Greenhouse gas emissions!
Every business, especially large companies inevitably produce emissions from conducting their daily business operations.
Gas emissions, as we know, contribute to the greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect makes our Earth warmer, and thus the result, climate change.
I’m pretty sure there are a lot of factors that contribute to climate change, but this one is a champion.
With the frequency of occurrence and magnitude of destruction natural disasters bring nowadays, oh it’s undeniable that our climate is changing.
And as mere mortals residing on the land, we feel its wrath!
It is only imperative that businesses should adapt a “greener approach” when conducting their business operations to lessen the impact of gas emissions on the environment.
While other businesses are only adapting climate strategies to reduce their carbon footprint, these green web hosting companies have been slaying it for years.
What is Green Hosting?
Green hosting is web hosting that adapts eco-friendly measures to reduce the negative environmental impact resulting from running the business’s day-to-day operations.
In simple terms, it is a ‘greener’ approach to hosting websites.
In this article, I’ll showcase the top eco-friendly web hosting providers and delve into what sets them apart as green warriors. Additionally, I’ll explore how website owners can reap the benefits of using their services or products.
So, without further ado, here are the best green hosting providers:
Get to Know What is TTFB!
Time To First Byte, commonly abbreviated as TTFB, is a critical factor when selecting the right web hosting provider. Essentially, it indicates how quickly a server responds.
What does this mean? To put it simply, imagine typing a URL into your search browser. The time it takes for the webpage to begin loading—specifically, when the first byte is received—defines the TTFB.
Behind the scenes, when a user visits a website, their browser sends an HTTP request to the host server, which then returns a response to the browser. This entire process is quantified by TTFB.
TTFB is among the key metrics in core web vitals, directly impacting user experience. As we all know, nobody likes waiting for a page to load in a browser. Therefore, a lower TTFB equates to shorter waiting times for page display, enhancing overall user satisfaction.
And what’s the ideal TTFB number, you ask? Well, according to Google, a desirable response time falls under 200 milliseconds.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks is recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a Green Power Partner and works with One Tree Planted which is a non-profit tree planting charity.
Annual Promo Plan: $2.95/month
- 1 Website
- Free SSL Certificate
- 50 GB Web Space
- Free Domain Name for 1st Year
- 50 E-mail Accounts
- 300% Green Energy Match
- 1 Tree Planted
We conducted tests on small websites hosted by GreenGeeks using GTmetrix, a free online tool for assessing website speed performance.
- Time To First Byte – 415ms
GreenGeeks provides a selection of green hosting seals to embed on their clients’ websites. Get instructions on how to embed the GreenGeeks seal into your website here.
A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting has a partnership with Carbonfund.org. The Carbonfund.org Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that provides carbon offsetting and greenhouse gas reduction solutions for businesses. A2 Hosting is in commitment with Carbonfund.org to plant two trees for every package sold during Earth Week.
Annual Promo Plan: $2.99
- 1 Website
- Free SSL Certificate
- 100 GB Web Space
- Unlimited Email Addresses
- FutureServe Green Hosting
- BBB Accredited Business
We conducted tests on small websites hosted by A2Hosting using GTmetrix, a free online tool for assessing website speed performance.
- Time To First Byte – 722ms
A2 Hosting provides green hosting badge to embed on their clients’ websites. Get instructions on how to embed the A2 Hosting badge into your website here.
DreamHost
DreamHost obtains electricity to power its data centers from renewable energy such as wind power.
Annual Promo Plan: $2.95
- 1 Website
- Free Domain Name + Privacy Protection for 1st Year
- Free SSL Certificate
- 50 GB Site Storage
We conducted tests on small websites hosted by DreamHost using PageSpeed Insights, a free online tool for assessing website speed performance.
- Time To First Byte – 1s
SiteGround
SiteGround’s platform runs on premium Google cloud infrastructure. Google Cloud’s network of data centers is among the most energy-efficient data centers in the world.
Annual Promo Plan: $4.99
- 1 Website
- Free Domain Name for 1st Year
- Free SSL Certificate
- 10 GB Web Space
- 100% Renewable Energy Match
We conducted tests on small websites hosted by SiteGround using GTmetrix, a free online tool for assessing website speed performance.
- Time To First Byte – 270ms
HostPapa
HostPapa’s servers are 100% powered by multiple sources of renewable energy. Among them are Condon Wind Facility, Solar Ashland, Foote Creek Wind Facility, and Northwest Solar Co-op.
Annual Promo Plan: $4.95
- 1 Website
- Free Domain Name for 1st Year
- Free SSL Certificate
- 100 GB Web Space
- 10 Email Addresses
We conducted tests on small websites hosted by HostPapa using GTmetrix, a free online tool for assessing website speed performance.
- Time To First Byte – 788ms
Here are more reliable green hosting providers:
Kualo
20i
Krystal
One.com
Ecolohosting
EcoHost
Verpex
Ethical Hosting
GlowHost
Crazy Domains
What makes a web hosting provider ‘green’?
There are a couple of methods a web hosting provider can be considered green. Basically, in loose concept, any activities that will aim to reduce the negative impact on our environment can be considered eco-friendly.
For a web hosting company to be considered eco-friendly, they engage in these activities:
Buying Green Certificates
There are two popular types of green certificates green hosting providers buy, and those are Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) and Carbon Offset Certificates (VER). The former aims to source its power from renewable energy and the latter aims to reduce carbon emissions.
Participate in Green Projects
Web hosting providers partner with green organizations to participate in implementing their environmental projects such as planting trees and plants.
Advocating a Green Culture in Business
This may include improving infrastructure to make it more energy-efficient thus promoting energy conservation, improving business operations to reduce carbon footprint, and advocating pro-environmental behaviors for employees in the workplace.
Benefits of Green hosting
Here are the advantages that web hosting companies and website owners enjoy when they embrace environmentally friendly practices.
Good for the Environment
Using renewable energy to power data centers and business operations reduces carbon emissions.
Reduce Energy Bills
Renewable costs are cheaper than electricity generated from fossil fuels.
Consumers prefer Eco-friendly Brands and Products
Consumers nowadays are becoming more conscious of what brands they patronized.
According to a recent study, 34% of consumers are willing to pay more for green products and services. Though, in the web hosting industry, it is hardly the case to pay more for renewables since green hosting providers offer competitive prices on their package plans.
Web hosting with green badge is definitely a brand image booster. I don’t know about you but at least this concept applies to me – I will always prefer eco-friendly brands.
These certificates suggest that your web hosting is a green hosting – Green Power Partnership, The Gold Standard, VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) and Climate Action Reserve.
Not Susceptible to Price Fluctuations
As we all know, fuel prices fluctuate every minute, it’s a free market. Since renewable cost is not reliant on the everyday fluctuation of gas prices, we can expect hosting plan packages are resilient to price changes.
Sell Energy Back to the Grid
If you’re a web hosting provider and have an energy generation system installed, whenever you produce more energy than you consume, you can sell this unused energy back to the grid.
Green Energy Incentives from Governments
Governments are giving tax and grant incentives to encourage businesses to go green.
Let's Be Eco-Warriors
According to a recent global sustainability study in 2021 by Simon-Kucher & Partners, consumers play a key role in achieving a sustainable future, and 34% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services.
With how our weather patterns drastically shift nowadays, climate change is evident, and we should do our due diligence in reducing our carbon footprint and taking better care of Mother Earth.
So, are you ready to plug your website into the internet the ‘green’ way? Choose the best green hosting companies to host your website.
If it’s your first time signing up for a hosting account, check out this article for the full guide.
Note: There might be changes to the hosting plan details by the time you’re reading this, so it is best to visit the website for the latest information.
