Introduction
While much attention in sustainable design focuses on visual and technical optimization, the underlying infrastructure, specifically web hosting, plays a crucial role in a website’s environmental footprint. This entry investigates how green hosting compares to conventional hosting and explores practical steps for making more sustainable decisions.
Practical Exercise
Objective: Comparing the impact of traditional vs. eco-friendly web hosting providers.
Step 1: Research & Selection
I compared three hosting services:
| Provider | Green Energy Usage | Certification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GreenGeeks | 300% wind energy offset | EPA Green Power Partner | Actively carbon negative |
| Kualo | 100% renewable | Green Web Foundation | Based in the UK |
| GoDaddy (Baseline) | Unknown / minimal | None | Common, not sustainable |
Step 2: Mini Website Deployment
I deployed a basic HTML landing page on both a traditional host and a green host (GreenGeeks) to compare performance and carbon footprint using Website Carbon Calculator.
Step 3: Comparison Results
| Metric | Traditional Host | Green Host |
|---|---|---|
| CO₂ per visit | ~1.76g | ~0.21g |
| Renewable Energy Usage | Low | 100% |
| Load Time (average) | 0.9s | 0.7s |
Key Insights
- Hosting with green providers can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 85–90% per visit.
- Load times remained equal or improved slightly on green servers.
- The environmental impact of hosting is often invisible to designers, but it significantly contributes to a project’s carbon footprint over time.
