The need for expanded nuclear energy is urgent. Global energy demand is expected to grow by at least 50% by 2035, with electric demand in the developing world expected to triple.
Presently, more than one billion people completely lack electricity access and billions more consume one tenth or less of the electricity per capita consumed in the OECD. Much of that supply is intermittent.
At the same time, 81% of the world’s energy, and two thirds of the world’s electricity, is derived from fossil fuels, while emissions from fossil fuel combustion are a major factor driving global climate change.
The need for expanded nuclear energy is urgent. Global energy demand is expected to grow by at least 50% by 2035, with electric demand in the developing world expected to triple.
Presently, more than one billion people completely lack electricity access and billions more consume one tenth or less of the electricity per capita consumed in the OECD. Much of that supply is intermittent.
At the same time, 81% of the world’s energy, and two thirds of the world’s electricity, is derived from fossil fuels, while emissions from fossil fuel combustion are a major factor driving global climate change.
Paul Norton of NREL spoke about the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, and the challenges of renewable energy and conservation in Hawaii. Slides from the REIS seminar given at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on 2009-09-03.
Given the Cap and Trade mechanism in place, there are additional opportunities to provide further incentives to meet carbon goals. Many financial institutions have mandates to achieve a zero footprint. The following proposal was made in 2009 to the Bank of Montreal: As a strategic maneuver to increase market share and advance its sustainability commitment, design a program to exchange low-interest rate financial products to collect the environmental attributes from the residential, commercial and institutional photovoltaic installations. If and when aggregated, the environmental attributes (carbon credits) would be of better use given than many residential, commercial and institutional are incapable of benefiting from the cap and trade program.
The presentation provides a review of the performance of installations to suggest the commercial and institutional market potential in Canada. A brief review of US Green Financial Products was also included as suggested approaches. Note that many new products/programs have been introduced since 2009. The prospect of releasing the environmental attributes to further incentivize Ontario's carbon goals is worth reviewing.
The free state-by-state guides walk through the benefits and uses of three major types of geothermal applications: power generation, direct use and heat pumps.
Solar Magazine | Malaysia Solar Energy Profile: A Global Solar Manufacturing ...Solar Magazine
Malaysia Solar Energy Profile discusses the current states of different solar market segments in Malaysia, restrictions on participation, impacts of the net energy metering (NEM) scheme on solar projects deployments, etc.
Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources which are replenished
such as wind, wave, solar, biomass and tidal power. Governments and companies around the
world are investing heavily in developing technologies to harness the power of clean
renewable energy sources because of their potential to produce large quantities of energy
without generating greenhouse gases which can contribute to climate change. Most of the
power generation in India is carried out by conventional energy sources, coal and mineral oilbased
power plants which contribute heavily to greenhouse gases emission.
Renewable energy sources consist of solar, hydro, wind, geothermal, ocean and
biomass. The most common advantage of each is that they are renewable and cannot be
depleted. They are a clean energy, as they don't pollute the air, and they don't contribute to
global warming effects. Since their sources are natural the cost of operations is reduced and
they also require less maintenance on their plants.
Engineering creates opportunity from waste Connie Linder
Connie Linder & Tre Trefethen. Published in Business in Vancouver, Mar 5, 2013
Canadian households generate nearly 13 million tonnes of waste every year, more waste per capita than any of our peer countries, even the US. Recycling programs reduce a small portion of garbage that goes into landfills, but the trash keeps piling up and so has the cost of managing that waste: Canadian taxpayers spent a total of $2.6 billion in 2008 on waste management.
This 200-level seminar will discuss opportunities for integrating solar and wind energy into commercial construction projects. In this presentation, we will examine how to:
1.
-Create and present a best option plan for owners or managers wishing to integrate renewable energy installations (ie Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal and Wind). The integration will include review of the renewable energy application in partnership with varied heating solutions (conventional, radiant, geothermal);
2.
-Identify and calculate current local rebates and tax incentives for various renewable energy options, enabling delivery of rough costs associated with a renewable option; and
3.
-Integrate various requirements for renewable in building design and planning processes.
The two hour presentation will consist of Powerpoint with an encouraged Q&A exchange. 2 AIA Sustainable Design HSW/CEU will be offered for attending this seminar. Liz Argo, Director of Outreach and Media Development at Alteris Renewables Inc, will be delivering this seminar.
Paul Norton of NREL spoke about the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, and the challenges of renewable energy and conservation in Hawaii. Slides from the REIS seminar given at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on 2009-09-03.
Given the Cap and Trade mechanism in place, there are additional opportunities to provide further incentives to meet carbon goals. Many financial institutions have mandates to achieve a zero footprint. The following proposal was made in 2009 to the Bank of Montreal: As a strategic maneuver to increase market share and advance its sustainability commitment, design a program to exchange low-interest rate financial products to collect the environmental attributes from the residential, commercial and institutional photovoltaic installations. If and when aggregated, the environmental attributes (carbon credits) would be of better use given than many residential, commercial and institutional are incapable of benefiting from the cap and trade program.
The presentation provides a review of the performance of installations to suggest the commercial and institutional market potential in Canada. A brief review of US Green Financial Products was also included as suggested approaches. Note that many new products/programs have been introduced since 2009. The prospect of releasing the environmental attributes to further incentivize Ontario's carbon goals is worth reviewing.
The free state-by-state guides walk through the benefits and uses of three major types of geothermal applications: power generation, direct use and heat pumps.
Solar Magazine | Malaysia Solar Energy Profile: A Global Solar Manufacturing ...Solar Magazine
Malaysia Solar Energy Profile discusses the current states of different solar market segments in Malaysia, restrictions on participation, impacts of the net energy metering (NEM) scheme on solar projects deployments, etc.
Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources which are replenished
such as wind, wave, solar, biomass and tidal power. Governments and companies around the
world are investing heavily in developing technologies to harness the power of clean
renewable energy sources because of their potential to produce large quantities of energy
without generating greenhouse gases which can contribute to climate change. Most of the
power generation in India is carried out by conventional energy sources, coal and mineral oilbased
power plants which contribute heavily to greenhouse gases emission.
Renewable energy sources consist of solar, hydro, wind, geothermal, ocean and
biomass. The most common advantage of each is that they are renewable and cannot be
depleted. They are a clean energy, as they don't pollute the air, and they don't contribute to
global warming effects. Since their sources are natural the cost of operations is reduced and
they also require less maintenance on their plants.
Engineering creates opportunity from waste Connie Linder
Connie Linder & Tre Trefethen. Published in Business in Vancouver, Mar 5, 2013
Canadian households generate nearly 13 million tonnes of waste every year, more waste per capita than any of our peer countries, even the US. Recycling programs reduce a small portion of garbage that goes into landfills, but the trash keeps piling up and so has the cost of managing that waste: Canadian taxpayers spent a total of $2.6 billion in 2008 on waste management.
This 200-level seminar will discuss opportunities for integrating solar and wind energy into commercial construction projects. In this presentation, we will examine how to:
1.
-Create and present a best option plan for owners or managers wishing to integrate renewable energy installations (ie Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal and Wind). The integration will include review of the renewable energy application in partnership with varied heating solutions (conventional, radiant, geothermal);
2.
-Identify and calculate current local rebates and tax incentives for various renewable energy options, enabling delivery of rough costs associated with a renewable option; and
3.
-Integrate various requirements for renewable in building design and planning processes.
The two hour presentation will consist of Powerpoint with an encouraged Q&A exchange. 2 AIA Sustainable Design HSW/CEU will be offered for attending this seminar. Liz Argo, Director of Outreach and Media Development at Alteris Renewables Inc, will be delivering this seminar.
The Future of Alternate Energy in India: The World War-III Begins Manu Srinath
Mankind has already seen two World Wars. The Nations which emerged victorious in the last one are today the so-called Developed Nations and others are forced to have a 'subordinate' tag and they are called the Third World.
But now it's time for the next one and this is not a Tennis tournment to have seedings to save the Mighty Neck of the First World. No head-starts.
No Offence to Late PM Rajiv Gandhi of India when he said " Information Technology will be the base for the Third Word War". But we, a group of NLUO-ites believe that the fight is for the dominance in Alternate Energy and those who lag behind, will be behind others forever.
The Real Bloodshed is yet to begin.... and Ideas and War Strategies??!!.... dnt worry... we are there!
- A National Law University Orissa Presentation
The free state-by-state guides walk through the benefits and uses of three major types of geothermal applications: power generation, direct use and heat pumps.
The most vital way to take care of our lives is to take the responsibility of our own energy foot print.
Renewable energy plays an important role in the supply of energy. When renewable energy sources are used, the demand for fossil fuels is reduced. Unlike fossil fuels, non-biomass renewable sources of energy (photovoltaics, wind, hydropower, and geothermal) do not directly emit greenhouse gases.
Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources such as : sunlight, wind, tides, and geothermal heat which are renewable (naturally replenished).
The use of renewable energy is not new. More than 150 years ago wood, which is one form of biomass, supplied up to 90 percent of the energy needs. e.
Now over half of renewable energy goes to producing electricity.
The concept of CSP ( Concentrated Solar Power) can be fully embraced in areas which receive the most sunshine all year round, for instance, in Kenya Garissa and Turkana areas are an exampe. CSP would be most cost effective in such areas as approximately 1MW of electricity would used to electrify every 500 homes. Considering that most of the population of people are from low income households and hence consume a small amount of electricity, a 500MW CSP power plant would be more than enough to electrify such an area with the excess electricity being fed into the national grid to be used elsewhere.
Fuel Cells are becoming the preferred alternate energy but unless the constraints are understood and dealt with it will not be adopted at the rate it should
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 4DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 4. In this session, we will cover Test Manager overview along with SAP heatmap.
The UiPath Test Manager overview with SAP heatmap webinar offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the role of a Test Manager within SAP environments, coupled with the utilization of heatmaps for effective testing strategies.
Participants will gain insights into the responsibilities, challenges, and best practices associated with test management in SAP projects. Additionally, the webinar delves into the significance of heatmaps as a visual aid for identifying testing priorities, areas of risk, and resource allocation within SAP landscapes. Through this session, attendees can expect to enhance their understanding of test management principles while learning practical approaches to optimize testing processes in SAP environments using heatmap visualization techniques
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into SAP testing best practices
2. Heatmap utilization for testing
3. Optimization of testing processes
4. Demo
Topics covered:
Execution from the test manager
Orchestrator execution result
Defect reporting
SAP heatmap example with demo
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Search and Society: Reimagining Information Access for Radical FuturesBhaskar Mitra
The field of Information retrieval (IR) is currently undergoing a transformative shift, at least partly due to the emerging applications of generative AI to information access. In this talk, we will deliberate on the sociotechnical implications of generative AI for information access. We will argue that there is both a critical necessity and an exciting opportunity for the IR community to re-center our research agendas on societal needs while dismantling the artificial separation between the work on fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethics in IR and the rest of IR research. Instead of adopting a reactionary strategy of trying to mitigate potential social harms from emerging technologies, the community should aim to proactively set the research agenda for the kinds of systems we should build inspired by diverse explicitly stated sociotechnical imaginaries. The sociotechnical imaginaries that underpin the design and development of information access technologies needs to be explicitly articulated, and we need to develop theories of change in context of these diverse perspectives. Our guiding future imaginaries must be informed by other academic fields, such as democratic theory and critical theory, and should be co-developed with social science scholars, legal scholars, civil rights and social justice activists, and artists, among others.
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
"Impact of front-end architecture on development cost", Viktor TurskyiFwdays
I have heard many times that architecture is not important for the front-end. Also, many times I have seen how developers implement features on the front-end just following the standard rules for a framework and think that this is enough to successfully launch the project, and then the project fails. How to prevent this and what approach to choose? I have launched dozens of complex projects and during the talk we will analyze which approaches have worked for me and which have not.
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
De-mystifying Zero to One: Design Informed Techniques for Greenfield Innovati...
Centralised Vs Decentralised
1. Sun Earth Energy Ltd | john@sun‐earth‐energy.com
Power at the socket may be clean but is it green?
Everybody needs it, most people take it for granted; but.
Where does our power come from, what is ‘energy’, how and why has it become so expensive
over the last few years?
First we have to understand the current way power is generated and distributed in most of the
developed economies (and to a certain extent how those players are telling the emerging
economies how to set up their power utilities).
The first concept is about electricity generation; Centralised
Electricity and De‐Centralised Electricity?
Centralised Power is characterised by large power stations using Coal, Oil, Gas, Hydro or even
Nuclear
• Because they are sited away from population centres they cannot fully utilise “waste”
heat from the generation process. Unfortunately this represents around 60% of the
energy released on combustion in a Coal, Oil or Gas fired Station for example.
• The other issue is that because they are remote we need a substantial grid network to
take the power to the users. This grid will lose power the further electricity has to travel
to you the user.
• A further issue is that large projects like the building of big power stations suffer from a
condition called the “MegaProject Paradox”. This asserts that ‘mega‐projects’ invariably
run over budget and over projected time. Furthermore they often do not deliver the
promised benefits.
US President Barrack Obama thinks that Nuclear is OK, but building big centralised Nuclear has
just got a lot more expensive thanks to 9/11. From the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
regarding the Westinghouse Electric Company's design;
• "The shield building is the outer housing that covers both the plant's core and an inner
containment shell. The shield not only has to protect the reactor from severe weather
Sun Earth Energy Ltd | UK Company Registration Number 7056241 | Feb 2010
2. such as earthquakes and hurricanes but also has to support a tank of roughly 2700
tonnes of water used to cool the reactor in the case of an emergency.
• The NRC certified a prior version of the reactor in January 2006 that had a shield made
of cement reinforced with steel bars running through it. After the design was approved,
however, the NRC added an additional requirement for the shield building to withstand
the impact of an airplane crash."
So to make the shield building airplane proof has to be a big cost increase. But cost over‐runs
are horrific, especially with Nuclear;
• In 2009, NRG purchased Houston‐based Reliant Retail Energy, which for years
bought nuclear‐generated power from the South Texas Project (formerly the
South Texas Nuclear Project). Construction cost estimates for two additional
reactors in Bay City now exceed $18 billion, three times NRG's original
projections. The completion of the first two STNP reactors ran six times over
budget, were eight years late coming online and were plagued with
mismanagement, construction problems and lawsuits. If NRG completes the new
South Texas Project reactors, Houston ratepayers will absorb a significant part of
similarly skyrocketing costs".
• "NRG and CPS Energy, San Antonio's city‐owned utility, partners in the proposed
expansion, are fighting each other in court. When ratepayers in San Antonio
learned of a $4 billion nuclear price increase, they rebelled. CPS had hidden the
higher cost, in essence lying to the San Antonio City Council and the public for
half a year. Facing serious backlash, CPS now seeks to clarify terms for pulling out
of the project and wants $32 billion from project partners".
• In South Africa Eskom (the National Power Utility) is continuing with a massive
over $15 billion coal fired power station that is currently late and over budget. As
it’s coal it will add over 20 million tons per annum of CO 2, plus the running costs
of burning that coal, and at only 30% fuel efficiency.
All in all large scale centralised power plant building plus the rising costs of burning the fuel to
make the electricity has been the biggest contributors to rapidly increasing fuel costs for all
users.
Strangely it is this rapidly increasing cost of electricity that is driving the expansion of renewable
energy provision and in energy saving technologies. Users of power are now in a much better
position to generate their own energy in order to reduce their dependence on the large scale
utility providers.
Sun Earth Energy Ltd | UK Company Registration Number 7056241 | Feb 2010
3.
This brings us to Distributed Power or Embedded Power plus
Energy Efficiency also known as Demand Management
Demand Management:
If we don’t use so much power, then we don’t have to generate it.
Let’s look at power usage from our own personal stand–point. The built in items that consume
electricity in most homes are hot water systems, heating systems and air‐conditioning systems.
In addition we have all those items which help the developed world feel satisfied: Automatic
Washing Machine; Dryer; Dishwasher; Cookers and Ovens; Microwave; even Coffee Makers,
automatic garage doors, kettles, TV’s, music centres, home theatre, blenders and juicers.
This equipment has made us “energy” hungry as most use electricity to heat water, air or drive
motors for a single function. Few ‘recycle energy’. Cooking can also use many other fuels such
as gas, wood, coal, charcoal, etc, but waste heat is often vented away. We also have to look at
the structural insulation built into our homes, the more we are able to insulate the more we
can easily control the internal environment.
Very few house designers look at the running costs of all these devices in terms of electricity,
other fuels or even water consumption. And even less consider a unified energy, water and
waste strategy. Because of this our power and other utility bills just keep on rising.
But, why not install renewable energy devices, like wind turbines, ground source energy, solar
PV for electricity and solar thermal tubes for hot water and air conditioning? Why not collect
rainwater and filter it to flush toilets, and collect water from washing and bathing, extract the
heat energy, filter it and then re‐use it?
Why is it that designers and ourselves cannot think in terms of efficiency. In most developed
nation we wash our cars, flush our toilets and water our gardens with drinking water! And at
the same time let rainwater go down the drain. Whilst in developing economies ‘drinking
water’ is scarce and often unsuitable.
In hot climates where air conditioning is considered desirable, a great deal of electrical energy
is used to cool our properties. At the same time in these hot climates the sun is beating down
Sun Earth Energy Ltd | UK Company Registration Number 7056241 | Feb 2010
4.
on the roof. By using solar thermal tube technology we can utilised the sun’s heat to assist
[strangely] in the cooling process and as a by‐product have a tank of hot water for washing.
The picture above shows how solar collectors integrate into an air conditioning systems and at
the same time provide hot water. In this type of system electricity savings of between 50‐70%
are possible.
Like wise with something simple like the provision of hot water
for washing the equipment on the left is inexpensive and a
150‐200 litre system can serve a family of 5 for all their hot
water needs. It is 100% solar powered, and so completely
displaces other forms of energy in providing hot water. The
hotter the climate the hotter the water, and so it would need
to be mixed with cooler water.
There are many ways in which we as consumers can generate our own energy to run the things
that we have. We are not saying go without. From micro wind turbines to solar, and ground
source energy, there are many developing ‘domestic’ technologies, as well as many proven
commercial scale technologies.
Distributed Generation:
‘Small scale’ local electricity generation plants can use the ‘waste heat’ energy for hot water
and cooling to make fuel far more efficient by selling this energy to local end users.
Sun Earth Energy has always favoured local, small scale ‘energy’ generation plant, as it is very
efficient (up to 90% fuel efficient). By having lots of smaller human scale plants based on
renewable power and by demand reduction techniques (as above) means that each community
has more control, big and complex grid networks can be avoided, and power outages become
less of an issue.
Sun Earth Energy Ltd | UK Company Registration Number 7056241 | Feb 2010