Do androids dream of Electric Cars?

In May Audi reported that they are due to release their first full-electric car, the R8 E-tron. At the moment, the electric car industry is slow, with high prices and questions over the cars’ battery and charging facilities. However,Audi is well known for high performance high quality vehicles, so we wonder whether this development will be a watershed for the electric car industry as they begin to cross the line from fuel to fuel-cell. Audi are certainly tackling the issue of performance head on with the R8 model, with a 150 mile range and 0-60 of 4.8secs.  We expect this performance will come at a premium.

Norman Environmental understand how important our cars are to us in modern society, they give us independence and freedom to go about our lives locally, nationally and even onto the continent.  As a result rising fuel prices are an issue we are all struggling with, alongside the obvious carbon problem. Therefore we ask the question, is the now the time to start thinking about going electric or hybrid as a viable alternative to petrol and diesel?  The Nissan Leaf has shown that a family sized car for 'about town' use is feasible, if a little pricey.

There are many other concerns with the electric car, the primary perceived problem being a general lack of charging stations. It is true that charging points are sparse throughout the UK and the public are anxious that if they invest in an electric car, recharging their battery will be an obstacle. Although there are hopes for charging stations to increase, as electric car-charging firm ‘Chargemaster’ insist that by the end of 2012 there will be 4,000 points across Britain. This asserts to us that there is a future for electric cars.

Demand wil be driven by price of fuel and the strengthening movement to reduce carbon so it’s a race to market, but will other manufacturers be able to catch up with the likes of Toyota, Nissan and now Audi?

We at Norman Environmental view electric cars as the future of private transport and are excited to view Audi’s electric effort as a beacon of hope for the future. We hope to invest in an electric or hybrid vehicle for our company soon, perhaps Audi will provide the answer.

We hope you feel as passionately about the environment as we do at Norman Environmental and if you are looking at ways you can reduce your carbon footprint in your home, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Railing against price increases

The Government released the news on Monday that from 2012 rail prices will increase by 8 per cent on average, much to the chagrin of commuters everywhere and shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle.

We know as a country it is important to cut our carbon emissions to protect the environment and this is something that Norman Environmental feels very strongly about. Surely in rubber stamping these increases, the Government is discouraging the public to use communal transport by making it impossible for working citizens to keep up with these rises.  The first £10k season ticket is just around the corner.

Unfortunately, the cost of our lifestyles is constantly on the up, with food, petrol, clothing etc all contributing to high inflation. How is the government not taking into consideration that the wages we receive, pay for our working lifestyle? All the hard working rail-commuters out there are the ones who are being punished by this increase.

Rail prices will hit those who travel at peak times. This may encourage the elderly and the poor to travel at different times throughout the day, but what about those who are travelling to work? Do they have any other option but to pay these ridiculous prices?

Of course, there is another alternative on longer routes; to travel around Britain using low cost airlines - which can be cheaper than using the rail network. On top of that commuters will be guaranteed a seat, but what will this mean for our environment? A plane produces far greater carbon emissions than a train (up to 87% difference) but businesses and workers may not be able to think about this consequence as circumstances force them to cut costs. This is a serious issue that the government needs to tackle as for shorter commuter journeys people may start using their cars more, again not helping Britain meet our carbon targets.

The question is, can cuts be made elsewhere as train operators need continued investment to improve our lines? Perhaps some rural services need to be considered, although if cuts are made there, how will the rural communities feel? A clear and acceptable strategy needs to be drawn up with consultation from those that matter; the public.

If you are concerned about how your own travel and other habits effect the environment, then click here and complete our Carbon Footprint online form to see what you can do to reduce your environmental impact.

We've got the (Solar)World in our hands

There are many many solar products available on the market today and whilst we have our favourites, we are not tied to any one particular product.  We feel that by having an 'open book' policy on materials we are able to greater satisfy the specific needs, wants and idiosyncrasies of each customer and their property - providing a bespoke design for every installation.

We have recently come across the SolarWorld range of products and are very impressed by the quality, ease of installation and competitive pricing. All of which can help us keep to our mantra of providing high quality solar PV installations, at an attractive price, to maximise customer satisfaction, confidence and financial returns.

The SolarWorld rail system is particularly interesting due to it's simplicity and size.  The end and mid-brackets that hold down the solar panels to the rail are based around a round washer system that is easy to install and reduces the gaps between modules, allowing designers to potentially fit more panels per square metre.  This has the knock-on benefit of maximising the kW size of the installed system and the returns that can be gained, again fulfilling our own business targets.

SolarWorld also offer a grid system, rather than just the standard horizontal or vertical rails, on which their panels can be installed.  The grid system is designed to withstand greater wind speeds, such as those experienced at higher altitudes, providing greater rigidity and security where required.  Just just take our word for it, have a look at the short video below.



Look out for the case studies pages on our website for a write up on our first SolarWorld installation.