Your Guide to Green Web Hosting: Part 2

If you’re thinking of choosing a green hosting provider, you need to do you homework. Find out the advantages and disadvantages of “going green” here.

Then, if choosing an environmentally-conscious hosting service is what you want, get a jumpstart on finding providers with our quick links.

Are there any advantages using a green web host?

In a word, no, there aren’t any true advantages to using a green web host. Like choosing to recycle, or riding your bike to work, signing up for a green web host is a lifestyle choice.
Advatnage of Green Hosting
More people in recent times are interested in “going green,” which has spurred efforts in the hosting industry to provide ways to minimize their environmental impact. You won’t find any difference in the types of services offered by a green web host.

However, you may get to sleep a little easier at night knowing that your website isn’t sucking large amounts of energy or adding to carbon emissions, and that you’re doing your part to help preserve the earth.

Are there any disadvantages to using a green web host?

Green web hosting can be a little more expensive than traditional web hosting providers in some cases – but not by much. If saving a few bucks every month is important to you, you may need to compare pricing among green web hosting providers and other providers.

The only other disadvantage is that, unless you do a lot of research into the hosting providers that claim to be “green,” it might be difficult to determine exactly how environmentally friendly the company is. There’s a major difference between web hosts that generate their own energy, and those that have other “green” incentives, like recycling programs in their offices. So be sure to choose the web hosting service that’s supporting the environment in the way that you want them to (read: do some fact-checking on their websites).

I’ve decided to go green – where do I start?

You’ve weighed your options and you want to support earth-conscious efforts for your website. Start your search by comparing the type of environmental initiatives each web host offers, services provided, and pricing.

Here’s a short list of hosting companies to get you started on the path to a cleaner, greener website:
Engage Green Lifestyle with Green Host
REC/carbon neutral providers: