There are a few ways that web hosting companies and server farms have figured out how to become more environmentally friendly in how they power their servers.
Carbon Offsetting Because changing to a more eco-friendly setup is expensive for web hosts, the most popular way to become more eco-friendly is to do carbon offsetting to reduce (or eliminate) their carbon footprint. Companies will do things like plant trees for new accounts and do general energy conservation.
Carbon Credits Buying carbon credits means that the company is purchasing credits to fund another eco-friendly project, which in theory cancels out their carbon usage.
Renewable Energy Certificates Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs or Green Tags) show that the energy used by the web host is from a natural source like solar energy or wind energy.
Energy-friendly Servers There are lots of different types of servers that can potentially cut down on power and resources used. “Speed stepping” is a technology for servers that reduces the amount of voltage and heat a server uses.
Better Data Center Layouts Data center makers have figured out ways to optimize their server farms so that the least amount of energy is used. The less air conditioning a server needs, the more eco-friendly it is.
Other Eco-Friendly Options Some companies use propane instead of diesel gases for backup resources. In some cases windmills power the servers, or there are paperless offices. There are any number of ways that a web hosting company can make their company more environmentally friendly.
