You’ve probably never thought about the energy expenditures associated with web hosting, but it’s springtime, which means that everything is going green. Why not your business, too? According to Web Neutral Project founder Jack Amend, the average website produces roughly the same amount of CO2 emissions as you would driving the average new car roughly 10,000-miles. That’s a substantial carbon footprint, and one that green web hosting companies are angling to reduce.

Green web hosting companies try and offset the environmental impact of running their servers and data processors by partaking in a broad range of green activities, from using renewable energy sources like solar and wind to planting trees to offset carbon emissions. Some green web hosting companies keep it simple and buy into carbon offset programs or purchase renewable energy certificates.

If you’re curious about the carbon footprint of your favorite website, The Green Web Foundation offers a free Chrome extension that checks for things like green web hosting. There are also tools like Ecograder.com, which is a website efficiency checker that can be used to determine the energy-efficiency of a certain website.

It’s springtime, and change is in the air. Switching the provider that hosts your website can feel daunting, but many companies will do it for you free of charge. This spring, what will your business do to keep our planet just a little bit greener?

Article by
Wayne Goshkarian,
Senior Advisor

Wayne Goshkarian in front of his jet