Image Source: Green-Gator
Should I Switch to Green Web Hosting?
This question comes to my mind every time I see any website with a Green Host Badge. In a few seconds, I find myself on Google pondering over thoughts that eventually make me turn away from taking the eco-friendly switch.
My inner thoughts:
- Green Hosting is expensive as compared to your regular host.
- Am I compromising on a quality host?
- How much impact it will make by me going to use a Green Web Host?
- Is it just the badge or they really use Green Technologies?
Image Source: Kualo.com
It's strange that even after spending long hours on Google I couldn't make the switch. But with time and my curiosity levels I've got the privilege to understand Green Hosting more closely.
- how it works,
- the Green Mechanism,
- harmful aftereffects of regular hosting,
- environmental impact (or lack of it)
- the resources we'll save by making the switch
- energy consumption
- carbon emissions
What is Green Web Hosting?
All websites are hosted on web servers kept in data centers. These Data Centers can be found in many places across the globe. But, their setup requires a continuous supply of energy for the cooling system, security facilities and powering web servers. Plus they emit a heavy amount of harmful carbon in the environment.
To save the environment the concept of Green Web Hosting was introduced to minimize the harmful impact of these Data Centers on the environment. Green Web Hosting enables the use of using eco-friendly resources like renewable energy to power Data Centers and curb carbon emissions in the environment.
Wind Energy and Hydro Plants are the primary sources of renewable energy that facilitates the use of Green Web Hosting.
Impact of Web Hosting on Environment
Data Centers using conventional methods to host web servers have left a lasting impact on our environment. Below are some facts to understand what we are facing at if we don't switch to Green Web Hosting:
- A web server produces an average of 650kg of Carbon dioxide.
- The annual energy consumption of a web server is about 1000 KWh
- According to the Department of Energy, Unites States about 10% of the total electricity of the country is used to run of Data Servers.
- In the year 2005, the total electricity bill consumed in running Data Servers in the US stands at a whopping $2.7 billion.
- Average carbon emission of Global Internet equals to the carbon emitted by 65 Coal Burning power stations with full capacity in a year.
Image Source: Colocationamerica.com
Leading Players in Green Host Environment
As it stands in 2020, a lot of companies are offering eco-friendly hosting services but they defer in terms of prices, features and resource usage. You can go through AlterWebHost to compare hosting plans and choose the best suited hosting plan matching your needs. But here we have shortlisted the most widely used ones for you in no particular order. Peek a boo:
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks is a household name among web developers and hosting agencies. They proud themselves for providing 300% Green Web Hosting. The best part about them is Wind Energy credits for running web servers which ultimately results in keeping Carbon Emission levels on a negative scale.
Over the years GreenGeeks have earned a great reputation by being the most awarded Green Host agency. Their Starter Shared Hosting Plan offers unlimited domains and resources on $2.95/month.
Highlights -
- Over 11 Years in Business
- Powered over 300,000 websites
- Shared hosting plans start from $2.95/month
- EPA Green Power Partner
- GreenGeeeks migrate your site for Free
- Offers 30-days money-back guarantee
Kualo Green Hosting
Regarded as the early starters of Energy Efficient Servers Kualo is Green Host company that runs on 100% renewable energy. Their inclination towards sustainable development shows in their business policies too. They are a paperless company which encourages remote work for their employees to save resources.
Apart from great a customer support system, Kualo also catches eyeballs for holding a Charity Hosting Program that aims at providing Free Hosting Plan for Non-Profit establishments registered in the US. Kualo's Starter Shared Hosting Plan allows single domain and limited resources on $5.99/month.
Highlights -
- Over 15 Years in Business
- Powered over 100,000 websites
- Single domain hosting plan starts from $5.99/month
- EPA Green Power Partner
- Kualo migrate your site for Free
- Offers 60-days money-back guarantee
Hostpapa
Hostpapa is one of the widely used web hosts in the US with about 500,000 websites. They are also credited for early adoption of Green Hosting but they deal in conventional hosting as well. The shared hosting Plans on Hostpapa start from $3.95/month which allows users to run 2 domains with many unlimited features.
Highlights -
- Over 14 Years in Business
- Powered over 500,000 websites
- Double domain shared hosting plan starts from $5.99/month
- Multiple Green Energy Certificates
- Free site migration
- Offers 30-days money back-guarantee
You might as well find it overwhelming to decide upon a hosting plan unless you have made a checklist of your hosting requirements at first.
Switching to Green
The process of Switching to a Green Host is similar to that of switching between 2 conventional hosting providers. You can connect with the support team of your new host and follow these steps to make the switch:
Step 1.
Buy a Green Hosting plan. And do not deactivate your current hosting account as of now.
Buy a Green Hosting plan. And do not deactivate your current hosting account as of now.
Step 2.
Create a backup of all your files and database on your current host.
Create a backup of all your files and database on your current host.
Step 3.
Enable FTP and download all your files from your old hosting account and upload it on Green Host. Don't forget to keep a backup copy of your website on your computer.
Enable FTP and download all your files from your old hosting account and upload it on Green Host. Don't forget to keep a backup copy of your website on your computer.
Step 4.
Change the DNS settings of your domain and point your nameservers towards the new host.
Change the DNS settings of your domain and point your nameservers towards the new host.
Step 5.
Wait for 24 hours for DNS settings to implement the changes.
Wait for 24 hours for DNS settings to implement the changes.
Step 6.
Connect with the support team of Green Host in case you find any difficulty to switch over to your new hosting.
Connect with the support team of Green Host in case you find any difficulty to switch over to your new hosting.
How to find out if you're already on Green Host?
No prizes for guessing, if your website is hosted on a Green Server then you'll probably know this. Hosting providers take proud in being called as Green Host. In general, they all have Green Badges to show on their website and are quite vocal about it over emails and social media.