The future outlook for electric cars remains positive

The year 2012 was very good for U.S. electric and hybrid car market, according to 2012 sales numbers and the majority opinion of U.S. experts and analysts. One of the most popular hybrid cars in United States, Chevrolet Volt, had record sales as there were 23,461 Volts sold in 2012, tripling the number of sales compared to 2011.

The recent Pike research study spurred additional optimism on electric and hybrid car market by estimating the annual global sales of 3.8 million electric and hybrid cars by 2020, which should account in growth of their sales by 40% annually. One of the reasons behind the steady growth of electric and hybrid car market is also the fact that the fuel prices continue to remain high which forces consumers to look for alternative options. The other important reason is the fact that these cars carry the „environmentally friendly“ tag and there is a growing environmental awareness among many people in the world.

The latest estimates predict 4.4 million all-electric vehicles on the world’s roads and another 3.4 million plug-in hybrid cars. The countries that should lead in numbers of electric and hybrid cars on their roads are United States, China and Germany. Despite the very positive sales in 2012, the U.S. electric and hybrid car market is still way behind the traditional car market. In 2012, electric cars accounted for approximately 0.3 percent of total cars sold in 2012, while hybrid cars accounted for 3 percent (according to a data from the recent study by Mintel analysts).

The future outlook for electric and hybrid cars remains positive but in the same time a lot of it will depend on the fluctuation in oil prices.

Eco Friendly in the Home

The home construction sector is one of the most rapidly changing sectors of the economy as witnessed by the tremendous growth. Because of the massive levels of pollution in the environment, one of the fastest growing sectors of homes construction has to be the eco-friendly side. More and more people are starting to think about what they do and the affects it has on the environment. This article looks at four of the most popular areas of construction in their quest for a safer, well-protected environment.

Materials used for construction

The type of materials used in constructing ecofriendly homes has changed in recent years. The use of recycled materials, thanks to new recycling technologies, has been embraced. Construction studs, walls, insulation materials and others are all made from recycled materials in most of these eco-friendly homes.

As such, we have homes built from materials that would rather go to waste or pollute the environment. This is one reason why most people use these materials. Moreover, the benefits are beginning to show since it’s estimated that recycled materials used in construction last longer and consume way less cement or other expensive materials. Even then, during your quest for a more eco-friendly home, ensure that the materials used don’t have toxins.

Energy conservation

Use of energy is one of the most crucial elements to consider in making eco-friendly homes. On the basic level, homes are constructed with adequate energy efficient system. The use of effective energy efficient appliances such as towel rail in bathrooms, energy efficient radiators and other kitchen ‘A’rated appliances have become paramount now more than ever. People are also turning to the use of solar energy as much as possible, as this way of generating power is one of the best and affordable renewables on the market. Overall people generally need to ensure a high quality of the appliances by getting them from the experts such as Trade Radiators.

Water conservation

A home would not be classed as eco-friendly if water conservation was not taken into consideration. There are a number of ways in which a home can conserve water and you may already be doing it without even noticing. Your toilet can use large amounts of water wastefully. If your toilet is more than 10 years old then you may need to think about changing it or getting special tools to stop as much water being wasted. Rainfall is also a great way to conserve water, having a tank connected to your guttering can provide year round water for watering the garden and other this that don’t require filtered fresh water.

Alternative energy

As more homes become eco-friendly, energy is one of the biggest elements that needs to be taken into consideration. With technology becoming more and more readily available and the energy they use on the up, something needs to be done. So momentum is being gained with the use of alternative energy sources for normal functions, it’s a factor that everyone needs to consider and with the help of the government things are moving forward. People have already noticed solar panels popping up on homes and on large scale projects wind is being harnessed with wind turbines.

In general, getting an eco-friendly home has never been more important as it is today. Simply put, your home needs to effectively utilize energy, water, and air without harming the environment.