RV Sales See Spike Thanks To Eco-Thinking

One of the first things people think of when they imagine a green RV is solar panels. Solar panels are becoming more common on both RVs and homes. Technology harnessing the earth’s energy is nothing new, but making it affordable is. Solar panels have seen relatively low sales in comparison to the interest in them because of cost.

While the expense of solar panels has been their biggest deterrent, solar panels are finally growing up. The reason behind the cost of solar panels is the ingredients. Platinum is not a cheap product to use and until now, no better substitute could be found. However, UQUAM has been working on it. Their new technology might see a lot more solar panels flying off the shelf.

Traditional solar panels are made with platinum, which is a costly material. This is one reason, even with increased demand that prices haven’t dropped significantly since solar panels were introduced. The other issue, reports Ben Coxworth in his article Breakthrough in Low Cost Efficient Solar Cells, is problems with passage of light through the dark coating.

UQAM’s new design eliminates platinum and substitutes cobalt sulphide, creating a more cost efficient panel. The dark electrolytes that did not allow light to pass efficiently have also been replaced with a new liquid/gel that is see-through and breaks down less easily.

The solar panels aren’t available to consumers, yet. Being able to offer eco-friendly accessories for RVs is only going to increase RV sales. While lightweight trailers and pop-ups have been appealing to the younger, greener generation, so are ways to maintain an environmentally friendly trailer.

Other technologies that have become almost standard in RVs are LED lights. Because they consume less energy than traditional light bulbs, they reduce cost of running them as well as being a little gentler on the earth. LED bulbs are available in various sizes with fixtures designed for RV enthusiasts.

While still relegated to the ‘hippy-style’ of travel, biodiesel technologies have made it fairly simple to change over an existing diesel engine so it can run on vegetable oil. The benefit of this is RV enthusiasts can test out some great restaurants while they fill up their tank of gas.  Kits are available that show RV owners how to convert their engines. The cost of the conversion kit is quickly paid back through gas savings and with the rising cost of gasoline, this is a great alternative for those on the road for long periods of time. “You’ll still have to keep a wee bit of regular diesel in the car (your ride needs it to start up and flush out at the beginning and end of each drive), but once your hooked up, you simply flip a switch and your on your way to a cleaner, freer future,” reports Treehugger.com

RV sales are benefiting from helping the earth. The more they green their practices, the wider possible consumer base they have access to.

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