It is obvious that current web hosting is in conflict with U.S. Governments plan for Net-Zero Emissions by 2050. However, modern approaches not only promise web hosting that is climate-neutral, but also rely on methods that even give something back to the environment.
Everyone knows it from their own computer at home. As soon as applications are started that place greater demands on computer performance, heat is generated. It’s the same with large data centers. One consideration is therefore to use the waste heat generated in data centers to heat residential areas or cities. A great deal of energy can also be saved in cooling data centers by relying on open-air cooling instead of air-conditioning systems.
There are already data centers today that completely absorb the CO2 they produce. The startup WindCloud has built a climate-neutral data center on the North Sea. It is powered by 100 percent green electricity from wind turbines. The waste heat generated by its operation is used to grow algae, which in turn absorb CO2. In addition, the algae are subsequently processed. So, modern approaches like these make it possible to make web hosting climate neutral.