| One of the major emitters of CO2 in the business | | | | there is no net reduction in CO2 use, however, |
| world are data centers, both corporate, government, | | | | loosely speaking, there is no net gain either. |
| and for other business users. More and more | | | | A second way to reduce a data center's footprint is |
| web-based businesses are demanding green website | | | | to purchase renewable energy from the local power |
| hosting. Not only are hosting companies offering this | | | | company. In this situation, a hosting company is |
| now to be competitive, but they are also finding | | | | buying renewable-source power such as hydro, wind, |
| they can save money. | | | | solar, or a combination of these. Note that this may |
| What exactly is green website hosting? Any hosting | | | | not mean the host is directly getting renewable |
| that uses renewable energy to power the data | | | | power right to their lines, but rather there is an |
| center, or purchases offsets can be called "green". | | | | investment by the power company in using |
| The purpose is to reduce the carbon dioxide | | | | renewable energy in an amount equal to what the |
| emissions that result from high power use by the | | | | company using. |
| host. Certainly, there are likely some hosting | | | | Lastly, some companies may be installing local power |
| companies who take the bare minimum steps in | | | | generation right at their plant, for example, putting |
| order to slap a green label on their hosting site. | | | | solar panels on their property. A very well known |
| However there are generally two main ways that | | | | example of this is GOogle's large investment in solar |
| hosting can be provided more sustainably. | | | | arrays to power it's plants. This is usually the most |
| First, some hosting companies will purchase carbon | | | | expensive option, but it does give a company |
| offset credits. This works by taking steps to reduce | | | | bragging rights as a green host. |
| carbon emissions elsewhere to cover 1-for-1 the | | | | Regardless of which option is used, and whether you |
| carbon emissions the host is responsible for. An | | | | feel one option is more "sustainable" than another, at |
| example might be investing in a local wind farm. | | | | least hosting companies are now taking the path of |
| Some people feel that purchasing offsets is not as | | | | reducing their large CO2 footprint both for their own |
| environmentally friendly as other options, because | | | | and the consumer's future environmental success. |