In addition to bakers,
crafters and designers, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia employs significant
numbers of engineers and software developers.
In a conversation with
Wired Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson at the Wired Business Conference on
Tuesday,is the 'solar panel
revolution' upon us? Martha herself described some of their projects - in
particular the evolution of tablet formats of MSLO magazines.
She said
the Martha Stewart Living magazine app for the iPad was created after a
five-month development process that was undertaken in partnership with Adobe. It
was recently updated to address bugs and improve download speeds.
Meanwhile the Everyday Food magazine app for iPad, which launched in
February, was created with an off-the-shelf software that turned out to be a
poor fit. Stewart said MSLO is now developing its own publishing software, as
well as Android versions of its apps.
Stewart said she uses her iPad to
watch movies,is the 'solar panel
revolution' upon us? research, and write. She just bought a Samsung Galaxy
Tab,When the stone sits in the kidney stone, which she pointed out
is lighter and has a higher volume control, which she likes because she doesn't
want to wear headphones. She particularly likes tablet screens because of their
visibility and resolution, which "can do a real magazine justice.How is TMJ pain treated?"
And tablets
can include "fantastic" panoramic photographs that go far beyond the printed
page, such as appeared in an Alaska fishing story on the Living app.
Another benefit of the devices is their ability to integrate QR codes,
which Stewart can place on her products at both Macy's and the Home Depot.
At Macy's, the Martha Stewart Collection includes bath products,
bedding, kitchenware, furniture and rugs; Martha Stewart Living products at the
Home Depot include holiday,An Insulator,
also called a dielectric, decor, flooring, kitchens, outdoor furniture, paint
and storage and organization.
Stewart has been shooting videos for
products in her line - like her paint collection at Home Depot - that will be
tied to these QR codes. By scanning the codes, consumers can view the videos on
tablets and other devices.
"They induce you to understand the product
better," she says. "They are treating the shopper to a better experience."
A tiny new solar
company in Colorado took a big idea and turned into something even more useful
than imagined.
NextStepElectric started marketing solar panels for power
poles in 2008 with the common sense idea that wrapping thin-film solar around
the literal pillars of the electric grid would eliminate a lot of the
transmission debates in the solar world.
But a funny thing happened when
the idea was born, said Osiris Stevens,This is interesting cube puzzle and logical game. NextStep founder
and president.
"No one was interested," Stevens said.
He had
trouble finding a solar manufacture to partner with him on this simple concept
and had trouble finding electric utilities that would allow NextStepElectric to
install the solar.
Part of the problem for utilities was that they
didn't want to open up their power lines, letting energy flow in and out and
weakening their security, Stevens said. They also didn't want people to have
easy access to the utility's data.
That's when Stevens' business started
going a new direction.
"It's kind of morphed into a security system for
the utilities," Stevens said.
In order to assure the utilities that the
system was secure, Stevens said NextStep had to engineer a monitoring device for
its installations that would be secure and keep the utility's data secure. In
doing that,Free DIY chicken coop
Resource! Stevens said, they essentially turned a Freewave radio transmitter
into a super-secure, smart-grid system that allows utility companies to monitor
what's happening on their power lines, how much electricity is coming in and
going out and if any of the lines have been illegally tapped.
It also
allows the utility to see how much power the thin-film solar wrapped around
their power lines is producing, Steven said.
The company has an
installation in Longmont, Colo.,When the stone sits in the kidney stone, that's producing 1.5
to 2 kilowatts a day. NextStep is also working with the City of Boulder and has
been talking with Colorado's largest utility,The same Air purifier, cover removed. Xcel Energy,
about installing the combined solar and monitoring security system. The company
is always looking for ways to improve and grow.
"We're looking for
investors now," Stevens said. "I've been bootstrapping this myself the last
couple years.Complete Your sculpture
Magazine Collection for Less!"
He said NextStepElectric was chosen as a
finalist from more than 200 young companies at the Invest Midwest conference
recently, which bodes well for its future.
High School
Eco-Team scores solar panel grant
The high school is driving towards
a greener future with a new grant to harness the sun.
Led by the
school's Eco-Team,What is the difference between a third party payment gateway and a 3rd party
processor? the Haliburton Highlands Secondary School is adding their first solar
panel to power their field scoreboard after receiving approval for a Green Apple
School Program grant worth $1,000.
This is an initiative funded by Metro
to encourage students to participate in the development of a healthier
environment.
Eco-Team member and project leader Puru Shah, who has been
with the team for two years, said this was a group effort that included his
president Vicky Bukta and school advisor Amy Klose to address the complication
of powering the field's scoreboard.
This is a legacy project that can
serve as an example to the school and the community, he said.
"It's a
good initiative to show the students that we can do something green," he said.
"It's a challenge for next year and the year after to say, 'top this.'" The
balance of the project exceeded the grant total and the school approved to cover
the $200 shortfall.All Coated Abrasives
products are compiled of backing,This grant program is expected to award up to
$1 million to schools.
For next year, the Grade 11 student said, the
team is considering a garden in the courtyard, which will grow herbs and
vegetables to supply the school's food course.
Although Shah completed
the necessary grant paperwork over the course of a couple of days, he downplays
his efforts and defers credit to his president and school advisor.
Eco-Team president Vicky Bukta is interested in improving things at her
school and the environment.
"Right now our scoreboard is very hard to
use since the battery that runs it only lasts about 30 minutes, which is nowhere
near the length of a full soccer or football game," she said. "Having the
scoreboard run on its own would be great for future sport games we have on the
field.Definition of hypodermic needle
cannula in the Online Dictionary. At the same time we are helping the
environment by having it run on its own with a solar panel," she said.
The Grade 11 student has been part of the eco-team for two years,
joining mid-way through Grade 9.
Since the autumn of 2009, the Green
Apple School Program has awarded hundreds of $1,000 grants to elementary and
high schools in Ontario and Quebec.
Innovalight manufactures a proprietary
nanotechnology-based silicon ink and licenses a proprietary platform process
which allows for a simple upgrade to solarPark Assist is a global leader in Parking guidance system, PV cell
manufacturing production lines to boost performance of solar cells and lower
production costs.
Growing PV market in Taiwan
"We are
delighted to be the sales channel for Innovalight's innovative silicon ink
technology in Taiwan,GreenRay's microinverter design uses a different energy
storage approach," said Mei Lee, General Manager for Grandway Wonice.We are
professional Plastic mould,
"There is a large and growing market in Taiwan for Innovalight's
technology to help improvePolycore honeycomb panels are
manufactured as a single sheet, the economics of producing high-efficiency solar
cells," she added.As one of a leading China Projector Lamp provider from
China.
"As we are expanding our presence in Taiwan, we need to be closer
to our customers," said Boris Mathiszik, vice president of worldwide sales for
Innovalight. "We are delighted to be partnered with Grandway Wonice Technology,"
he added.
Editor's
Note: This entry has been cross-posted from DOE's Energy Blog.
We
commonly think that the sun provides free energy. That's true, but photovoltaic
panels and other equipment to harvest that energy aren't free. The question is:
how are they paid for?
U.S. residential and commercial solar system
customers have historically paid the old-fashioned way: with cash.We are
professional Plastic mould, But the large
upfront cash requirements can place solar energy systems out of reach for many
utility customers. Financial markets are responding and increasingly providing
solar customers with new options. Purchases can be rolled into mortgage
refinances, and consumers can opt to lease solar equipment just as they can
lease a car. Others are choosing power purchase agreements,Detailed information
on the causes of Hemorrhoids,How is TMJ pain treated? in which homeowners
host equipment on their roof or property. In these agreements, homeowners
neither buy nor lease the equipment; instead they agree to purchase the power
produced.
The growing list of financing options is exciting, but we
don't know much about what type of financing consumers are choosing, how often
and with what results.
Photo of a home with solar panels on the roof.
Solar energy isn't free. Someone has to pay. The question is: How are
they doing it? Photo courtesy of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The two most robust data resources—the California Solar Initiative
database and a survey conducted by the Solar Electric Power Association --
provide interesting, though limited, insight. California's extensive database
indicates that third-party financing is on the rise for smaller-scale systems of
10 kW or less. However, trends in California may not mirror the rest of the
country.
The Solar Electric Power Association survey provides more
geographically diverse data. In 2007 and 2008, the association asked 600 people
in six states how they paid for their residential solar systems. All respondents
offset some costs with a utility- or state-sponsored incentive program. For the
balance, two-thirds used cash payment, and another 21 percent chose a home
equity loan. The remainder utilized mortgage refinancing (8 percent) or other
loans (2 percent). However, conditions in the solar and financial markets were
very different than today.Quality air impact
socket tools for any tough job. Now home equity loans are more difficult to
obtain, and leases and power purchase agreements, which were just being
introduced into the residential market in 2008, are more popular.
So for
now, the question remains: How are homeowners and businesses paying for solar
energy systems? The answer is important. Knowing what works can help the
industry and financial markets promote promising financing mechanisms.
Additionally, understanding the financing structures available to homes and
businesses will help quantify the true costs of installing solar equipment and
help identify ways to cut that cost.
Solar energy still won't be free,
but we can make it more affordable and more accessible.
David Feldman is
an energy analyst at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy
Laboratory. To read David's more detailed examination of this topic, see the
Renewable Energy Financing blog.
UPDATE: Looking for more solar data?
Check out the California Solar Statistics.is the 'solar panel revolution' upon us? State
Government and the SEPA surveyPDF.
QUETTA:
When the sun
sets,Detailed information on the causes of Hemorrhoids, most of
Balochistan's rural areas plunge into darkness. The residents' only hope, quite
literally, comes from the sun's rays – except, it's too expensive.We are
professional Plastic mould,
Massive power outages and chronic load shedding have forced
Balochistan's farmers to look for alternatives, mostly in the form of solar
panels.
"About 30 people, mostly farmers,is the 'solar panel revolution' upon us? visit our
shop daily and inquire about the costs and installation of solar pQuality air impact socket tools for any tough
job.anels. Barely anyone ever returns, since it's beyond their reach," Amir
Khan, a dealer for solar panels based in Quetta told The Express Tribune. A
single panel costs Rs 47,How is TMJ
pain treated?000 while a complete kit, which generates one kilowatt of
electricity, costs Rs175,000. For running a tubewell, one requires a kit with at
least 1.6kW generation capacity.
There are two companies dealing in
solar panels in Quetta, and despite having their franchises flooded with
prospective customers every day, their turnover in the past three months has
been negligible.
"The equipment is imported from Dubai and therefore the
prices are high," said one of the dealers.
Dire circumstances
According to Quetta Electricity Supply Company (Qesco), Balochistan is
facing an electricity shortfall of 650 megawatts against a total demand of 1,250
megawatts, forcing Qesco to manage the load through long hours of load shedding.
While the provincial capital faces five to six hours of load shedding every day,
electricity is available for barely two to three hours in remote areas.
Frequent insurgent attacks on high transmission lines add to the
consumers' woes.
Ideal for renewable energy
Balochistan is ideal
for utilising renewable energy sources for electricity generation since the
population is thinly scattered over the province's vast expanse.
Given
settlement patterns in the province, whereby a hundred families live in a
cluster and each cluster is 50 to 100 kilometres away from another, using solar
panels or a wind turbine would be more feasible than establishing a grid station
for each of these clusters, said Nasir Baloch, manager engineering for
Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), Rural Electrification Project
Southern Balochistan.
He said the AEDB had submitted a comprehensive
report in this regard but the project was placed on the back burner when the new
government took over.
A billion rupees can electrify a village through a
kit comprising 80 solar panels, he said, adding that there would be no recurring
costs in this case.