The Future of Green

What the Future will look like...

 

 

I see Electric Cars...Structural Insulated Panels....and Insulated Concrete Form....

The Future of Green as we see it:

 

Well, if you don't know what we are talking about, relax! You will learn all about the future of our transportation system as in cars that plug into an outlet at home or at work. We will also help you find the best available product for your remodeling job or the new green home.

ELECTRIC CARS

We think that electric cars ARE the future. Just ask yourself this question: Would you be able to get a fair price on your gasoline car in, let's say, 5 years? Hybrid technology has built a bridge for the fossil fuel cars of yesterday to the electric cars of tomorrow. And tomorrow is going to be here in no time. Car companies in Europe and Asia are gearing up with car plans that include plug-in technology only. Did you know that the very first cars were electric? Not until two German inventors, Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler took credit for building the first gasoline car.

Electric cars are being built all around the world but there are some companies that are doing better than others:

TESLA is the innovator of Amercan electric cars. From the design ( bye, bye Porsche) to the efficiency, (313 miles on a single charge) this company has made headlines. We love the concept and hope to test drive a model soon. All across the Highway 101 between Los Angeles and San Francisco, free charging stations are being installed for Tesla car owners. A shopping spree and a lunch later, your car is ready to go in 3.5 hours charging time.

FISKER AUTOMOTIVE prides itself to be a green Amercan premium sports car company. Anticipated annual vehicle production will be 15,000. The Karma car is a plug-in hybrid which means it burns no fuel for the first 50 miles, then the car operates as a normal hybrid vehicle and drives with a small gasoline tank. Fisker just acquired an old GM plant for its new operation base.

PLUG-IN AMERICA promoting plug-in vehicles in all its glory. The handy vehicle-tracker keeps you up to date about the new, the bold and the beautiful world of plug in concept cars and those who are already on our streets. 'Who killed the electric car?' Buy it here too.

BETTERPLACE is what it promotes: A better place because of non polluting vehicles. From opportunity to solution, this company offers it all. Already in the lead in Israel, Denmark and Australia, this company continues its efforts to bring the U.S., Canada and Japan on board too.

HOW ABOUT: A solar highway, LED streetlights, smart homes with smart plants that send you a text message when they are thirsty, rain harvesting to flush the toilets and irrigate our gardens, net metering that provides us with a check for producing electricity with our wind and solar...

COOL BUILDING MATERIALS

SIP's or Structural insulated panels and ICF or Insulated Concrete Forms have been around for a while but are used mostly where builders and contractors were asked to go the efficient and safe way to build the house or commerical building. Both have great insulation advantages and a home built with ICF's can withstand winds of 200 mph! No wonder that Greensburg, KS is rebuilding their town with ICF's and SIP's after its destruction in May 2007.

WHAT ARE SIP'S?

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are prefabricated insulated structural elements for use in the building walls, ceilings, floors, and roofs. SIP's provide sperior insulation than traditonal framing(stud or "stick frame"), achieving energy savings of 12%–14%. SIPs can also provide a more airtight house resulting in a quieter and more comfortable home.

SIPs have high R-values and high strength-to-weight ratios. A typical SIP consists of 4- to 8-inch thick foam board insulation sandwiched between two oriented strand boards (OSB) or other structural facing materials.

Find information about SIP's right here:

1) Structural Insulated Panel Association

2) US Department of Energy - Your Home and SIP's

WHAT ARE ICF?

Homes that use INSULATED CONCRETE FORMs (ICF) literally have the insulation built into the walls as part of the structure. This system creates walls that have a high thermal resistance, with R-values typically above R-17. Two people can easily put those lego like blocks together and set up the walls and foundations for a house in no time. Concrete is then poured into the styrofoam opening, interlocking with each other. Reinforcement is achieved by using steel rods inside the hollow-cores to strengthen the walls.

Find information about ICF here:

1) US Department of ENERGY - Your Home and ICF

2) Insulating Concrete Form Association