EcoHostReviews.com

Check these helpful resources out:

• http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/plethora_of_opt.php
• http://davidherron.com/view/green-neutral-web-hosting
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_hosting

In their words:”SustainableWebsites.com is a project of SustainableMarketing.com – a community of green businesses using the power of network effects to promote their businesses. The more green businesses that host with us, the better the network becomes, and the more opportunities grow for all of us!”

SustainableWebsites offsets their energy use with wind power. They also have a strong back end of sustainability through their other work as a collaborative of green businesses. They offer Wordpress, Drupal and Joomla hosting which is always a nice bonus. Plus you know their background in e-marketing will be helpful.

A small company is the best kind to work with as a customer so I would not hesitate to recommend checking them out.

In their words:

HostPapa has taken the initiative of going green by purchasing 100% green renewable energy to power our data center, web servers, office computers, laptops and office space. These energy sources supply HostPapa’s entire equivalent energy consumption into the power-grid with certified 100% renewable green energy sources, such as wind and solar-powered energy.

In our words:

HostPapa was an early riser in the green hosting industry. Though it wasn’t that long ago - 2006 found green web hosting in its infancy. Hostpapa was there - offsetting their energy use by purchasing the equivalent of 100% green energy. The price is right for several unlimited features - we hope to see HostPapa rise in the ranks of green web hosts in the near future.

Lowest monthly price: $4.95 (3 year billing cycle)

Bonus Feature: A tips and tools section with discounts to some great vendors.

Coupon code: DIARY ($12 off )

In their words:

HostPapa has taken the initiative of going green by purchasing 100% green renewable energy to power our data center, web servers, office computers, laptops and office space. These energy sources supply HostPapa’s entire equivalent energy consumption into the power-grid with certified 100% renewable green energy sources, such as wind and solar-powered energy.

In our words:

HostPapa was an early riser in the green hosting industry. Though it wasn’t that long ago - 2006 found green web hosting in its infancy. Hostpapa was there - offsetting their energy use by purchasing the equivalent of 100% green energy. The price is right for several unlimited features - we hope to see HostPapa rise in the ranks of green web hosts in the near future.

Lowest monthly price: $4.95 (3 year billing cycle)

Bonus Feature: A tips and tools section with discounts to some great vendors.

Coupon code: DIARY ($12 off )

In their words:

“AISO.Net is a reliable and responsible green web hosting company. We have made a strong commitment to help fight pollution and preserving our natural resources. Solar panels run our green data center and office, not energy credits.

Solar tubes bring in natural light from the outside providing light during the day. AMD Opteron powered IBM servers use sixty percent less energy; generate fifty percent less heat.

These are just some of the ways AISO.Net is becoming the world’s most responsible green web hosting company.”

In our words:

AISO.net (Affordable Internet Services Online) stands out as one of the few truly green web hosts. They power all servers with self-generated solar power. You won’t find carbon credits here! The feature list is almost as strong as the other hosts, and the price is nice too. Only $2 more per month will let you pay monthly as opposed to paying 2 years upfront.

Lowest monthly price: $7.95 ($20 setup fee)

Bonus feature: All servers are owned and operated by AISO - no resold or remote servers.

Coupon: None Currently

In their words:

HostGator hosts over 1,300,000 websites on its shared and reseller servers. That means a lot of servers, and a lot of carbon emissions. So we asked ourselves, What can we do to be part of the climate change solution? We took steps to minimize our environmental impact at the office, but still we weren’t satisfied. We then switched to 36% more efficient servers, but still we weren’t satisfied!

In our words:

HostGator was a powerhouse in the hosting world before the green revolution. Naturally, because of their size they had the resources to really attack the environmental issue when they decided to go green. Although not powered directly by green energy, they do purchase more than their fair share of wind energy generated in their home state of Texas.

Lowest monthly price: $4.95 (3 year billing cycle)

Bonus Feature: 130% of their energy usage is returned to the grid as wind power.

Coupon code: HEART (20% off - expires March 1st)

In their words:

All things are interdependent; our health and well-being rely on the health and well-being of the planet. Good stewardship of the earth’s precious natural resources, both human and natural, is a cornerstone of our business ethics policy. We want to leave a legacy of conservation and sustainability for generations to come.

Whether it’s our commitment to using wind powered renewable energy by off-setting our electricity use with 100% wind power, utilizing 100% recycled paper in our offices or seeking out partnerships with sustainable herb sources, we go to great lengths to bring you an eco-friendly and reliable hosting service.

In our words:

GoGreen purchases wind energy that is then inserted into the grid to offset their energy use. However, they present a strong environmental presence through ethical and conservational policies. Though the storage is somewhat limited, they seem to be a genuine company that truly cares for the cause.

Lowest monthly price: $10 (no setup fee)

Coupon: None currently

This is one method of making sure the energy-suck of hosting is environmentally friendly. Purchasing a “carbon credit” essentially means the web host has calculated their total energy usage and purchased a credit for the greenhouse gasses they have contributed. Usually this means they are purchasing green energy and putting it into the energy grid.

This could also mean the host has contributed to a program that is supposed to have “scrubbed” the atmosphere of the amount of CO2 the host put in.

Important note: This does not mean the servers are powered by wind, solar, etc. This means the energy could have come from anywhere, and the host has made the effort to neutralize their carbon footprint.

A truly green web host will attempt to improve the energy source - as well as the energy consumption of their operation.

Several green hosts claim they have replaced their old, clunky, energy-sucking servers with state-of-the-art, energy efficient ones.

This is difficult to verify - however several hosts identify the exact servers they use which can be checked against a list of most efficient servers. Dell, HP and IBM all sell an energy efficient model of their servers.

Green web hosting is a movement to change the way the internet is served to its customers. Web servers run 24/7, and draw an immense amount of energy from the power grid. Over 50% of the energy generated in the United States comes from dirty coal power - making web hosting a significant contributor to global warming.

The world is at a tipping point right now when it comes to making web hosting more environmentally friendly. Ways that hosts are greening their services include:

• Using energy efficient servers
• Powering their facilities with on-property solar or wind energy
• Purchasing carbon credits or energy offsets to remove the carbon they put into the atmosphere
• Planting trees for each new account to balance out the carbon footprint
• and more