Computing isn’t as clean and green as some might think it is. There is a growing awareness of the environmental impact of computers and end-user power consumption, but with the trend toward cloud computing and the ever-expanding world of online content, it is important to remember the impact of data centers on the environment. Data centers consume huge amounts of electricity, all with a formidable carbon footprint. According to some estimates, by 2020 web hosting will be responsible for more carbon emissions that the airline industry. This infographic shows the environmental impact of data centers and comes to us courtesy of BrainHost.com, a web hosting company that has recently committed itself to green web hosting.

Trey Gardner, CEO of Green Geeks web hosting, contacted me recently and asked that I review his company’s “green credentials” and consider mentioning Green Geeks here at EcoHostReviews.

Hosting web sites is an energy intensive endeavor, and any truly green webhost must minimize energy consumption, maximize efficiency, and utilize renewable energy sources for the power that is consumed.

My reviews are based on information provided to me by the web host, combined with my own research on the claims made. The veracity of green associations and certifications is considered, as well as efforts and programs aimed at internal sustainability measures within the company. I then look for any reviews, complaints, or praise for the host’s customer service, tech support, and server uptime.

Let’s get started:

The central claim of any webhost is how the power their energy-intensive data centers. GreenGeeks is a certified member in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partnership, purchasing 300% of the company’s energy consumption in wind power carbon offsets verified by the non-profit Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

This means that GreenGeeks is still pulling power from the grid, but offsetting that consumption, by three times their actual consumption, through offsets that fund wind energy generation. Given the high credibility of both the EPA Green Power Partnership and Bonneville, there is little question that Green Geeks is doing well toward mitigating the impact of its energy footprint.

GreenGeeks also says they “reconfigure” their servers to run cooler and more efficiently. Much of the energy used in a server farm is cooling energy. Making a server run more efficiently not only conserves direct power consumed by the server, but also the energy needed to keep it running cool.

Internally, GreenGeeks implements internal conservation and sustainability programs including telecommuting for many of its employees. “Aggressive” recycling is practiced for those in the office, with an effort to use as little paper as possible.

Encouraging a unique “company culture” concept to sustainability can, I believe, help internalize the effort and involve a workforce in unique and personal ways. One of the green claims Green Geeks makes is a rotation of employees bringing in home-cooked meals to share with their colleagues for lunch and dinner, reducing packaging and plastic waste typically associated with fast food. It’s a bit difficult to measure and verify the exact level of resource conservation this idea has (and, of course, some people might not want to cook, or cook well), but it can help shape a corporate mindset and lead to a more efficient workplace.

GreenGeeks also is involved with the American Lung Association in their annual “Fight for Clean Air”

All in all, I think Green Geeks represents a good example of a green web hosting option. They have shown a commitment to offset their energy consumption (three times over) that is recognized by the EPA, they are active in their community, and they employ a company culture that encourages and facilitates efforts toward sustainability.

Visit GreenGeeks and learn more about these programs and the web hosting services on offer.

Independent reviews of Green Geeks
Best Web Hosting Reviews
Web Hosting Geeks

Hostgator is one of the web hosts on our “top ten” list. Recently they announced in their company newsletter a purchase of more certified renewable energy certificates (REC’s) to cover their entire server base.

From their newsletter:

Renewing Our Green Commitment

HostGator has just purchased additional certified REC’s (renewable energy credits) for our nearly 9,000 servers. This covers our entire server base, plus it gives us room to expand while more than offsetting the server’s carbon footprint. Instead of just offsetting our server’s emissions, we’ve committed to a 130% offset. Since we’re based in Texas, this investment goes towards Texas wind energy. As a HostGator customer, you should know that your web site is being powered by a 130% green server.

Check this out, Canvas Dreams is offering green web hosting that is completely wind powered from local wind farms near their home base of Oregon.

Here’s something we haven’t come across before.  They use “mini servers” which generate nearly no heat which means minimal cooling costs.  Perhaps their server rooms can even be cooled using ambient temperatures which would make Canvas Dreams one of the greenest hosts out there.

Live chat is available which is one of our must-have web host features.

To round off their environmental friendliness, you can check their eco-statistics.  At press time, they had offset over 125,000 lbs. of CO2.  We give Canvas Dreams a thumbs-up.  Check them out here. (remember: NO AFFILIATE LINKS!)

Now that we’ve removed all affiliate links from Eco Host Reviews, we are free to be completely objective.  We challenge you to find another web hosting review site without affiliate links.

It’s time to establish Eco Host Reviews’ annual award categories.  As with everything we do here, this will be user-driven.  What’s your vote for award categories?

Greenest host?  Cheapest host?  Best value?  Best Customer Service?  You decide!  Leave your comment or contact us with your recommendation.  In one week, we will determine the categories and share them here.  Shortly after, we’ll evaluate all our green web hosts and dish out the awards!

Super Green Hosting is yet another green web host.  They claim to be “100% Carbon Neutral Friendly”… not really sure what that means.  If they mean carbon-neutral, that’s good.  They also claim to be one of the first green web hosts and strive to provide “the greenest hosting available”.

Unfortunately, these claims are not valid from our perspective.  There is no proof of carbon neutrality such as a certificate.  Also, beyond using Dell servers for efficiency, they ask you to pay for making your site greener through addons.

Although they make a good effort, we can’t identify Super Green Hosting as a truly Green Web Hosting provider.  Still, if you’d like to check them out for yourself, you can do so here.

Solar Web Host, based out of the UK co-locates their servers with a company in California (could it be AISO.net, also located in California, US?)  Their website is a bit harder to nail down in terms of specific claims about environmental friendliness but here is what they say:

In their words:

SOLAR POWERED WEB HOSTING SYSTEMS
The datacentre we utilise for this option is in California east of Los Angeles. The data centre is powered by 120 solar panels which generate all the electricity. The Solar is owned and operated by the Datacentre to power California’s first and only solar-powered hosting company. (please be aware that there is a 10 hour time difference to the US so set-up times are longer and accounts can take up to 72 hours to activate).

Check them out here.

Based in Oregon, this company offers web hosting services directly by wind energy.

In their words:

First and foremost, our servers, and thusly your websites, are 100% Clean Wind Powered. Clean Wind is 100 percent new wind power. This carbon-free power comes from wind farms here in the Northwest and is endorsed by such groups as the
Renewable Northwest Project, Northwest Energy Coalition and Natural Resources Defense Council.

They go much further than wind energy and promote minimal commuting by employees, offset their employee’s carbon footprints and plant a tree on customers’ behalf.

Check them out here. (remember: NO AFFILIATE LINKS!!)

We discuss lots of green web hosting providers on Eco Host Reviews.  But not all of them are truly powered by clean energy (clean means solar, wind, geothermal, etc.).

These web hosts are directly powered by clean energy.  You won’t find any offsets or carbon credits here!

• Solar Host (http://www.solarhost.co.uk/)
• Solar Web Host (http://www.solarwebhost.net) – could be a reseller?
• Affordable Internet Services Online (http://www.aiso.net/)
• Solar Energy Host (http://www.solarenergyhost.com/)
• Taproot Web Hosting (http://taproothosting.com/)

We are confident the information readers find at Eco Host Reviews is solid, informative, objective and trusted. Although it is hard to put this information in front of new readers. We need your help to accomplish this goal. For a very limited time, we will offer you free web hosting through BlueServers.org in exchange for linking to Eco Host Reviews.

We will pay for 2 months of hosting for every pagerank the linking page has. For example, if you link to us from a page with PR 5, you will get 10 months of absolutely free web hosting at BlueServers.org. You won’t be roped into a contract and are free to cancel the account after the free period ends.

What do you think? Can you help out Eco Host Reviews by linking to us? If so, please drop us a line. We would also like to chat about special arrangements for those with highly trafficked sites, even if your pagerank isn’t that high.