As most businesses today have a company website and use this to promote their company, website hosting is of course a necessity. But while it might not be the first thing companies think of, all those servers are using massive amounts of power 24 hours a day. Which is where green web hosting comes in. Green web hosting does not really have an exact definition but there are a few areas mentioned below to look for if you would like to use a website hosting service which is trying to reduce its environmental impact.
The main idea behind most companies offering green web hosting is that they reduce as much as possible the negative environmental impact of their power usage. How they go about doing this differs from company to company, however. Some green web hosting businesses offset the carbon emissions produced by their electrical equipment whilst others ensure that they use renewable energy to power their servers etc. When combined with other energy saving measures and green practices these practices can sometimes results in the company declaring itself to be carbon neutral. For more information on carbon offsetting, follow the link to our page on the subject. Our green electricity page may also provide some insight into the use of renewable energy but it may also be that the hosting company generates some or all of its own electricity.
Some green web hosting companies use this term to describe themselves due to their ethical policies which can include offering an ethical, fair service as well as endeavouring to recycle as much as possible or, for example, buying Fairtrade products. Whilst these are admirable practices, it is worth establishing exactly what a company undertakes in order to determine whether they are in fact significantly reducing their environmental impact. There are a wide selection of companies available so do shop around and check out their credentials.
