By now, everyone has heard the term “going green”, and has at least a rough idea of what it means. As more and more people start making their buying decisions on the availability of green versus non-green products and services, it is becoming more and more important that customers educate themselves on the current trends influencing them. Here are five trends that you should be aware of:
1. Solar power is becoming more affordable every day. Depending on where you live, it might even be cheaper to install a solar array rather than getting your power “from the grid”. There are also leasing programs available for you to get your own array without having to pay the full cost up front and out-of-pocket. As a bonus, if you can produce more power than you consume, you can sell your surplus back to the grid. However, this varies by location.
2. Electric on Wheels. More and more cars and other transportation vehicles are offering hybrid versions of their vehicles. From cars, to buses, to trains, cities are seeing the benefit of using less fossil fuel. The fully electric car has had some trouble getting to market, but with cars like the recent Nissan Leaf, it’s only a matter of time before more and more of these options become available.
3. Increasing use of biofuels. Ethanol and biodiesel are most likely the two most well known of the biofuels, and are created from plant material and thus, come from sources that are renewable. While there are still a few lingering gas stations that proudly display that they do not use ethanol in their gasoline, it doesn’t change the fact that biofuels are here to stay. With concerns of the amount of oil left in the world, rising oil prices, and other factors, investing in biofuel research seems to be at least one way to mitigate our dependance on oil.
Energy consumption is easier than ever to monitor. Even the average Joe homeowner can invest in a device to help him monitor –and regulate– his energy usage. Realizing this, many electric companies have begun to offer discounts to homeowners that regulate their usage and wait until off-peak hours to run the more energy-consuming items in their home like washing and drying machines.
5. Electric companies are going green too. Most electric providers, if they do use green energy, will be happy to let you know what percentage of your electricity comes from green means, be it wind turbines or solar power. Some companies are completely green, while others have plans that incorporate green energy alongside their non-green plans. Expect this to change rapidly as more and more electric providers switch to greener means of production.
As a consumer, knowing what green options are out there and what the current trends in the green industry are, you are ensuring that you are on the right path to saving money and the environment. As more research and technology becomes available, you can expect to see costs associated with going green drop, and it is more likely every passing day to see some real innovation when it comes to saving our planet.
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