Green Web Hosting
If you are looking for high quality web hosting services to get your website online while being kind to the environment, you are in the right place. Find your ideal Green Hosting plan in the list below and make a big difference to the world, today!
Our list of hosting providers is based on:
- Environmental impact
- Voice of customers
- Support
What is Green Hosting?
Web Hosting, on the whole, is not environmentally friendly. As an industry, it has even been compared with aviation in terms of pollution, and it's not surprising; huge farms of servers are consuming electricity 24 hours a day 365 days a year. The cooling systems that keep them at prime operational capacity use almost the same again.
Green Web Hosting is an idea borne out of responsibility. Existing web hosting providers, along with new startups, now offer Green Web Hosting as an eco-friendly alternative to those who want to get their website online but don't want to contribute to ever-increasing pollution levels.
A number of different methods and ideas are available to Web Hosting providers who wish to earn 'Green' status. The challenge for you, the consumer, is differentiating between those who see Green Web Hosting solely as a marketing technique and those whose actions genuinely make a difference to the world.
Benefits of Green Hosting
Much of this will depend on the type of Green Hosting you choose, but some general benefits are:
- Have a positive effect on the environment
- Draw interest from eco-friendly website visitors
- Price less affected by sudden rises in utility costs
Badges such as these can be used to demonstrate your eco-awareness to visitors.
Further Information
What makes a Green Hosting Provider?
Web Hosting companies have a plethora of choices if they want to 'go green'. Among other things, they can:
- Produce their own renewable energy
- Use energy efficient equipment and improving server room airflow
- Operate servers and offices that are powered completely by renewable energy
- Purchase Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to offset their carbon emissions - sometimes enabling them to return more renewable energy to the grid than they consume!
- Partner with or contributing to non-profit environmental organizations
- Commit to planting a certain number of trees for every Green Hosting plan they sell
- Reduce waste, increase recycling and discourage the use of paper whenever possible
To find out exactly what your potential Green Web Hosting provider is doing to help the environment, check their websites - most Green Web Hosts are proud to be doing their part and advertise the fact prominently.
What types of Green Web Hosting are available?
The most common form of Green Hosting is on a Shared Server (see our Cheap Web Hosting page for an overview) - the same logic applies to using public transport or sharing a car, you are using a resource that is already there and achieving your aim without adding more pollution.
However, Green Web Hosts do provide other types of hosting which are no less environmentally friendly – the companies listed above offer a range of solutions including VPS Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Reseller Plans, and more. Click the links for an overview of each type of web hosting including their pros and cons.
What to look for in a Green Hosting plan
Green Hosting is a potentially ambiguous term, so it would be unwise to assume that a Web Hosting provider's definition is the same as yours. If you are in any doubt, revisit our What makes a Green Hosting Provider section, and compare the examples there to what the Web Hosting company is doing to help the environment. If in doubt, always ask!
In addition to their Green Hosting credentials, here are some things to look for in any kind of Web Hosting plan:
Operating System (OS) - is it one you are comfortable with?
Bandwidth - how quickly can information travel in and out of your server?
Hardware - is the server up to the task?
Reliability - look for 99.9% uptime.
Storage - is there enough space for your website, both now and in the future?
Data backup - if the server breaks, will your data be promptly and fully restored?
Monitoring - how often and how thoroughly will your website be checked for problems?
Technical support - look for knowledge, availability and attitude.
Is Green Hosting right for me?
Using a Web Hosting provider that is anywhere near being truly 100% carbon neutral has the potential to make a real difference. The best Green Hosting companies have a real focus on helping the environment in a number of ways, like those listed above.
If contributing to something that helps the environment while providing an excellent service sounds appealing to you, then Green Web Hosting is a superb choice. It comes in a wide range of forms now, so you're sure to find the ideal hosting solution with one of our handpicked providers.
Get your Green Hosting plan today!
Whatever you decide, Web Hosting Search is here to help you find the best deal - check out our Hosting Wizard, Comparison Tool and Knowledge Base for more ideas!
