It is easy to assume that all websites are environmentally friendly because they use pixels rather than paper. Disseminating information online requires far fewer resources than publishing it in print, but websites have an impact on the environment…. And it is growing rapidly. According to the Clicking Clean report published by Greenpeace on 10 January 2017, the IT sector now accounts for about 7% of global electricity consumption.
To limit your ecological footprint, here are some tips to make your website eco-responsible.
Choose a green electricity supplier
The equipment you use to create and maintain your site runs on electricity. But is this electricity 100% renewable? In France, there are two types of green electricity offers:
Hydraulic electricity produced by hydroelectric dams. This is electricity at a very competitive cost today offered by EDF
Electricity supported by renewable energy producers. There are several suppliers on the French market such as Enercoop, Ilek or Énergie d’ici.
In Belgium, Greenpeace has ranked green electricity suppliers to help consumers choose the best company. At the top of the list: Cociter, Ecopower cvba and Energie 2030.be.
Streamline your website
Each server request consumes energy on both sides. The greater the transfer, the greater the energy consumption. Simple designs can be elegant and effective. You can also reduce your website’s energy consumption by displaying fewer low-resolution images, using fewer JavaScript widgets and using less resource-intensive technologies, such as Flash. This will reduce loading time and server requests.
Simplifying your site is not only environmentally friendly but easier to use.
Choose eco-responsible colors
Computer monitors use energy to display colors. Older CRT monitors used more energy to display lighter colors such as white, but newer LCD monitors use more energy to display darker colors such as black.
Due to the widespread use of LCD screens, the darker the color of your website, the more energy it will consume. Designing your site with lots of white space can be useful. Although each page load saves only a small amount of energy, in the long term it adds up.
Choose an eco-responsible host: PlanetHoster!
Aware of the pollution caused by the Internet and its Data Centers, PlanetHoster has made ecology its priority since 2009. Certified as a green host, we have been trying to limit our carbon footprint as much as possible for almost ten years.
At PlanetHoster, we have Canadian infrastructure that is boosted by renewable hydroelectric power. These facilities are also naturally cooled by the extreme Canadian cold. And yes! Living under the snow for a good part of the year allows us to supply the cooling system of our servers with ecological energy. A green policy that we also reserve for our French Data Centers by seeking to use 100% of electricity from renewable energies.
Being a green host also means fighting against waste. At PlanetHoster, we respect the life cycles of our servers according to the most ecological use possible. Our Data Centers are selected according to their Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) consumption.
Spread the word!
Do as we do, share your ecological news with your readers and customers. They may have other resources to share with you, and your efforts could raise awareness of ecology among some of them!
