Hosting. If you have a website, you need it. But have you ever stopped to think about what’s required to host a website? Most people haven’t.
Businesses that provide web hosting make large investments in servers and storage equipment allthewhile shouldering the management responsibilities. Data centers, something almost every hosting company has, are erected for the sole purpose of housing and cooling the equipment required to make the Internet what it is today. Many components are required to work together to achieve the goal: an accessible website. The physical structure includes include power, raised floor construction, extensive HVAC, cages and racks, while switches, routers, servers, load balancers, firewalls, IDS, cabinets, and consoles comprise the majority of the equipment.
All these components expend a considerable amount of energy -– and often remain on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All this energy usage can be harmful to the environment.
That’s where green hosting comes in.
What is Green Hosting?
Simply defined, green hosting uses green technologies to reduce the impact of energy use on the environment, but the implications are far greater than just that. Green hosting employs renewable energy, such as sunlight, rain and geothermal heat (heat that is generated and stored in the Earth).
In light of the recent green movement, most hosting companies have made their environmental policies public. Many analysts anticipate this will be a ubiquitous policy in the next few years, especially as the cost of making data centers more environmentally friendly drops.
What are the Common Sources of Renewable Energy?
According to Doteasy.com, “Hydroelectricity and wind power are often the most common natural resources.” Wikipedia.com states that going green in the hosting space also includes, “…planting trees, plants and grass around and over Data Centers and more day-to-day activities such as energy conservation and the use of energy saving appliances.”
Fad or Rad?
Many companies are rethinking their hosting solutions, which is causing shifts toward green hosting facilities. This accomplishes two things. From an environmental standpoint, it significantly reduces their carbon footprint. From a marketing standpoint, it shows their dedication to environmentally-friendly practices.
Many companies opt to join the Green Power Partnership, sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which encourages businesses to go green in various facets of their day-to-day operations. This organization strives to teach businesses about the ways to reduce their impact on the environment and integrate these goals into their corporate culture. To date, more than 1,400 partner organizations are affiliated with the program, using billions of kilowatt-hours of green power each year.
Green hosting is a game changer.
With Internet usage around the world increasing rapidly, the concern about the energy impact to the environment is real. Consumers are demanding far more resources and tons of companies are opening for business in order to meet that demand. With the rise of green hosting, the potential for mitigating environmental impact is realized.
Going green is good for everyone, and that’s why it’s an excellent incentive for businesses and their marketing and PR departments. As green hosting becomes cheaper and more pervasive, expect to see a definitive shift toward green hosting providers.