Sustainability in the Cloud: Why Green Hosting Matters!
In a recent survey conducted by the Federal Environment Agency in 2023, 57% of respondents stated that the environment and climate play an important role. Together with past surveys, this shows a clear positive trend that indicates the current and future importance of the topic. Sustainability is therefore playing an increasingly important role in all areas of life. With increasing relevance for society, the topic is also playing a key role in companies' daily business practices for the successful sale of products. For the cloud hosting sector, this primarily means promoting environmentally friendly, modern technologies in data centers, the use of renewable energies and the efficient use of existing resources. All with the aim of minimizing the ecological footprint of the IT infrastructure and making a contribution to climate protection. But what exactly is behind sustainable hosting?
Why sustainable hosting?
Information technology solutions make a significant contribution to global CO₂ emissions. A study by Bitkom currently assumes that 43 to 80 million tons of greenhouse gases could already be saved through modernization measures in IT. This corresponds to around 14 to 26 percent of the reduction target of 308 tons and will have a lasting impact on compliance with national climate targets. However, data centers run around the clock and consume an enormous amount of energy. So where can we start to make hosting more sustainable in the long term? Such an approach could look like this:
- Use of renewable energies
The use of solar, wind and hydroelectric power reduces dependence on fossil fuels and ensures an environmentally friendly power supply for information technology components. There are already data centers that rely 100% on green electricity and thus make a positive contribution to the ecological balance. The Maincubes FRA01, where we operate our hardware, is already one of these pioneers! - Increased efficiency through technology
New possibilities for automated load distribution enable a significant reduction in energy consumption through increasingly intelligent handling of peak loads. This extends to the automated shutdown of entire server systems, which can significantly reduce the environmental impact. - Energy-efficient hardware
Modern servers and efficient cooling systems require considerably less energy and therefore significantly reduce the energy requirements of the IT solutions provided. Companies should therefore focus on regular modernization. Although this may initially require a higher initial investment, in the long term it can even provide enormous monetary benefits in continuous operation.
Measures to increase sustainability
In order to increase the sustainability of their own hosting, companies should take targeted measures that go beyond the initial selection of a suitable provider. For example, the following could help to reduce the emission of harmful greenhouse gases:
- Optimization of load profiles
Overloaded systems as well as unused capacities can lead to a reduction in sustainability. The use of simple shared hosting offers or flexible cloud models ensures that resources are provided in line with demand, while also protecting your wallet. - Choice of data center location
Regions with easy access to clean energy should be prioritized to ensure that your IT infrastructure is as environmentally friendly as possible. Be sure to use tools such as Electricity Maps to identify the right sustainable location for your next project. - Prioritization of certifications
Seals such as ISO 14001 or the Green Power Partner label can indicate that the provider you have chosen is already sustainable and therefore ideally suited to pursuing the goal of sustainable hosting.
Benefits for companies
Sustainable hosting is not only good for your wallet in the long term, but also strengthens your own brand image and thus offers a competitive advantage in an increasingly environmentally conscious society. A study by McKinsey confirms that 95% of all decision-makers already include sustainability as a factor in their decision-making processes. Environmentally friendly solutions are also increasingly being promoted by the state and in some cases are already required. Accordingly, there are already sufficient incentives for companies to act in an environmentally conscious and future-oriented manner on their own initiative.
Conclusion
Green hosting is more than just a trend. It is an essential component of sustainable digitalization and will play an increasingly important role for technology companies and their success on the market in the future. Ultimately, the integration of environmentally friendly solutions actively contributes to climate protection and will significantly influence the purchasing decisions of potential customers in the long term. Companies that take action now and switch to a sustainable provider are therefore laying a moral and strategic foundation for their own future.
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