Two Durban pensioners are at their wits’ end after receiving a water
bill for more than R12 000, with the city insisting they pay up now and
claim from its water insurance later.
The bill for November, which the couple received earlier this month, records consumption that averages 6 000 litres a day.
This
is 15 times the 400 litres that Escombe residents Sue Grant, 73, and
her diabetic husband, Wilson, 78, use in their home on an average day.
And this is not the first whopping bill the couple have received from the Thekwini Municipality in the past year.
In
February, they were billed for 75 000 litres. It took the Grants nine
months to sort out the first billing snafu. Now they fear another costly
headache.
“This is ridiculous, my husband and I are on our own
in this unit. With all the rain he hasn’t even watered the garden.We
offer a type of dry cabinet that
one might need for the proper dehumidifying of components. After the
last episode I have even cut down on using the washing machine,” said
Sue.
The couple first learnt of the problem on December 28 when
they received a letter, dated December 14, from the municipality
advising them of their high consumption.
They e-mailed the city
the next day asking that an engineer investigate, but the only response
to this and later e-mails was a short note advising that the matter had
been forwarded to the “correspondence section”.
“There are no
wet patches outside or in to signify a leak. A plumber friend has
checked on a few occasions and found nothing, so what more can I do?
What can the municipality offer? Do they have a device that can show if
there is a leak? I have had absolutely no reply from them at all,” said
Sue.
The deputy head of the eThekwini water and sanitation
department, Aaron Mfunda, said last February’s problem arose because of a
meter leakage.
“This is a mechanical device that is exposed to
extreme conditions, hence there will be cases where the housing,
fittings etc will become brittle and begin to leak,LED emergency light for outdoor solar lighting and power.” he said.
“We
presume the current high consumption is as a result of a leak… The
customer needs to repair the leak and submit the claim timeously. If
this is not done (the Grants) may be ultimately liable.”
Faced with a “terrifying account”, Sue does not know what to do.An illustration showing the planets of our solar system.We makes possible ballasted flat roof racking in
Ontario just better than your imagination. “What I don’t understand is
that the (city’s) engineering department does not have the decency to
meet me and tell me what has to be done.”
Seaman Apprentice
Manuel Silva, 20, was released from custody after the case was dropped
Monday, a spokesman for Yokohama District Public Prosecutors Office in
Yokosuka said Wednesday.
The prosecutor’s office declined to discuss why the case was dropped. Protect your vehicle and produce power with a Solar carport. The decision is the second trespassing case involving a U.S. sailor that prosecutors declined to pursue this month.
Silva
was arrested after police received calls from residents of a Shiori-cho
neighborhood, near Yokosuka Naval Base, reporting that a man was
ringing doorbells at about 3 a.m. on Jan. 21.
Silva was found
hiding outside on an elderly woman’s property, next to her washing
machine and laundry rack, according to Yokosuka police. Silva registered
a 0.06 blood alcohol level, a police spokesman said.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Retailers struggle to access Chinese spending growth
Foreign retailers — including Australian companies — have failed to
crack the Chinese market, despite reports that Chinese consumers are
expected to spend 15 per cent more on everyday items each year over the
next four years, according to The Australian Financial Review.
Retailers struggling to identify growth opportunities in a challenging landscape have been unable to succeed in one of the most upbeat growth markets, with Europe's largest biggest electronics retailer,We provide excellent solar led light and LED solar garden lamp. Media Markt, announcing it was withdrawing from China and Japanese convenience store chain Lawson deciding to close its flagship store in Shanghai after only six months, the AFR reported.
The outlook for growth in Chinese consumer spending was featured in a new study by the Economist Intelligence Unit and market research firm Mintel that said prepared food products would be the fastest growing category over the next four years, predicting annual spending growing by 20 per cent.
"As in other emerging economies, Chinese consumers are shifting from commodity food to prepared food as their incomes rise and their lifestyles become more convenience-driven," the report said, according to the AFR.
The report added that spending on commodity food items will grow by 15 per cent annually, while sales of laundry detergent will be a "standout", according to the AFR. "There is a simple reason for that: Back in 2000 only one per cent of rural households had a washing machine; by 2010 this had risen to 16 per cent," the study reportedly added.
The Husband - has the best of intentions. He wants to lighten the load on the power grid. He wants to save on the electric bills. He wants to do the responsible thing. He didn't always.
Back in the day, he didn't really mind if every light in the house was on - along with the washing machine, the computer, the coffee pot, the slow cooker and the dishwasher - even when the house was occupied by four people, all of whom happened to be playing Monopoly in the same room. But then the proverbial light went on. And let's just say, he's changed.
Today, it will not be uncommon for me to leave the kitchen momentarily - to visit the bathroom or the laundry room, say - and return to find the room in darkness. "Why did you turn off the lights?" I will ask.
"No one was in the kitchen," the Light Nazi will say. "We can't leave the lights on in empty rooms." "I was gone for 45 seconds," I will point out. "I was planning to return." "Forty-five seconds is 45 seconds," he will reply.
Whenever I leave any room in the house,This is how a skystream captures energy from the wind. in fact,Perfect pendant lamp is critical to creating a modern home. the Light Nazi will tend to be at my heels, flipping off the switch. Sure, the power grid's smiling. But I'm not - especially when I'm attempting to navigate a staircase in the dark. Eventually, of course, the Light Nazi will tend to give in, but only after I'm forced to explain that flashlights won't do the trick and that candles would be a tad dangerous.Our most compact solar charger yet fits easily in any bag.
I get this, I really do. The Light Nazi is trying to do his little bit to help the environment. As for me? I plan on jumping on the bandwagon soon - sometime when he doesn't expect it. The next time he's watching football, and heads to the fridge for a beer, I'm going to give him the greatest surprise. I'll turn off his precious TV.A laser engraving machine can be thought of as three main parts: a laser, a controller, and a surface.
Retailers struggling to identify growth opportunities in a challenging landscape have been unable to succeed in one of the most upbeat growth markets, with Europe's largest biggest electronics retailer,We provide excellent solar led light and LED solar garden lamp. Media Markt, announcing it was withdrawing from China and Japanese convenience store chain Lawson deciding to close its flagship store in Shanghai after only six months, the AFR reported.
The outlook for growth in Chinese consumer spending was featured in a new study by the Economist Intelligence Unit and market research firm Mintel that said prepared food products would be the fastest growing category over the next four years, predicting annual spending growing by 20 per cent.
"As in other emerging economies, Chinese consumers are shifting from commodity food to prepared food as their incomes rise and their lifestyles become more convenience-driven," the report said, according to the AFR.
The report added that spending on commodity food items will grow by 15 per cent annually, while sales of laundry detergent will be a "standout", according to the AFR. "There is a simple reason for that: Back in 2000 only one per cent of rural households had a washing machine; by 2010 this had risen to 16 per cent," the study reportedly added.
The Husband - has the best of intentions. He wants to lighten the load on the power grid. He wants to save on the electric bills. He wants to do the responsible thing. He didn't always.
Back in the day, he didn't really mind if every light in the house was on - along with the washing machine, the computer, the coffee pot, the slow cooker and the dishwasher - even when the house was occupied by four people, all of whom happened to be playing Monopoly in the same room. But then the proverbial light went on. And let's just say, he's changed.
Today, it will not be uncommon for me to leave the kitchen momentarily - to visit the bathroom or the laundry room, say - and return to find the room in darkness. "Why did you turn off the lights?" I will ask.
"No one was in the kitchen," the Light Nazi will say. "We can't leave the lights on in empty rooms." "I was gone for 45 seconds," I will point out. "I was planning to return." "Forty-five seconds is 45 seconds," he will reply.
Whenever I leave any room in the house,This is how a skystream captures energy from the wind. in fact,Perfect pendant lamp is critical to creating a modern home. the Light Nazi will tend to be at my heels, flipping off the switch. Sure, the power grid's smiling. But I'm not - especially when I'm attempting to navigate a staircase in the dark. Eventually, of course, the Light Nazi will tend to give in, but only after I'm forced to explain that flashlights won't do the trick and that candles would be a tad dangerous.Our most compact solar charger yet fits easily in any bag.
I get this, I really do. The Light Nazi is trying to do his little bit to help the environment. As for me? I plan on jumping on the bandwagon soon - sometime when he doesn't expect it. The next time he's watching football, and heads to the fridge for a beer, I'm going to give him the greatest surprise. I'll turn off his precious TV.A laser engraving machine can be thought of as three main parts: a laser, a controller, and a surface.
Dame Ellen tells the world's rich businesspeople
Ex-sailor
Dame Ellen MacArthur, has told businesspeople meeting in Davos that
moving to a closed loop economy would save the world $700bn per year.
Dame Ellen, who became the youngest person and the fastest woman to sail solo around the world, is inspiring companies such as Marks & Spencer's, Unilever and DSM to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and commit to achieving a closed loop system for themselves.A laser engraving machine can be thought of as three main parts: a laser, a controller, and a surface.
A closed loop, or circular, economy is one where what is now regarded as waste becomes an input for another manufacturing process, and products and the manufacturing process are redesigned to facilitate re-use and re-manufacturing.
Speaking from Davos, she said: "I think the main difference between recycling and the circular economy is that if you take a washing machine today, it's not designed to be recycled and have its materials recovered at the end of its life."
The record-breaking sailor, who said it was a trip to the Atlantic island of South Georgia that made her acutely aware of the challenges facing the planet, says that products should be designed for disassembly, especially since the cost of resources is going through the roof, and three billion more consumers are entering the market and needs to be satisfied.
Her report, "Towards the circular economy", launched at Davos, Switzerland, this week,Our selection of solar garden light includes models and styles perfect for any taste and budget. where the world's top businessmen are meeting, contains product- and country-level analyses and examples in the food, beverages, textiles, and packaging sectors.This is how a skystream captures energy from the wind.
In household food waste alone, an income stream of $1.5bn could be generated per year from municipalities and investors by collecting household food waste in the UK separately and using it to generate biogas and return nutrients to the soils. This would give towns and cities a new source of revenue.
With textiles, a revenue of $1,975 per tonne of old clothing collected could be generated in the UK if it was sold at current prices.Our most compact solar charger yet fits easily in any bag.
And with beer bottles, a cost reduction of 20% in the price of beer would be possible in the UK by shifting from disposable to re-usable glass beer bottles, which would also lower the cost of packaging, processing and distribution.
Staying with beer,Perfect pendant lamp is critical to creating a modern home. an additional profit of up to 2 dollars per hectolitre of beer produced could be created in Brazil on top of the margin by selling the biggest waste products, the spent grains, to farmers in the fish farming or livestock sectors, or again, using it to generate biogas.
The report estimates the total material value of fast-moving consumer goods at $3.2tn. Currently just 20% of this material is recovered, largely through decomposition and recycling. This is not particularly efficient, as much value is lost. The report says that recovering this lost value represents a huge opportunity.
Plenty of case studies are available on the foundation's website.
The charity also supports schools and teachers in using the framework of a circular economy to present a real alternative for students to discuss and debate.
Dame Ellen, who became the youngest person and the fastest woman to sail solo around the world, is inspiring companies such as Marks & Spencer's, Unilever and DSM to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and commit to achieving a closed loop system for themselves.A laser engraving machine can be thought of as three main parts: a laser, a controller, and a surface.
A closed loop, or circular, economy is one where what is now regarded as waste becomes an input for another manufacturing process, and products and the manufacturing process are redesigned to facilitate re-use and re-manufacturing.
Speaking from Davos, she said: "I think the main difference between recycling and the circular economy is that if you take a washing machine today, it's not designed to be recycled and have its materials recovered at the end of its life."
The record-breaking sailor, who said it was a trip to the Atlantic island of South Georgia that made her acutely aware of the challenges facing the planet, says that products should be designed for disassembly, especially since the cost of resources is going through the roof, and three billion more consumers are entering the market and needs to be satisfied.
Her report, "Towards the circular economy", launched at Davos, Switzerland, this week,Our selection of solar garden light includes models and styles perfect for any taste and budget. where the world's top businessmen are meeting, contains product- and country-level analyses and examples in the food, beverages, textiles, and packaging sectors.This is how a skystream captures energy from the wind.
In household food waste alone, an income stream of $1.5bn could be generated per year from municipalities and investors by collecting household food waste in the UK separately and using it to generate biogas and return nutrients to the soils. This would give towns and cities a new source of revenue.
With textiles, a revenue of $1,975 per tonne of old clothing collected could be generated in the UK if it was sold at current prices.Our most compact solar charger yet fits easily in any bag.
And with beer bottles, a cost reduction of 20% in the price of beer would be possible in the UK by shifting from disposable to re-usable glass beer bottles, which would also lower the cost of packaging, processing and distribution.
Staying with beer,Perfect pendant lamp is critical to creating a modern home. an additional profit of up to 2 dollars per hectolitre of beer produced could be created in Brazil on top of the margin by selling the biggest waste products, the spent grains, to farmers in the fish farming or livestock sectors, or again, using it to generate biogas.
The report estimates the total material value of fast-moving consumer goods at $3.2tn. Currently just 20% of this material is recovered, largely through decomposition and recycling. This is not particularly efficient, as much value is lost. The report says that recovering this lost value represents a huge opportunity.
Plenty of case studies are available on the foundation's website.
The charity also supports schools and teachers in using the framework of a circular economy to present a real alternative for students to discuss and debate.
Power Technology Buys German Laser Company Klastech
Power Technology Inc. of Little Rock said Wednesdsay that it has
acquired Klastech GmbH, a German company that makes advanced diode
pumped solid state lasers for metrology, holography, bio-fluorescence,
Raman spectroscopy and semiconductor inspection applications.
"The addition of Klastech allows Power Technology to provide advanced, cutting edge, laser solutions to our customers," Walter Burgess, an owner and vice president at Power Technology, said in a news release. "We are excited not only about the great products Klastech adds, but also the extensive innovative laser knowledge the Klastech team adds to Power Technology."
The companies did not disclose a purchase price.
Power Technology, an Innovate Arkansas client firm, said it will retain the Klastech organization in its entirety and will be working over the next several months to integrate the company's products and employees. Production and sales of the Klastech laser line will continue in Klastech's Dortmund, Although our solar bulb team patrol the streets on a regular basis to identify faulty lights, Germany headquarters.
"Becoming part of Power Technology is a major step forward in Klastech's development as it continues to enhance its reputation as a leading German single frequency DPSS laser manufacturer," Christopher J. Madin, Klastech's CEO, said. "Power Technology is a well respected, long standing laser manufacturer of cutting edge diode laser solutions. Klastech's proprietary iMAT DPSS laser technology will add a new dimension to the already extensive PTI product portfolio."
Founded in 1969 by Thomas Burgess on his kitchen table, Power Technology has grown from a home-based business into an international enterprise.
The company, now led by Burgess' twin sons Walter and WiA laser engraving machine can be thought of as three main parts: a laser, a controller, and a surface.lliam, designs and makes laser diode products for analytical, biomedical, industrial and machine vision applications for use in products by original equipment manufacturers.
Products by the company, which was a winner in the 2008 Arkansas Business of the Year Awards, has helped equip deep-sea explorers as well as astronauts on shuttle missions. Power Technology products also are used to help detect trace gases with applications that include finding explosives or preventing oil rig fires.
In recent years, the firm has seen a surge in military-related laser projects for testing air-to-surface missiles and modernizing weapons system targeting for aircraft.
Among the commercial applications for Power Technology's laser-related products are inspecting semiconductors,Selecting the right solar panel cells for your solar power system is crucial. scanning bar codes and in the biomedical market, aiding surgery procedures, analysizing DNA and detecting cancer.
NSWC Carderock engineers and technicians upload computer-aided design (CAD) drawings of a ship model into the 3-D printer. As the printing process begins an epoxy resin is exposed to ultraviolet light,We offer a type of dry cabinet that one might need for the proper dehumidifying of components. changing its state to a solid. A wiper applies a coat of the liquid to a flat surface on the machine and the ultraviolet laser then traces the shape of the part to be constructed. Once solidified,Perfect pendant lamp is critical to creating a modern home. the wiper continuously applies additional coats of epoxy until the ship model is completed.
"The model of the T-AH 20 was created within 25 days," said Rodriguez. "Prior to the installation of this 3-D printer, we would have conducted four different builds in the previous machine followed by attaching all of the components together, resulting in more than double the time to reach completion. Not only was less time spent building, but now the model will have fewer seams than before."
"The addition of Klastech allows Power Technology to provide advanced, cutting edge, laser solutions to our customers," Walter Burgess, an owner and vice president at Power Technology, said in a news release. "We are excited not only about the great products Klastech adds, but also the extensive innovative laser knowledge the Klastech team adds to Power Technology."
The companies did not disclose a purchase price.
Power Technology, an Innovate Arkansas client firm, said it will retain the Klastech organization in its entirety and will be working over the next several months to integrate the company's products and employees. Production and sales of the Klastech laser line will continue in Klastech's Dortmund, Although our solar bulb team patrol the streets on a regular basis to identify faulty lights, Germany headquarters.
"Becoming part of Power Technology is a major step forward in Klastech's development as it continues to enhance its reputation as a leading German single frequency DPSS laser manufacturer," Christopher J. Madin, Klastech's CEO, said. "Power Technology is a well respected, long standing laser manufacturer of cutting edge diode laser solutions. Klastech's proprietary iMAT DPSS laser technology will add a new dimension to the already extensive PTI product portfolio."
Founded in 1969 by Thomas Burgess on his kitchen table, Power Technology has grown from a home-based business into an international enterprise.
The company, now led by Burgess' twin sons Walter and WiA laser engraving machine can be thought of as three main parts: a laser, a controller, and a surface.lliam, designs and makes laser diode products for analytical, biomedical, industrial and machine vision applications for use in products by original equipment manufacturers.
Products by the company, which was a winner in the 2008 Arkansas Business of the Year Awards, has helped equip deep-sea explorers as well as astronauts on shuttle missions. Power Technology products also are used to help detect trace gases with applications that include finding explosives or preventing oil rig fires.
In recent years, the firm has seen a surge in military-related laser projects for testing air-to-surface missiles and modernizing weapons system targeting for aircraft.
Among the commercial applications for Power Technology's laser-related products are inspecting semiconductors,Selecting the right solar panel cells for your solar power system is crucial. scanning bar codes and in the biomedical market, aiding surgery procedures, analysizing DNA and detecting cancer.
NSWC Carderock engineers and technicians upload computer-aided design (CAD) drawings of a ship model into the 3-D printer. As the printing process begins an epoxy resin is exposed to ultraviolet light,We offer a type of dry cabinet that one might need for the proper dehumidifying of components. changing its state to a solid. A wiper applies a coat of the liquid to a flat surface on the machine and the ultraviolet laser then traces the shape of the part to be constructed. Once solidified,Perfect pendant lamp is critical to creating a modern home. the wiper continuously applies additional coats of epoxy until the ship model is completed.
"The model of the T-AH 20 was created within 25 days," said Rodriguez. "Prior to the installation of this 3-D printer, we would have conducted four different builds in the previous machine followed by attaching all of the components together, resulting in more than double the time to reach completion. Not only was less time spent building, but now the model will have fewer seams than before."
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
N.S. looks to get its second wind
Reuben Burge may be in the business of turning the very air into something that keeps us warm, full and happy. Just don’t think of him as some misty-eyed romantic.
Sure, he grew up on a family farm on Pictou County’s Dalhousie Mountain. But when he looks out at the string of white 80-metre wind turbines now snaking over the same mountain,Marking machines and laser marking machine for permanent part marking and product traceability. he doesn’t see the fulfilment of some childhood dream.
“I see machines that need to be fixed and maintained,” he says. “Like cars.” That, frankly, is just fine with a man who has always been more drawn to man-made machinery than nature.
Burge, 40, spent a decade splitting his time between Pictou County and petro-rich Qatar, where he repaired and maintained oilfield helicopters — including Bell Hueys with the iconic “whomp, whomp whomp” rotor noise — for the sultan.
Blades, he freely admits, are his thing. So it was only natural that when his mom suggested putting a few small windmills on the old homestead, Burge, weary of commuting back and forth to the Middle East, was intrigued.Our street lamp solution is the leading alternative to tubular skylights.
At 51 megawatts, his farm is now Nova Scotia’s most powerful wind operation. But his ambitions are bigger than producing enough energy to turn the lights on in 20,000 Pictou County homes. He wants to run North America’s best wind farm, which means fine-tuning its efficiency to the point where it delivers more wind on a more consistent basis than any other collection of turbines on the continent.
He wouldn’t mind adding to his 34 turbines either. That goal, though, might be harder to achieve. Last summer, the Nova Scotia government awarded three new wind projects designed to bring the total wind power capacity in the province up to the 500-megawatt threshold that Nova Scotia Power can handle without having to upgrade its grid.
“We see a pause for the industry as we absorb all of that,” says Bruce Cameron, the provincial government’s executive director of renewable and sustainable energy.
Which raises the question: Is this all there is? Are 27 commercial wind farms, along with the turbines erected under the 60 or so programs approved under Nova Scotia’s community feed-in tariff program — and a smattering of manufacturing jobs — the best that a province boasting one of the best wind regimens in the world can hope for?
Or is wind a potential game changer for a province desperate to wean itself off the dirtiest power mix in the country?
“It’s not so much a case of saying yes to wind farms as it is saying no to coal,” says Catherine Abreu, regional co-ordinator of the Atlantic Canada Sustainable Energy Coalition.
In truth, getting off the shiny black rock is driving the province’s entire power strategy.We provide excellent solar led light and LED solar garden lamp. The coal found under Nova Scotia’s soil is too dirty to fire the province’s thermal power plants. Instead, we depend upon cleaner coal from South America, for which the price has climbed by 75 per cent in the past seven years.
Even if Nova Scotia Power could afford it, coal’s day is done in this province. Ottawa’s new emissions standards mean that provinces like Nova Scotia, which used coal for 85 per cent of its energy mix when the NDP took power in 2009, need to make a screeching U-turn.We provide laser cutting machine and engraving machines for processing different materials.
“We have carved out a sustainable electricity path that will see more diversity in our energy mix,” Energy Minister Charlie Parker said in an email.
So far, the NDP government has slashed the coal quotient to 56 per cent of its electrical power. Renewable energy — wind, tidal, hydro,News and Information about wind generator Technologies and Innovations. biomass and anything else that generates electricity without polluting the environment —accounts for about 19 per cent of the mix. The province has ordered Nova Scotia Power to push that percentage to 25 by 2015 and 40 by 2020.
Sure, he grew up on a family farm on Pictou County’s Dalhousie Mountain. But when he looks out at the string of white 80-metre wind turbines now snaking over the same mountain,Marking machines and laser marking machine for permanent part marking and product traceability. he doesn’t see the fulfilment of some childhood dream.
“I see machines that need to be fixed and maintained,” he says. “Like cars.” That, frankly, is just fine with a man who has always been more drawn to man-made machinery than nature.
Burge, 40, spent a decade splitting his time between Pictou County and petro-rich Qatar, where he repaired and maintained oilfield helicopters — including Bell Hueys with the iconic “whomp, whomp whomp” rotor noise — for the sultan.
Blades, he freely admits, are his thing. So it was only natural that when his mom suggested putting a few small windmills on the old homestead, Burge, weary of commuting back and forth to the Middle East, was intrigued.Our street lamp solution is the leading alternative to tubular skylights.
At 51 megawatts, his farm is now Nova Scotia’s most powerful wind operation. But his ambitions are bigger than producing enough energy to turn the lights on in 20,000 Pictou County homes. He wants to run North America’s best wind farm, which means fine-tuning its efficiency to the point where it delivers more wind on a more consistent basis than any other collection of turbines on the continent.
He wouldn’t mind adding to his 34 turbines either. That goal, though, might be harder to achieve. Last summer, the Nova Scotia government awarded three new wind projects designed to bring the total wind power capacity in the province up to the 500-megawatt threshold that Nova Scotia Power can handle without having to upgrade its grid.
“We see a pause for the industry as we absorb all of that,” says Bruce Cameron, the provincial government’s executive director of renewable and sustainable energy.
Which raises the question: Is this all there is? Are 27 commercial wind farms, along with the turbines erected under the 60 or so programs approved under Nova Scotia’s community feed-in tariff program — and a smattering of manufacturing jobs — the best that a province boasting one of the best wind regimens in the world can hope for?
Or is wind a potential game changer for a province desperate to wean itself off the dirtiest power mix in the country?
“It’s not so much a case of saying yes to wind farms as it is saying no to coal,” says Catherine Abreu, regional co-ordinator of the Atlantic Canada Sustainable Energy Coalition.
In truth, getting off the shiny black rock is driving the province’s entire power strategy.We provide excellent solar led light and LED solar garden lamp. The coal found under Nova Scotia’s soil is too dirty to fire the province’s thermal power plants. Instead, we depend upon cleaner coal from South America, for which the price has climbed by 75 per cent in the past seven years.
Even if Nova Scotia Power could afford it, coal’s day is done in this province. Ottawa’s new emissions standards mean that provinces like Nova Scotia, which used coal for 85 per cent of its energy mix when the NDP took power in 2009, need to make a screeching U-turn.We provide laser cutting machine and engraving machines for processing different materials.
“We have carved out a sustainable electricity path that will see more diversity in our energy mix,” Energy Minister Charlie Parker said in an email.
So far, the NDP government has slashed the coal quotient to 56 per cent of its electrical power. Renewable energy — wind, tidal, hydro,News and Information about wind generator Technologies and Innovations. biomass and anything else that generates electricity without polluting the environment —accounts for about 19 per cent of the mix. The province has ordered Nova Scotia Power to push that percentage to 25 by 2015 and 40 by 2020.
Could Solar Be Cheaper Than Natural Gas?
Could solar be less expensive than natural gas in Texas? According to new analysis from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), cost-competitive renewable energy is a reality under updated cost models that reflect current prices and performance data for solar and wind.
The ERCOT study could send powerful signals to unleash new interest in solar deployment in Texas - often considered a promising but underdeveloped solar market. Major utility-scale PV projects have begun to spring up, but the state is home to a heavy fossil-fuel industry presence and significant wind power deployment that has often crowded out solar as utilities fulfill renewable energy mandates.
The most recent edition of ERCOT's Long-Term System Assessment, which is designed to help policymakers, utilities and regulators make decisions on power generation and grid issues, uses updated metrics for the cost calculations of solar and wind power.
Previous studies had used outdated 2006 numbers for power output assumptions and costs, explains Colin Meehan, a clean energy analyst at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF),Support for installing a solar photovoltaic system. in a recent blog post.
As it turns out, crunching the numbers with modern, real-world data makes a big difference in how solar and wind power fare in cost-competitiveness and likely deployment over the next two decades. Factoring in potential rises in natural gas prices or the addition of new environmental regulations further shifts costs in favor of renewables.
"Looking at the scenarios in the study, what I find remarkable is their consistency,Our street lamp solution is the leading alternative to tubular skylights." Meehan tells Solar Industry. "While the business-as-usual scenario and other sensitivities based on those assumptions show only natural gas additions [to the grid], all other scenarios - including scenarios with high natural gas prices, additional environmental regulations and updated renewable energy assumptions - show strong growth of wind and solar power in Texas over the next 20 years.
"The scenario with updated renewable energy assumptions is already a reality, and it's not difficult to envision a future with higher natural gas prices or additional environmental regulations, especially given the environmental regulations currently tied up in courts," he adds.
The numbers are striking: ERCOT found that under the business-as-usual scenario (without updated assumptions), Texas' utilities could meet their energy needs over the next 20 years almost solely through 20,000 MW of natural gas,We provide laser cutting machine and engraving machines for processing different materials. along with a limited demand-response initiative. The updated scenario, on the other hand, projects 17,000 MW of wind power and 10,Marking machines and laser marking machine for permanent part marking and product traceability.000 MW of solar power.
Moreover, EDF points out, the study found that adding renewable energy led to lower market prices for electricity at many time points.
"I think the distinction between large- and small-scale plants is shrinking, in terms of both price and characteristics," Meehan says. "For instance, all of the large-scale solar plants built in Texas to date have been relatively small - under 40 MW - and located within or near major cities."
The existing projects' locations help reduce the need for extensive transmission work. Meehan reports that the bulk transmission build-out for Texas' Competitive Renewable Energy Zones, projected to be completed by the end of this year, will likely be sufficient to handle future solar and wind projects as well. Some additional minor upgrades near cities and in the Panhandle region may be needed,News and Information about wind generator Technologies and Innovations. he adds.
But for solar developers, a more immediate obstacle to getting new capacity built is Texas' current price signals, which Meehan says are not favorable to building any new type of generation, whether renewable or fossil-fuel energy.
"If and when regulators resolve this issue - so long as they don't put in place any new rules that bias the market against renewable energy - we are likely to see a significant expansion of both solar and wind energy in Texas," he adds.
The ERCOT study could send powerful signals to unleash new interest in solar deployment in Texas - often considered a promising but underdeveloped solar market. Major utility-scale PV projects have begun to spring up, but the state is home to a heavy fossil-fuel industry presence and significant wind power deployment that has often crowded out solar as utilities fulfill renewable energy mandates.
The most recent edition of ERCOT's Long-Term System Assessment, which is designed to help policymakers, utilities and regulators make decisions on power generation and grid issues, uses updated metrics for the cost calculations of solar and wind power.
Previous studies had used outdated 2006 numbers for power output assumptions and costs, explains Colin Meehan, a clean energy analyst at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF),Support for installing a solar photovoltaic system. in a recent blog post.
As it turns out, crunching the numbers with modern, real-world data makes a big difference in how solar and wind power fare in cost-competitiveness and likely deployment over the next two decades. Factoring in potential rises in natural gas prices or the addition of new environmental regulations further shifts costs in favor of renewables.
"Looking at the scenarios in the study, what I find remarkable is their consistency,Our street lamp solution is the leading alternative to tubular skylights." Meehan tells Solar Industry. "While the business-as-usual scenario and other sensitivities based on those assumptions show only natural gas additions [to the grid], all other scenarios - including scenarios with high natural gas prices, additional environmental regulations and updated renewable energy assumptions - show strong growth of wind and solar power in Texas over the next 20 years.
"The scenario with updated renewable energy assumptions is already a reality, and it's not difficult to envision a future with higher natural gas prices or additional environmental regulations, especially given the environmental regulations currently tied up in courts," he adds.
The numbers are striking: ERCOT found that under the business-as-usual scenario (without updated assumptions), Texas' utilities could meet their energy needs over the next 20 years almost solely through 20,000 MW of natural gas,We provide laser cutting machine and engraving machines for processing different materials. along with a limited demand-response initiative. The updated scenario, on the other hand, projects 17,000 MW of wind power and 10,Marking machines and laser marking machine for permanent part marking and product traceability.000 MW of solar power.
Moreover, EDF points out, the study found that adding renewable energy led to lower market prices for electricity at many time points.
"I think the distinction between large- and small-scale plants is shrinking, in terms of both price and characteristics," Meehan says. "For instance, all of the large-scale solar plants built in Texas to date have been relatively small - under 40 MW - and located within or near major cities."
The existing projects' locations help reduce the need for extensive transmission work. Meehan reports that the bulk transmission build-out for Texas' Competitive Renewable Energy Zones, projected to be completed by the end of this year, will likely be sufficient to handle future solar and wind projects as well. Some additional minor upgrades near cities and in the Panhandle region may be needed,News and Information about wind generator Technologies and Innovations. he adds.
But for solar developers, a more immediate obstacle to getting new capacity built is Texas' current price signals, which Meehan says are not favorable to building any new type of generation, whether renewable or fossil-fuel energy.
"If and when regulators resolve this issue - so long as they don't put in place any new rules that bias the market against renewable energy - we are likely to see a significant expansion of both solar and wind energy in Texas," he adds.
Wind turbine project approved
After more than four years of research and community debate, the Clinton County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 Tuesday to grant a special use permit to a Chicago company that wants to build a $123 million wind-turbine project to generate electricity.
Although turnouts of about 150 residents – most of them opposed to the project -- had been common at planning commission and township board meetings over the past year, barely 50 people attended the county board meeting, which started at 9 a.m.Our street lamp solution is the leading alternative to tubular skylights. Only four local residents – two in favor and two against – made public comments.
Bob Boettger, a farmer who has agreed to host eight of the proposed 39 turbines on his land,We have the ultra contemporary lighting that you have been looking for. described the project as “something our community can be proud of when it’s completed.” He said it had benefited from the extensive review process.
Ken Wieber, a farmer who has fought the project at every step, compared the approval process to watching a traffic crash develop in slow motion over several years. He challenged commissioners to recognize what he said was growing evidence of adverse health effects related to wind turbines.
Among the commissioners, only Adam Stacey commented. He described the local-government review as the most fascinating and most frustrating public process he’d ever been involved in. Three weeks ago he had said he would vote against the permit and he followed through on Tuesday.
Project developer Tim Brown said he was grateful to secure permit approval but said it was too early to discuss what would happen next. The turbines are proposed for location across Bengal, Dallas and Essex townships, all of which have approved special ordinances more restrictive than the county.We provide laser cutting machine and engraving machines for processing different materials.
Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona SA, the Argentinean wind-turbine maker, hasn’t been paid by Brazil’s state-controlled energy company Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6) for power from a project that began feeding electricity to the grid in June 2011.
The turbine supplier’s Energimp unit is owed 250 million reais ($125.9 million) for selling electricity from its 222- megawatt wind farm in the southern state of Santa Catarina, Jose Luis Menghini,An even safer situation on all roads by using the road lights. vice president of Impsa, as the Mendoza, Argentina-based company is known, said today in a telephone interview from Sao Paulo.
The utility known as Eletrobras delayed payments after Brazil power regulator Agencia Nacional de Energia Eletrica established new compensation rules in June, Menghini said. He said the turbine company is compliant with the revised policies and is getting impatient.
“They want everything to be perfect.” Menghini said. “I understand that preoccupation. They have a responsibility to do this. But we have a responsibility to our shareholders.”
The 1.3 billion-real wind project is enrolled in a government renewable-energy support program called Proinfa that pays developers a set rate for electricity that rises with inflation, he said. Eletrobras is investigating “inconsistencies” in documents provided by Impsa, a spokesman for the utility who didn’t want to be named because of company policy, said today in an e-mail.
Impsa was last asked to submit documentation for its projects Jan. 10 and did so Jan. 16, Menghini said.News and Information about wind generator Technologies and Innovations. “We’ve got no problem with Aneel” or the local environmental authority, he said. “The hold up is due to Eletrobras.”
Energimp is 55 percent owned by Impsa and 45 percent owned by Fundo de Investimento do Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Servico, Brazil’s state-run severance and disability fund, he said.
Although turnouts of about 150 residents – most of them opposed to the project -- had been common at planning commission and township board meetings over the past year, barely 50 people attended the county board meeting, which started at 9 a.m.Our street lamp solution is the leading alternative to tubular skylights. Only four local residents – two in favor and two against – made public comments.
Bob Boettger, a farmer who has agreed to host eight of the proposed 39 turbines on his land,We have the ultra contemporary lighting that you have been looking for. described the project as “something our community can be proud of when it’s completed.” He said it had benefited from the extensive review process.
Ken Wieber, a farmer who has fought the project at every step, compared the approval process to watching a traffic crash develop in slow motion over several years. He challenged commissioners to recognize what he said was growing evidence of adverse health effects related to wind turbines.
Among the commissioners, only Adam Stacey commented. He described the local-government review as the most fascinating and most frustrating public process he’d ever been involved in. Three weeks ago he had said he would vote against the permit and he followed through on Tuesday.
Project developer Tim Brown said he was grateful to secure permit approval but said it was too early to discuss what would happen next. The turbines are proposed for location across Bengal, Dallas and Essex townships, all of which have approved special ordinances more restrictive than the county.We provide laser cutting machine and engraving machines for processing different materials.
Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona SA, the Argentinean wind-turbine maker, hasn’t been paid by Brazil’s state-controlled energy company Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6) for power from a project that began feeding electricity to the grid in June 2011.
The turbine supplier’s Energimp unit is owed 250 million reais ($125.9 million) for selling electricity from its 222- megawatt wind farm in the southern state of Santa Catarina, Jose Luis Menghini,An even safer situation on all roads by using the road lights. vice president of Impsa, as the Mendoza, Argentina-based company is known, said today in a telephone interview from Sao Paulo.
The utility known as Eletrobras delayed payments after Brazil power regulator Agencia Nacional de Energia Eletrica established new compensation rules in June, Menghini said. He said the turbine company is compliant with the revised policies and is getting impatient.
“They want everything to be perfect.” Menghini said. “I understand that preoccupation. They have a responsibility to do this. But we have a responsibility to our shareholders.”
The 1.3 billion-real wind project is enrolled in a government renewable-energy support program called Proinfa that pays developers a set rate for electricity that rises with inflation, he said. Eletrobras is investigating “inconsistencies” in documents provided by Impsa, a spokesman for the utility who didn’t want to be named because of company policy, said today in an e-mail.
Impsa was last asked to submit documentation for its projects Jan. 10 and did so Jan. 16, Menghini said.News and Information about wind generator Technologies and Innovations. “We’ve got no problem with Aneel” or the local environmental authority, he said. “The hold up is due to Eletrobras.”
Energimp is 55 percent owned by Impsa and 45 percent owned by Fundo de Investimento do Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Servico, Brazil’s state-run severance and disability fund, he said.
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