Why hosting has a footprint
A website is stored on a computer that never switches off. Data centres run the servers, keep them cool and power the network, around the clock. Choosing a host whose electricity comes from renewable sources is one of the simplest ways to reduce the footprint of a website, because it does not change how the site looks or works.
What "green" can mean
"Green hosting" is not a protected term. A host can use it to describe quite different things, and some are stronger than others:
| Way of getting renewable power | What it means | What to ask a host |
|---|---|---|
| Own or direct supply | The data centre generates renewable power, or buys it directly from a named generator | Which generator, and what share of the facility's demand? |
| Power purchase agreement (PPA) | A long-term contract to buy electricity from a specific renewable project | Which project, and for how long? |
| Certificates (REGOs in the UK, Guarantees of Origin in the EU, RECs in the US) | The data centre buys grid power and buys certificates showing an equal amount was generated from renewables somewhere | Are the certificates matched to the hours and the country the power was used? |
| Offsets | Money spent to reduce or remove emissions elsewhere. This is not the same as renewable power | Is there evidence of renewable electricity as well, or only offsets? |
Direct supply and long-term agreements tie renewable generation to the facility. Certificates and offsets are weaker claims, and a certificate is only as meaningful as the way it is matched to the power actually used. None of these is automatically dishonest, but you are entitled to ask which one a host means.
What is PUE?
Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is a data centre's total energy use divided by the energy that reaches the computing equipment. A PUE of 1.0 would mean no energy is spent on anything except the servers. A PUE of 1.2 means that for every 1.0 unit reaching the servers, a further 0.2 goes on cooling, lighting and power conversion. Lower is better. It measures efficiency, not the energy source, so a good host reports both.
How to check a host's claim
- Open The Green Web Foundation's green web check (opens in a new tab) and type in the address of a website the host serves.
- The result says whether the site is hosted by a provider in the Foundation's dataset of verified green hosts, and shows who the host is and what evidence is on record.
- For a wider look, browse the Foundation's directory of green hosting providers (opens in a new tab).
The check covers where a site is served from, so it works for any host without their involvement. Treat a missing result as a prompt to ask the host for their evidence, not as proof of anything on its own.
Questions to ask a host
- Is the renewable energy supplied directly, through long-term agreements, or through certificates?
- Which data centre is my site in, and what is its PUE?
- Is the claim independently verified, and where can I see it?
- Does the claim cover the whole service, including backups and email, or only the web servers?
What you can do on your own site
The energy a page uses depends on how much data it sends and how often. Compress images, avoid autoplaying video, remove scripts you do not need and use caching. A caching web server such as LiteSpeed (included on every Cloud Cabin plan) avoids repeating work. A tool such as the Website Carbon Calculator (opens in a new tab) gives a rough estimate of a page's emissions, which is useful for comparing before and after.
How Cloud Cabin approaches it
All of Cloud Cabin's hosting infrastructure runs on renewable energy, in facilities with a PUE of 1.2, and we are verified as a green host by The Green Web Foundation. You do not have to take our word for it: run the check on cloudcabin.com (opens in a new tab) yourself. Our About page says more about where we host.
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. Plenty of green hosts price in line with other providers. Cloud Cabin web hosting starts at £4.99 a month and runs on renewable energy.
No. Speed depends on the hardware, the software and the distance to your visitors. The source of the electricity makes no difference to how fast pages load.
Ask for the evidence behind the claim, and check it independently. The Green Web Foundation's free tool shows whether a site is served from a verified green provider.
Lower is better, and 1.0 is the theoretical best. Many efficient modern facilities report figures between about 1.1 and 1.5. A host that publishes its PUE is showing its working.
