Last year, close to 40,000 units a month were installed on average across the country; this year installations have surged to 55,000 a month, according to Ruhul Quddus, head of the Rural Services Foundation, a Bangladeshi charity. His charity is installing 11,000 solar power systems a month, up from 8,000 a month last year, he said.
Altogether, 30 percent more homes are using solar power in Bangladesh than a year ago – a change driven by a rise in purchasing capacity and falling prices.
“Rural people now want to improve their quality of life,” including by trading kerosene lamps for solar and using the latest electrical appliances, said Abser Kamal, chief executive office of Grameen Shakti, a pioneering organisation in renewable energy in Bangladesh.
Per capita income has been rising in Bangladesh in recent years as the country’s growth rate has improved. During the last fiscal year, per capita hit income hit $848 a year, up from $676 three years ago, according to government figures. The country’s growth rate during the last fiscal year was 6.32 percent, and this year the government is targeting growth of 7.2 percent.
Installing solar power in their homes helps families with a variety of tasks, Kamal said.
“By using a solar home system they now can work long hours, can keep shops open a longer time, their children’s can study for a longer period, and they also can watch television and recharge their cell phone handsets,” he said.
Kamal’s organisation is responsible for installing about 60 percent of the new solar units being sold in Bangladesh, or about 25,000 a month. By October, the organization hopes to have installed a million units across the country.
Raihan Alam, a rickshaw puller in Nischintapur village in Bangladesh’s southeastern Chandpur district, in April bought a solar home system (SHS) to light his house, paying 20,000 taka (about $250). The money came from earnings from land he inherited from his father and from savings.
“Our village has grid electricity but the government stopped providing new household connections for a long time. So I had no option but to buy a SHS to light my house,” said Alam, the father of two children who attend school.
Before buying the solar system, “my daughters were less interested in studying long into the night by the blunt light of a kerosene lamp and they went to sleep early. Now they are happy to continue studying longer than usual with the sharp light of SHS,” he said.
He said he now also hoped to buy a television set for entertainment in his house.
Alam’s brother Amirul Islam is also saving to buy a solar energy system for his house as his family members are also eager to get better-quality lighting.
Since 2003 the World Bank has provided more than $300 million to support the solar home system program of the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), a state-run organization that promotes renewable energy under the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development (RERED) project.
At present, renewable energy sources contribute only 55 megawatts of energy to the country’s energy production. But the government aims to increase that to 500 megawatts by 2015 as part of its social commitment to provide electricity to all by 2020.
World Bank funding has helped make the solar energy systems more attractive to families but cutting their cost by about $28 and supporting payment in installments for up to three years.
Rural households can now buy the systems from non-governmental organizations for a 10 to 15 percent down payment, with the remaining payments made in monthly installments over two or three years. The average price of a 50 watt-peak solar home system is about Tk 25,000 ($312).
“With a 50 watt-peak capacity of SHS, one can light four lamps, one television set, and charge cell phone handsets,” said Ruhul Quddus of Rural Services Foundation, one of the installers of systems.
2012年7月30日 星期一
2012年7月25日 星期三
Hazardous holes
“It’s an issue of negligence,” said Ashok Bhattacharjee, director of the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC). “There is no system of checking or monitoring of uncovered drains. The people who are constructing them should also be responsible for managing them later.”
UTTIPEC, an organization operating under the Delhi Development Authority with members from all the key transport and planning departments, has produced both street and pedestrian guidelines in the past couple of years to try to make Delhi’s pavements safer. The problem, says Bhattacharjee, has been the mentality that the roads are primarily for vehicles, putting pedestrians in second place.
“Pavements have always been neglected,” he said. “They need to be retrofitted using our guidelines. Once you start talking about street design there are so many things involved. It’s not just open drains but street lighting and women’s safety also.”
The lack of adequate street lighting in many areas of Delhi seems to exacerbate the dangers of walking on the roads. On 26 June, Sardool Singh, a 72-year-old man from Rajouri Garden in west Delhi, was killed after he fell into a three-feet-deep drain near his home. According to news reports, Singh didn’t notice the open pit in the middle of the footpath as the light was fading.
And the dangers posed by open drains in Delhi are not just physical. Aidan Cronin, a specialist at UNICEF’s water, sanitation and health department, says that open drains in the city are also a serious health hazard, especially during the monsoon, when high water levels make drowning more likely and spread diseases more quickly. “Open drains are dangerous as they can act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, but also they are a safe haven for rats and all sorts of vermin so they can be a real public health danger,” Cronin said via email.
In a city that has suffered from a severe water shortage in the last few months, illegal borewells (dug without government permission by residents who often have no other access to water) are another serious hazard, judging by the number of accidents that have occurred in or near them in recent months.
And the problem is not limited to the capital. On 9 July, another four-year-old was rescued after falling into a borewell in a Maharashtra village near Aurangabad. In Bhubaneswar, in 2008, 32-year-old doctor Surya Narayan Gochhayat fell to his death down a 15-ft-deep drain onto iron construction rods.
In some states, efforts have been made to reduce the dangers of open drains and borewells. In 2003, responding to yet another child death, the Tamil Nadu government passed the Ground Water (Development and Management) Act, making it mandatory to get permission from the state government before sinking a borewell and for local authorities to monitor the work and to ensure that abandoned or unfinished borewells were immediately covered.
It also reduced the diameter of such wells, concluding that there was no need to dig a pit more than six inches wide to access water. That makes it difficult for anyone, even a child, to fall into a borewell.
Praveen Kumar, the Gurgaon administrator of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), didn’t seem impressed by this fact. “In the case of Mahi, I measured that borewell myself. It was just 8 inches in diameter. The reason for her choking to death very quickly was the narrowness of the hole,” he said.
In the National Capital Region, civic groups and local residential bodies have protested the alarming frequency with which accidents continue to happen. Bhawani Tripathy, president of Mission Gurgaon Development, a civic organization formed by residents of Gurgaon to promote governance and development issues, said the city government needs to be “more sensitive towards life in general”.
UTTIPEC, an organization operating under the Delhi Development Authority with members from all the key transport and planning departments, has produced both street and pedestrian guidelines in the past couple of years to try to make Delhi’s pavements safer. The problem, says Bhattacharjee, has been the mentality that the roads are primarily for vehicles, putting pedestrians in second place.
“Pavements have always been neglected,” he said. “They need to be retrofitted using our guidelines. Once you start talking about street design there are so many things involved. It’s not just open drains but street lighting and women’s safety also.”
The lack of adequate street lighting in many areas of Delhi seems to exacerbate the dangers of walking on the roads. On 26 June, Sardool Singh, a 72-year-old man from Rajouri Garden in west Delhi, was killed after he fell into a three-feet-deep drain near his home. According to news reports, Singh didn’t notice the open pit in the middle of the footpath as the light was fading.
And the dangers posed by open drains in Delhi are not just physical. Aidan Cronin, a specialist at UNICEF’s water, sanitation and health department, says that open drains in the city are also a serious health hazard, especially during the monsoon, when high water levels make drowning more likely and spread diseases more quickly. “Open drains are dangerous as they can act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, but also they are a safe haven for rats and all sorts of vermin so they can be a real public health danger,” Cronin said via email.
In a city that has suffered from a severe water shortage in the last few months, illegal borewells (dug without government permission by residents who often have no other access to water) are another serious hazard, judging by the number of accidents that have occurred in or near them in recent months.
And the problem is not limited to the capital. On 9 July, another four-year-old was rescued after falling into a borewell in a Maharashtra village near Aurangabad. In Bhubaneswar, in 2008, 32-year-old doctor Surya Narayan Gochhayat fell to his death down a 15-ft-deep drain onto iron construction rods.
In some states, efforts have been made to reduce the dangers of open drains and borewells. In 2003, responding to yet another child death, the Tamil Nadu government passed the Ground Water (Development and Management) Act, making it mandatory to get permission from the state government before sinking a borewell and for local authorities to monitor the work and to ensure that abandoned or unfinished borewells were immediately covered.
It also reduced the diameter of such wells, concluding that there was no need to dig a pit more than six inches wide to access water. That makes it difficult for anyone, even a child, to fall into a borewell.
Praveen Kumar, the Gurgaon administrator of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), didn’t seem impressed by this fact. “In the case of Mahi, I measured that borewell myself. It was just 8 inches in diameter. The reason for her choking to death very quickly was the narrowness of the hole,” he said.
In the National Capital Region, civic groups and local residential bodies have protested the alarming frequency with which accidents continue to happen. Bhawani Tripathy, president of Mission Gurgaon Development, a civic organization formed by residents of Gurgaon to promote governance and development issues, said the city government needs to be “more sensitive towards life in general”.
2012年7月22日 星期日
2013 BMW 750i
First drives of the 2013 BMW 7 Series are starting to appear online. At the international press launch in St. Petersburg, Russia, the folks over at InsideLine jumped behind the wheel of the 750i facelifted model.
The new 2013 7 Series arrives in US BMW center showrooms in late summer 2012, except for the ActiveHybrid 7 which arrives in early fall. The short wheelbase 750i starts at $87,195, while the long wheelbase sells for $90,895.
The 2013 BMW 750i/Li also receive upgrades to their powertrain that enhance performance while improving efficiency. The 4.4-liter TwinPower Turbo V8 has been updated with Valvetronic, BMW’s throttle-less intake system. It works in concert with High-Precision Direct Injection and twin turbochargers, nestled on top of the engine, to deliver 445 horsepower, a 45 hp increase over its predecessor, and 480 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 30 lb-ft. This newly updated engine is mated to BMW’s 8-speed Steptronic automatic. Together, this combination yields even greater performance with a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds (preliminary), while consuming significantly less fuel. US EPA mileage estimates are not yet available. However, in the EU test cycle, fuel consumption was reduced by an impressive 25 percent.
At first glance the “new” car looks disappointingly like a mild face-lift, some stretching of skin and tucking of folds transforming the 7 into nothing more than a tweaked version of its old self.
A more detailed look at the nose reveals that the face has undergone the biggest changes. The LED lights are indeed sharper and more dynamic, and you can even specify a system that takes the glare out of driving. Leave the lamps on full beam and the individual bulb unit can swivel to its heart’s content, dipping and turning for oncoming traffic and those ponderously holding you up in front. You’ll never have to reach for the high-beam stalk again. The new lights, of course, retain the signature corona rings as before, so you know it’s a BMW tailgating you on the highway in the dark.
The twin-kidney grille, another iconic marker of the brand remains, but even that has been updated. Before each side had 12 slats, but now there are only nine. And below the grilles the once rectangular air intake gains some larger outer sections, lowering the look of the nose and strengthening the visuals. There’s also a chrome strip along the trunk lid and turn signals integrated into the wing mirrors. The latter used to reside in a metal strip between the front quarter panel and door, but now there’s just a vacant filament of aluminum to remind you of the loss.
It’s what’s underneath the skin that really matters, though, and if you peel away the top layer you’ll find the most interesting advances for the 2013 BMW 750i. BMW claims it has never made so many changes underneath the metal of one of its cars during a midlife update.
The chassis now benefits from new dampers and bushings, and the standard air suspension now features a self-leveling system across the rear axle. The result is a car that should corner flatter than before, and provide its occupants with a more comfortable ride — though the state of the test route roads didn’t help with matters of true assessment. We can say with certainty, however, that the heavy electric power steering requires more off-center effort than it should. Certainly anyone looking to maneuver their 7 with only two fingers will be sorely disappointed.
The new 2013 7 Series arrives in US BMW center showrooms in late summer 2012, except for the ActiveHybrid 7 which arrives in early fall. The short wheelbase 750i starts at $87,195, while the long wheelbase sells for $90,895.
The 2013 BMW 750i/Li also receive upgrades to their powertrain that enhance performance while improving efficiency. The 4.4-liter TwinPower Turbo V8 has been updated with Valvetronic, BMW’s throttle-less intake system. It works in concert with High-Precision Direct Injection and twin turbochargers, nestled on top of the engine, to deliver 445 horsepower, a 45 hp increase over its predecessor, and 480 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 30 lb-ft. This newly updated engine is mated to BMW’s 8-speed Steptronic automatic. Together, this combination yields even greater performance with a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds (preliminary), while consuming significantly less fuel. US EPA mileage estimates are not yet available. However, in the EU test cycle, fuel consumption was reduced by an impressive 25 percent.
At first glance the “new” car looks disappointingly like a mild face-lift, some stretching of skin and tucking of folds transforming the 7 into nothing more than a tweaked version of its old self.
A more detailed look at the nose reveals that the face has undergone the biggest changes. The LED lights are indeed sharper and more dynamic, and you can even specify a system that takes the glare out of driving. Leave the lamps on full beam and the individual bulb unit can swivel to its heart’s content, dipping and turning for oncoming traffic and those ponderously holding you up in front. You’ll never have to reach for the high-beam stalk again. The new lights, of course, retain the signature corona rings as before, so you know it’s a BMW tailgating you on the highway in the dark.
The twin-kidney grille, another iconic marker of the brand remains, but even that has been updated. Before each side had 12 slats, but now there are only nine. And below the grilles the once rectangular air intake gains some larger outer sections, lowering the look of the nose and strengthening the visuals. There’s also a chrome strip along the trunk lid and turn signals integrated into the wing mirrors. The latter used to reside in a metal strip between the front quarter panel and door, but now there’s just a vacant filament of aluminum to remind you of the loss.
It’s what’s underneath the skin that really matters, though, and if you peel away the top layer you’ll find the most interesting advances for the 2013 BMW 750i. BMW claims it has never made so many changes underneath the metal of one of its cars during a midlife update.
The chassis now benefits from new dampers and bushings, and the standard air suspension now features a self-leveling system across the rear axle. The result is a car that should corner flatter than before, and provide its occupants with a more comfortable ride — though the state of the test route roads didn’t help with matters of true assessment. We can say with certainty, however, that the heavy electric power steering requires more off-center effort than it should. Certainly anyone looking to maneuver their 7 with only two fingers will be sorely disappointed.
2012年7月18日 星期三
An old idea gets a solar spin
A Greenback-based designer and inventor is putting a new spin on an old idea to create a low-cost, high-efficiency solar heating solution that he wants to manufacture in East Tennessee.
Matthew Davis, a 1995 industrial design graduate of Purdue University, has developed the Solar Boiler Electrical Generator and Heat Machine, which converts solar energy to usable steam for heating, cooling and power generation.
Davis has entered his idea into the NASA Tech Brief's Create the Future Design Contest.
At the heart of Davis' system is a century-old idea - first developed by electrical pioneer Nikola Tesla - based on a highly efficient steam-driven turbine. The spinning turbine is used to drive a generator to produce electricity.
Davis has also designed a unique parabolic trough mirror that focuses the sunlight on a "receiver" that heats the water and makes steam to drive the turbine. The mirror is made of cast concrete covered in an acrylic reflective material.
"Concrete is easy to work with and the weight helps stabilize the mirror," he said.
Competing photovoltaic technology, which turns sunlight directly into electricity, can achieve only about 15 percent efficiency, he said. Most photovoltaic systems are also limited by a life span of about a decade.
Ultimately, Davis said his system might achieve more than 100 percent efficiency if it is able to produce excess energy that could be returned to the grid and purchased by the power company.
On the other hand, such comparisons may not be exact even if Davis' idea works perfectly. Stefan Partin, business manager of the Tennessee Solar Energy Association, said most comparisons with photovoltaic technology are based on the current state of the art and don't take into account ongoing research. Some new photovoltaic technologies, he said, may offer potential efficiencies of 40 percent or more.
At its most basic level, Davis' idea converts sunlight to steam heat, which can be used for heating a house floor or heating water for household use. He said 70 percent of the average household's energy bill is spent on heating and hot water.
By focusing sunlight on a linear boiler, making steam and putting that steam through an efficient steam turbine connected to a permanent magnet alternator and a condensing thermal storage tank, it is possible to make heat, hot water and electricity at higher efficiencies and lower cost than using a photovoltaic system, Davis said.
"This solar system would cost about 25 percent of what a photovoltaic system might cost," he said.
Currently there are no solar-focusing steam electrical generation systems on the market designed for household heating, cooling and electrification, Davis said.
The solar system is made from common materials and can be built by almost anyone from power consumers in postindustrial economies to off-grid Third World consumers, Davis said.
The market for this kind of solar system includes anyone who desires to have a stable energy and heat source who can't afford a complete photovoltaic system, he said.
Davis intends to make this design available with an open license so that anyone can build a system. He plans to manufacture his highly efficient turbine here in Tennessee and to make it available on the open market.
Matthew Davis, a 1995 industrial design graduate of Purdue University, has developed the Solar Boiler Electrical Generator and Heat Machine, which converts solar energy to usable steam for heating, cooling and power generation.
Davis has entered his idea into the NASA Tech Brief's Create the Future Design Contest.
At the heart of Davis' system is a century-old idea - first developed by electrical pioneer Nikola Tesla - based on a highly efficient steam-driven turbine. The spinning turbine is used to drive a generator to produce electricity.
Davis has also designed a unique parabolic trough mirror that focuses the sunlight on a "receiver" that heats the water and makes steam to drive the turbine. The mirror is made of cast concrete covered in an acrylic reflective material.
"Concrete is easy to work with and the weight helps stabilize the mirror," he said.
Competing photovoltaic technology, which turns sunlight directly into electricity, can achieve only about 15 percent efficiency, he said. Most photovoltaic systems are also limited by a life span of about a decade.
Ultimately, Davis said his system might achieve more than 100 percent efficiency if it is able to produce excess energy that could be returned to the grid and purchased by the power company.
On the other hand, such comparisons may not be exact even if Davis' idea works perfectly. Stefan Partin, business manager of the Tennessee Solar Energy Association, said most comparisons with photovoltaic technology are based on the current state of the art and don't take into account ongoing research. Some new photovoltaic technologies, he said, may offer potential efficiencies of 40 percent or more.
At its most basic level, Davis' idea converts sunlight to steam heat, which can be used for heating a house floor or heating water for household use. He said 70 percent of the average household's energy bill is spent on heating and hot water.
By focusing sunlight on a linear boiler, making steam and putting that steam through an efficient steam turbine connected to a permanent magnet alternator and a condensing thermal storage tank, it is possible to make heat, hot water and electricity at higher efficiencies and lower cost than using a photovoltaic system, Davis said.
"This solar system would cost about 25 percent of what a photovoltaic system might cost," he said.
Currently there are no solar-focusing steam electrical generation systems on the market designed for household heating, cooling and electrification, Davis said.
The solar system is made from common materials and can be built by almost anyone from power consumers in postindustrial economies to off-grid Third World consumers, Davis said.
The market for this kind of solar system includes anyone who desires to have a stable energy and heat source who can't afford a complete photovoltaic system, he said.
Davis intends to make this design available with an open license so that anyone can build a system. He plans to manufacture his highly efficient turbine here in Tennessee and to make it available on the open market.
2012年7月15日 星期日
Memoir describes growing up next to Rocky Flats
When Bill and Stan arrive on the east side of the plutonium processing building, it looks quiet and clean, at least outside. There's a loading dock with doors on each side, and a set of double doors that leads into an interior hallway. The men pull on their masks and strap on their air tanks.
They open the door, move into the hallway, and enter the main production area.
"Holy cow." Stan stops in his tracks. Usually as bright as a supermarket, the room is nearly pitch black. A few emergency lights glow dully. The only noise comes from the fans, feeding a fire he can feel more than see.
"I can't even see my hand in front of my face," he mutters.
Smoke rolls toward them in waves. Bill sees the orange glow and moves closer. It looks like the flames are shooting up over the glove boxes, where plutonium pits are made. One, two, three glove boxes — no, all of them. He knows the look of this kind of fire. It reminds him of forest fires he's seen in films — high, fast-moving flames — but the color is different. It's the distinct, unearthly brilliance of burning metal.
"What is that?" Stan yells.
"Plutonium. Probably the magnesium carriers, too."
The heat is intense. Stan feels it through his mask. "It's not just plutonium," he yells. "It's the plastic. The shielding. It's the Benelex around these glove boxes."
"Benelex doesn't burn."
"It's burning! Why is it burning?"
"The Plexiglas, too," Bill shouts. "The Plexiglas is on fire." Burning globes crash from the ceiling. It's hard to tell whether they're just light fixtures or pendants, the baskets that carry plutonium nuggets down the production line.
"Come on," Stan says. Time is short. He knows this building. Both men have walked it hundreds of times, upstairs and down. The two buildings are connected. The 776 side has two floors; 777 has one. Protecting the roof of 777 is crucial. The plenums — the filters — stretch across the entire roof area. If the fire burns through the plenums and the 777 roof, massive amounts of plutonium — as well as other contaminants and radioactive material — will spread over the Denver area and beyond.
Stan opens a cabinet and finds a stack of hard hats. He hands one to Bill and straps one on himself. The men inch into the room until they find the buckets of sand set in corners for extinguishing small fires. They move toward the edge of the fire and throw sand on the flames. It's like throwing grains of rice in the face of an oncoming locomotive. The fire continues to grow.
Bill grabs a CO2 canister and hands another to Stan. They fire them into the glove boxes. It has little effect. They empty another canister. The air in the room is unbearably hot and the men are breathing heavily — already they're almost out of air. The fire gallops through the line.
"We'll take turns going forward," Bill says. "I spray you, then you spray me. We need to keep each other cooled down."
"Let's head toward the center," Stan says. "Get under the center beams and see how the plenum looks."
"Okay." Bill turns his hose on Stan, and Stan moves forward into the smoke, trying to follow the emergency lighting on the floor.
They open the door, move into the hallway, and enter the main production area.
"Holy cow." Stan stops in his tracks. Usually as bright as a supermarket, the room is nearly pitch black. A few emergency lights glow dully. The only noise comes from the fans, feeding a fire he can feel more than see.
"I can't even see my hand in front of my face," he mutters.
Smoke rolls toward them in waves. Bill sees the orange glow and moves closer. It looks like the flames are shooting up over the glove boxes, where plutonium pits are made. One, two, three glove boxes — no, all of them. He knows the look of this kind of fire. It reminds him of forest fires he's seen in films — high, fast-moving flames — but the color is different. It's the distinct, unearthly brilliance of burning metal.
"What is that?" Stan yells.
"Plutonium. Probably the magnesium carriers, too."
The heat is intense. Stan feels it through his mask. "It's not just plutonium," he yells. "It's the plastic. The shielding. It's the Benelex around these glove boxes."
"Benelex doesn't burn."
"It's burning! Why is it burning?"
"The Plexiglas, too," Bill shouts. "The Plexiglas is on fire." Burning globes crash from the ceiling. It's hard to tell whether they're just light fixtures or pendants, the baskets that carry plutonium nuggets down the production line.
"Come on," Stan says. Time is short. He knows this building. Both men have walked it hundreds of times, upstairs and down. The two buildings are connected. The 776 side has two floors; 777 has one. Protecting the roof of 777 is crucial. The plenums — the filters — stretch across the entire roof area. If the fire burns through the plenums and the 777 roof, massive amounts of plutonium — as well as other contaminants and radioactive material — will spread over the Denver area and beyond.
Stan opens a cabinet and finds a stack of hard hats. He hands one to Bill and straps one on himself. The men inch into the room until they find the buckets of sand set in corners for extinguishing small fires. They move toward the edge of the fire and throw sand on the flames. It's like throwing grains of rice in the face of an oncoming locomotive. The fire continues to grow.
Bill grabs a CO2 canister and hands another to Stan. They fire them into the glove boxes. It has little effect. They empty another canister. The air in the room is unbearably hot and the men are breathing heavily — already they're almost out of air. The fire gallops through the line.
"We'll take turns going forward," Bill says. "I spray you, then you spray me. We need to keep each other cooled down."
"Let's head toward the center," Stan says. "Get under the center beams and see how the plenum looks."
"Okay." Bill turns his hose on Stan, and Stan moves forward into the smoke, trying to follow the emergency lighting on the floor.
2012年7月10日 星期二
Staples Readies for Back-to-School Season
Another Staples strategy is a “strong commitment to be in stock” on merchandise, he added, compared with what he called the policies “of some of our competitors” to sell supplies at sale prices for only a short time and then not restock them.
Looking at back-to-school as “a long season,” as Mr. Parneros put it, rather than a short-term opportunity is at the heart of the Staples plans.
For instance, the retailer is bringing back its Back to School Savings Pass, which costs $10 and offers shoppers 15 percent off the prices of many kinds of merchandise through mid-September.
It makes sense because “most customers buy multiple times,” Mr. Parneros said.
That is underlined in a new commercial that promotes the pass. The spot features the 1980s song “Just Can’t Get Enough” and seeks to demonstrate that shopping for back-to-school is no flash in the pan.
The commercial shows the beating that students give supplies like notebooks, pencils, pens and backpacks as time goes by. Notebooks get wet. Pencils are sharpened down to almost nothing. Paper gets made into airplanes instead of being used to do homework.
And a boy playfully puts two pencils up his nostrils as the girl sitting next to him in class blanches.
“It’s guaranteed they’ll go through a lot” of supplies, an announcer says. “That’s why you get guaranteed savings on back-to-school at Staples.”
Staples plans to advertise about as much as it did last year, Mr. Parneros said, with a slight shift in media toward newer areas like online and social.
Another Staples strategy will be what Mr. Parneros describes as the “endless aisle,” in the form of touchscreens in departments that stock products like printers and computers where customers can look up items that are not on display.
Staples, which is based in Framingham, Mass., is also counting a lot on technology to draw in customers for back-to-school 2012.
Beginning this weekend, Mr. Parneros said, stores should start to get supplies of the new Nexus 7 tablet from Google.
“This is getting a lot of activity” already in pre-orders, he said, adding that Staples will sell an eight-gigabyte version for $199 and a 12-gigabyte version for $249.
There is also a promotion centered on the arrival in the fall of the Windows 8 operating system from Microsoft, he added, with a likely introduction at the end of October.
Mr. Parneros spoke with reporters at a Staples store that opened in the spring at Fifth Avenue and 39th Street in Manhattan, where passers-by are greeted with a large, revolving version of the Staples “easy” button in a window.
He gave the reporters a tour of the store, showing them various school supplies that are on sale this week, a Nexus 7 tablet and a novelty item called a locker chandelier – a tiny plastic version of a crystal chandelier with LED lights.
The ad agency that created the new Staples commercial is McCann Erickson New York, part of the McCann Erickson Worldwide division of the McCann Worldgroup, which is owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies.
Looking at back-to-school as “a long season,” as Mr. Parneros put it, rather than a short-term opportunity is at the heart of the Staples plans.
For instance, the retailer is bringing back its Back to School Savings Pass, which costs $10 and offers shoppers 15 percent off the prices of many kinds of merchandise through mid-September.
It makes sense because “most customers buy multiple times,” Mr. Parneros said.
That is underlined in a new commercial that promotes the pass. The spot features the 1980s song “Just Can’t Get Enough” and seeks to demonstrate that shopping for back-to-school is no flash in the pan.
The commercial shows the beating that students give supplies like notebooks, pencils, pens and backpacks as time goes by. Notebooks get wet. Pencils are sharpened down to almost nothing. Paper gets made into airplanes instead of being used to do homework.
And a boy playfully puts two pencils up his nostrils as the girl sitting next to him in class blanches.
“It’s guaranteed they’ll go through a lot” of supplies, an announcer says. “That’s why you get guaranteed savings on back-to-school at Staples.”
Staples plans to advertise about as much as it did last year, Mr. Parneros said, with a slight shift in media toward newer areas like online and social.
Another Staples strategy will be what Mr. Parneros describes as the “endless aisle,” in the form of touchscreens in departments that stock products like printers and computers where customers can look up items that are not on display.
Staples, which is based in Framingham, Mass., is also counting a lot on technology to draw in customers for back-to-school 2012.
Beginning this weekend, Mr. Parneros said, stores should start to get supplies of the new Nexus 7 tablet from Google.
“This is getting a lot of activity” already in pre-orders, he said, adding that Staples will sell an eight-gigabyte version for $199 and a 12-gigabyte version for $249.
There is also a promotion centered on the arrival in the fall of the Windows 8 operating system from Microsoft, he added, with a likely introduction at the end of October.
Mr. Parneros spoke with reporters at a Staples store that opened in the spring at Fifth Avenue and 39th Street in Manhattan, where passers-by are greeted with a large, revolving version of the Staples “easy” button in a window.
He gave the reporters a tour of the store, showing them various school supplies that are on sale this week, a Nexus 7 tablet and a novelty item called a locker chandelier – a tiny plastic version of a crystal chandelier with LED lights.
The ad agency that created the new Staples commercial is McCann Erickson New York, part of the McCann Erickson Worldwide division of the McCann Worldgroup, which is owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies.
2012年7月8日 星期日
Future of rural economies linked to smarter energy solutions
Now that the closure of the Bowater Mersey Paper Co. Ltd. mill is threatening to reduce the value of woodland in western Nova Scotia to dirt and the forestry sector has been beaten to a pulp, it’s time to take a hard look at rural economics.
In particular, we need to pay attention to the connection between land management, economic development and alternative energy production.
The fracas over wind turbines in Kings County is a microcosm of all three issues. It shows how interlinked energy and economics are in rural communities.
But as necessary as they may be, endless debates about the pros and cons of wind energy can distract from the real underlying issue for rural communities, which isn’t about feeding the monolithic electricity system, but how to establish credible and sustainable alternatives to it.
It’s time for the public debate to move beyond which fuels are the best alternative to coal. It’s time to start asking which energy production models are environmentally acceptable and most capable of creating sustainable rural economies which, with the exception of solar power, is where most renewable-energy production will occur.
We also need to look to rural communities to generate their own solutions.
Wind turbines are only on the horizon because government policy has made them attractive to developers, landowners and most municipalities. But there are other ways — equally as good or better — to wean ourselves off fossil fuels and generate new economic opportunities.
Take the enlightened example of Universite Sainte-Anne in Church Point. Its architecturally appealing roofline is punctuated by solar panels and its biomass furnace burns sustainably sourced, locally supplied fuel. This includes wood salvaged from demolished homes, which is ground down by Spec Resources Inc., an enterprising company in Digby County.
This kind of local ingenuity, arising naturally within regional economic ecosystems, points a way forward for rural communities that want to chart their own future, freed from the heavy hand of government and the prevailing market winds.
There are many more examples of schools, hospitals, greenhouses, institutions and industry that already are, or could be, drawing heat from burning sustainably sourced waste. To support this kind of innovation, the environmental and energy policies of the provincial government need to be firmly linked to grassroots economic development.
Right now, however, these policies are primarily geared towards attracting foreign capital to invest in new energy projects and to subsidizing community-owned wind projects to supply the grid.
Like our forests, which for decades have been devalued and cut over to feed the global demand for pulp, our electricity system is also feeding a tired old capitalist model of energy production, in which the fat cats at the top lick off the cream. The rest of us pay unnecessarily high power rates to keep this antiquated, inefficient, highly regulated, profit-driven system ticking over.
A brighter future for rural Nova Scotia may require us to turn the lights off on this monopoly and support alternative energy solutions generated in the community, for the community, by the community.
In particular, we need to pay attention to the connection between land management, economic development and alternative energy production.
The fracas over wind turbines in Kings County is a microcosm of all three issues. It shows how interlinked energy and economics are in rural communities.
But as necessary as they may be, endless debates about the pros and cons of wind energy can distract from the real underlying issue for rural communities, which isn’t about feeding the monolithic electricity system, but how to establish credible and sustainable alternatives to it.
It’s time for the public debate to move beyond which fuels are the best alternative to coal. It’s time to start asking which energy production models are environmentally acceptable and most capable of creating sustainable rural economies which, with the exception of solar power, is where most renewable-energy production will occur.
We also need to look to rural communities to generate their own solutions.
Wind turbines are only on the horizon because government policy has made them attractive to developers, landowners and most municipalities. But there are other ways — equally as good or better — to wean ourselves off fossil fuels and generate new economic opportunities.
Take the enlightened example of Universite Sainte-Anne in Church Point. Its architecturally appealing roofline is punctuated by solar panels and its biomass furnace burns sustainably sourced, locally supplied fuel. This includes wood salvaged from demolished homes, which is ground down by Spec Resources Inc., an enterprising company in Digby County.
This kind of local ingenuity, arising naturally within regional economic ecosystems, points a way forward for rural communities that want to chart their own future, freed from the heavy hand of government and the prevailing market winds.
There are many more examples of schools, hospitals, greenhouses, institutions and industry that already are, or could be, drawing heat from burning sustainably sourced waste. To support this kind of innovation, the environmental and energy policies of the provincial government need to be firmly linked to grassroots economic development.
Right now, however, these policies are primarily geared towards attracting foreign capital to invest in new energy projects and to subsidizing community-owned wind projects to supply the grid.
Like our forests, which for decades have been devalued and cut over to feed the global demand for pulp, our electricity system is also feeding a tired old capitalist model of energy production, in which the fat cats at the top lick off the cream. The rest of us pay unnecessarily high power rates to keep this antiquated, inefficient, highly regulated, profit-driven system ticking over.
A brighter future for rural Nova Scotia may require us to turn the lights off on this monopoly and support alternative energy solutions generated in the community, for the community, by the community.
2012年7月4日 星期三
Greek solar energy: Conergy power plant for logistics company N. Kornilakis MEPE
For the second time within just a few weeks, Conergy in Greece is announcing the grid connection of a further solar power plant. The investor is the Greek company N. Kornilakis MEPE based in Magoula Attikis, a suburb of Athens. Conergy has been responsible for the entire planning, engineering and design of the rooftop installation as well as for the supply of nearly 13,000 thin-film modules.
It took the solar experts just two months to complete the plant, which will now be feeding around 1.4 million kilowatt hours of Greek solar power into the grid every year from modules installed on a warehouse roof area of some 68,000 square metres. That is sufficient to supply around 360 households with clean electricity. At the same time, the power plant on top of the warehouse will prevent over 1,000 tonnes of CO2 being emitted every year.
“Despite the continuing tense economic situation in Greece, we are well positioned to continue doing good business here,” said Managing Director of Conergy Greece Dr Stefanos Melissopoulos. “Only a few weeks ago we announced the plant for the largest Greek tomato producer and now this one for N. Kornilakis MEPE. This illustrates that investors are looking for safe investments more than ever before – and that is what we deliver with our high-quality products and services, covering everything from planning to implementation. That continues to pay off in Greece as well.”
“Conergy has extensive proven expertise in the solar industry and offers outstanding quality with regard to both their product portfolio and their services,” said Nikos Kornilakis, owner of the logistics company N. Kornilakis MEPE. “A Conergy plant is virtually a guarantee for the best possible yields for us as a company. At the same time, it represents an investment that our country urgently needs in the current situation to support and further the economy and sustainability.”
The company has today shown off an example of a solar panel integrated into metal roofing.
The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson says the government's 2-point-3 million dollar grant under the Emerging Renewables program is money well invested.
He says the technology will help solar electricity become cost effective without government subsidies.
"The price on carbon plus a renewable energy target of 20 per cent, plus the cost of manufacturing the installation of solar PV (photovoltaic) has actually been reduced significantly over the last couple of years, hence it is far more competitive and you actually don't require feed in tariffs."
The general manager of sales and marketing at Bluescope Steel, Andrew Garey says the company needs new innovative products to remain competitive.
He says Bluescope is looking at developing the technology in partnership with other firms.
"We can't do it all ourselves so we have got partnerships with people around the world including universities, governments, and commercial operations overseas. So bringing that technology to Australia and combining it with our steel products to deliver something to the market".
It took the solar experts just two months to complete the plant, which will now be feeding around 1.4 million kilowatt hours of Greek solar power into the grid every year from modules installed on a warehouse roof area of some 68,000 square metres. That is sufficient to supply around 360 households with clean electricity. At the same time, the power plant on top of the warehouse will prevent over 1,000 tonnes of CO2 being emitted every year.
“Despite the continuing tense economic situation in Greece, we are well positioned to continue doing good business here,” said Managing Director of Conergy Greece Dr Stefanos Melissopoulos. “Only a few weeks ago we announced the plant for the largest Greek tomato producer and now this one for N. Kornilakis MEPE. This illustrates that investors are looking for safe investments more than ever before – and that is what we deliver with our high-quality products and services, covering everything from planning to implementation. That continues to pay off in Greece as well.”
“Conergy has extensive proven expertise in the solar industry and offers outstanding quality with regard to both their product portfolio and their services,” said Nikos Kornilakis, owner of the logistics company N. Kornilakis MEPE. “A Conergy plant is virtually a guarantee for the best possible yields for us as a company. At the same time, it represents an investment that our country urgently needs in the current situation to support and further the economy and sustainability.”
The company has today shown off an example of a solar panel integrated into metal roofing.
The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson says the government's 2-point-3 million dollar grant under the Emerging Renewables program is money well invested.
He says the technology will help solar electricity become cost effective without government subsidies.
"The price on carbon plus a renewable energy target of 20 per cent, plus the cost of manufacturing the installation of solar PV (photovoltaic) has actually been reduced significantly over the last couple of years, hence it is far more competitive and you actually don't require feed in tariffs."
The general manager of sales and marketing at Bluescope Steel, Andrew Garey says the company needs new innovative products to remain competitive.
He says Bluescope is looking at developing the technology in partnership with other firms.
"We can't do it all ourselves so we have got partnerships with people around the world including universities, governments, and commercial operations overseas. So bringing that technology to Australia and combining it with our steel products to deliver something to the market".
2012年7月2日 星期一
Watkins wants input for downtown plans
Watkins Glen business leaders met with Benjamin Syden from the Laberge Group in June to discuss the village’s comprehensive plan. The Laberge Group is currently working with the village to develop a comprehensive plan which can be used to secure grant funding and guide the future development of the village. Syden led the meeting and offered some insight into the development and other possibilities the village could envision for its future.
The discussion ranged from immediate improvements that could be made in a relatively short timeframe to long term, big picture projects that would over time enhance the economic viability and create a stable job market within the village. The small improvements included changes as simple as ensuring that curtains were placed on the upstairs windows of all downtown buildings. Syden also suggested placing a welcome sign, installing lighting and landscaping improvements, creating a single theme or branding that stayed consistent throughout the village, and organizing a core group of business leaders who could spearhead development and work towards creating a cohesive vision among all of the village’s various moving parts.
The big picture projects focused mostly on waterfront development and then connecting the existing downtown to the waterfront. Syden advised moving the wastewater treatment plant away from its current location and re-purposing the site for more tourist-friendly activities. These activities could include a waterfront restaurant, an aquarium, interactive museum, or a “Watkins Glen interpretive center,” which would serve to educate visitors about the history of the village. He also suggested that the existence of the Clute Park campground was not the most desirable use for that location. Instead Syden proposed that a mixed use commercial residential development would result in a far greater return for both the village and the area in general.
Syden asked, “what kind of memories do we want to leave people with when they come to Watkins Glen?” He envisioned a more picturesque downtown with pedestrian friendly signage that spills into a vibrant waterfront area. To get there, explained Syden, “you need leadership, commitment, and resources.” He went on to say that the area has good “bones,” but there are challenges and opportunities associated with viable economic development, like extending the tourist season. He added in conclusion that the opportunity is here, “you have an exciting and energetic village board poised to provide a platform for growth,” he continued, “the government does not create jobs, it creates the environment necessary for job creation... it is up to the business leaders and residents of the village to, step up and say ‘I want this for me’.”
'The magic of electricity' project was initiated to educate visitors on sustainably energy and from the pavilion, next the the main stadium, the public can try powering thousands of LED lights which form part of a dynamic light installation by using hand pedals or by dancing on a special dance floor.
Gareth Wynn, EDF’s director for London 2012, has said: “ We want visitors to the EDF pavilion to be entertained but also to understand a bit more about the remarkable engineering, organisation and creativity that means for so many of us electricity is always there when we need it.”
Hubert Blanquefort, director, responsible for the EDF pavilion project added; “The EDF pavilion is intended to be a real visitor attraction that will entertain, inform and inspire people. We have designed the building to be modern and sustainable and throughout the experience we have tried to make the best use of up to date, energy efficient technology.”
The discussion ranged from immediate improvements that could be made in a relatively short timeframe to long term, big picture projects that would over time enhance the economic viability and create a stable job market within the village. The small improvements included changes as simple as ensuring that curtains were placed on the upstairs windows of all downtown buildings. Syden also suggested placing a welcome sign, installing lighting and landscaping improvements, creating a single theme or branding that stayed consistent throughout the village, and organizing a core group of business leaders who could spearhead development and work towards creating a cohesive vision among all of the village’s various moving parts.
The big picture projects focused mostly on waterfront development and then connecting the existing downtown to the waterfront. Syden advised moving the wastewater treatment plant away from its current location and re-purposing the site for more tourist-friendly activities. These activities could include a waterfront restaurant, an aquarium, interactive museum, or a “Watkins Glen interpretive center,” which would serve to educate visitors about the history of the village. He also suggested that the existence of the Clute Park campground was not the most desirable use for that location. Instead Syden proposed that a mixed use commercial residential development would result in a far greater return for both the village and the area in general.
Syden asked, “what kind of memories do we want to leave people with when they come to Watkins Glen?” He envisioned a more picturesque downtown with pedestrian friendly signage that spills into a vibrant waterfront area. To get there, explained Syden, “you need leadership, commitment, and resources.” He went on to say that the area has good “bones,” but there are challenges and opportunities associated with viable economic development, like extending the tourist season. He added in conclusion that the opportunity is here, “you have an exciting and energetic village board poised to provide a platform for growth,” he continued, “the government does not create jobs, it creates the environment necessary for job creation... it is up to the business leaders and residents of the village to, step up and say ‘I want this for me’.”
'The magic of electricity' project was initiated to educate visitors on sustainably energy and from the pavilion, next the the main stadium, the public can try powering thousands of LED lights which form part of a dynamic light installation by using hand pedals or by dancing on a special dance floor.
Gareth Wynn, EDF’s director for London 2012, has said: “ We want visitors to the EDF pavilion to be entertained but also to understand a bit more about the remarkable engineering, organisation and creativity that means for so many of us electricity is always there when we need it.”
Hubert Blanquefort, director, responsible for the EDF pavilion project added; “The EDF pavilion is intended to be a real visitor attraction that will entertain, inform and inspire people. We have designed the building to be modern and sustainable and throughout the experience we have tried to make the best use of up to date, energy efficient technology.”
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