Green Website Hosting Companies

Energy conservation has become a major issue recently, and website hosting companies have taken notice with many adopting green practices into their business. Internet users might very well see more sites that have banners illustrating that they’re hosted with renewable energy, many using wind power. Companies might also show tips on how system administrators can save power.

Rising energy costs have also started to turn heads. Sustainability has become a buzzword, and countless companies want to jump on board. While using fewer resources is always a good idea, a few general points need to be kept in mind when evaluating a server network.

Server Scalability

Huge rooms stacked full of servers can generate a lot of heat, which needs to be pulled out through fans or air conditioners. This alone can use a substantial amount of energy. Computer units themselves suck up a lot of power as it is.

Shutting unused modules down can save electricity, and it can also save on the climate control bill. As newer units replace older machines, fewer servers are necessary. This means that fewer machines are plugged in at any given time.

Reusing Server Components

Many green website hosting companies have reused older machines in creative ways. There are even a few stories of how 8088 motherboards were recycled into servers through innovative pieces of DOS software. Salvage projects don’t have to be so imaginative to make a difference, however.

Taking a few hard drives out of a dead unit and reformatting them helps to cut down on the number of need products being made. Monitors usually outlast the terminals they were purchased for, but they’re still often discarded while still being functional. Green IT businesses know better than to merely throw these devices away.

Electronic Waste

Reusing old components also helps to reduce the amount of electronic waste that needs to be processed. Nevertheless, there comes a time when everything needs to be disposed of. Electronic waste is quickly becoming a major problem, but recycling it can alleviate the issue to some degree.

Electronics often contain several types of heavy metal toxins that shouldn’t be released into the environment. Cutting down the number of computer parts that get disposed of in landfills reduces the likelihood of these toxins escaping their original cases. Local remanufacturing is still one of the best ways to deal with the issue.

Reducing Processor Strain

Microprocessors are fickle devices, and they might be using a lot of power by running unnecessary threads. Green businesses have cut down on the number of programs running. Servers merely need to serve pages, after all.

Taking steps to remove unnecessary content from pages might actually help to reduce server drain. Some companies have gone so far as to use renewable energy resources to power their servers. That explains the windmills shown on a handful of pages as a badge of pride.

In conclusion, when considering your website hosting options, look for companies that are utilizing these energy efficient practices. And if you have are self-hosting, take note as there are likely things you can be doing to reduce energy consumption and costs without sacrificing performance.

This article was contributed by Jason Nelson on behalf of CenterNetworks.com, where you can find website hosting company reviews and a fatcow coupon, which can help you save on your hosting needs.