of eco-cooling for their servers, but now it appears that all they do is plant one tree. That is a token effort for a company claiming to be eco in their brand name. While they say that they use renewable energy, and also say that they purchase offsets, no details are provided. But they dedicate many paragraphs to the company they buy one tree from…
Green washing means that a business gives the impression that they care for the environment, but pretty much don’t.
