tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82578399675677375942024-03-13T07:50:55.046+00:00Engenharia da Energia e do AmbienteFórumAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-49987526464432754862013-06-22T18:51:00.000+01:002013-06-22T18:51:39.859+01:00Unlikely City Claims Nation’s Largest Electric Car Share<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Retirado do site <a href="http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/unlikely-city-claims-nations-largest-electric-car-share?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=Headline&utm_campaign=GTMDaily" target="_blank">GreenTechMedia</a>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">"Katherine Tweed: June 13, 2013</span></h6>
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Far from high-tech Silicon Valley or hipster Austin, Texas, the largest all-electric car-sharing service is being built.</div>
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If your second guess is Portland or Brooklyn, keep guessing…and moving inland. Indianapolis, the nation's twelfth largest city, will install 1,200 charging stations at about 200 locations to support 500 electric vehicles. The project is expected to be up and running within a year.</div>
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Indianapolis is hardly a hotbed of alternative transportation. It does have a bus system, but “we have one of the worst ranked bus services in the country for a city our size,” said Paul Mitchell, president and CEO of <a href="http://www.energysystemsnetwork.com/" target="_blank">Energy Systems Network </a>(ESN), a nonprofit clean technology initiative that is working on the EV project in Indianapolis. It was not one of the twenty-one metro areas chosen by the Department of Energy as part of <a href="http://theevproject.com/" target="_blank">the EV Project.</a></div>
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The city does have other ties to the burgeoning electric vehicle industry, dating back to General Motor’s EV1. The powertrain for that car was built in Indianapolis. Allison Transmission, which makes electric buses, is based in the city. Mayor Greg Ballard signed an order in December for the entire municipal fleet (except police cruisers) to be <a href="http://www.indy.gov/News%20Items/PR%20--%2012%2012%2012%20EV%20Release.pdf" target="_blank">electric or plug-in hybrid by 2025.</a> The city’s heavy-duty vehicles will have to convert to CNG, and the city is partnering with automakers to develop a hybrid police car. But Ballard wanted to do more.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Can-Car-Sharing-Accelerate-Electric-Vehicle-Adoption">car-sharing</a> service is being envisioned as a type of mass transit for the city of more than 800,000. It suits a Midwestern city that is less dense and less visited than many of its coastal counterparts. Car ownership rates are generally high, but about 10 percent of the population does not own a vehicle, according to Mitchell. More importantly, the city wants to appeal to a generation of young professionals that is less likely to own a car than their parents.</div>
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To ensure that there would be enough people to use it, ESN, the implementation partner for the project, first turned to the universities and large companies (Eli Lilly, Simon Malls) to see if there was interest in such a service. There was.</div>
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With interest and support from the mayor, now they needed a technology partner. Indianapolis chose Bolloré Group, which is eager to get into the North American market after successfully implementing Paris’ all-electric car-sharing service, <a href="http://www.autolib.fr/" target="_blank">Autolib</a>, in less than a year.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bollore.com/en-us" target="_blank">Bolloré</a> is investing about $35 million to launch the program by next year. It will provide the kiosks for check-in and purchase the 500 vehicles, which will be a U.S.-made car, likely the Nissan Leaf or the electric Ford Focus. The French-based conglomerate will also provide 1,200 Level 2 charging stations across 200 locations and operate the program.</div>
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“This program provides a great opportunity for downtown workers, residents and visitors to get around town in a car without owning one,” said Mayor Ballard. “This service allows a person, government or company to only pay for a car when they need and want it. They aren’t paying for fuel, insurance, maintenance and parking costs when the vehicle is not in use.”</div>
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Unlike other car sharing services like Zipcar, the cost of renting the car accrues by the minute, from the time you unplug it to the time you plug it back in. Prices have not been set yet. In France, the cost is about $0.225 per minute with a $16 monthly fee. The average trip is about 10 to 12 minutes, said Mitchell, who has used the Autolib service in the past.</div>
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Indianapolis will not be the first effort at e-car sharing in the U.S., although it will be the largest. <a href="http://car2go.com/" target="_blank">Car2go</a>, which Daimler operates in San Diego and Austin, TX, also runs on a per-minute basis. But instead of the small smart cars being parked at designated charging stations, they can be parked anywhere; Car2go employees make the rounds and pick the cars up later if they need to be redistributed.</div>
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In Paris, however, the car-charging stations are at fixed locations, usually within a quarter-mile of each other. Indianapolis is still working out the exact locations, but Mitchell estimated the stations may be a little farther apart outside of downtown. The program will cover the entire city, with a focus on the areas where demand is expected to be greatest, such as around universities and downtown.</div>
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There are even talks of linking the system with bicycles or e-bikes, for the last half-mile or so. “This will be an interesting social science experiment,” he said. “I’m wondering whether people will just get in them to go somewhere,” such as a heading to a new restaurant that would be too long of a walk on a lunch break.</div>
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The notion of a Parisian-inspired, environmentally friendly, sharing-minded community is not just a nice thought by some fringe group of idealists; it’s central to the city leaders' efforts to keep Indianapolis vibrant and relevant. “There are very few Midwest cities that are growing,” said Mitchell. “Our goal is to attract talent.”</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-43170156900646334912013-06-22T18:50:00.001+01:002013-06-22T18:50:30.161+01:00Dinosaur-Inspired Designs Make Wind Turbines More Aerodynamic<div style="text-align: justify;">
Retirado do site <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/wind-technology/dinosaur-inspired-designs-increase-wind-turbine-power-output.html" target="_blank">TreeHugger</a> e também noticiado no <a href="http://expresso.sapo.pt/eolicas-inspiradas-na-cauda-dos-dinossauros=f813399?goback=%2Egde_2918689_member_249657769" target="_blank">Expresso</a>:</div>
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"<img height="172" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2012/09/stegosaurus.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<em class="credit"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stegosaurus_Senckenberg.jpg"><span style="color: #004276;">EvaK via Wikimedia Commons</span></a>/<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en"><span style="color: #004276;">CC BY-NC-SA 2.0</span></a></em></div>
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"In the grand scheme of things, we're still in the early stages of wind power generation, but even so, there are still many, many wind turbines already installed and generating power. When new technological advances come along like <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/wind-technology/new-wind-turbine-design-generate-power-low-winds.html"><span style="color: #004276;">new turbine designs</span></a> or tweaks to the blades or motors that can increase power generation, replacing entire wind turbines would be very costly. Because of that, Siemens has developed a set of wind turbine blade attachments that increase power generation without having to fully replace any part of the turbine.</div>
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The coolest part of these add-ons? They're inspired by dinosaurs.</div>
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The first of these attachments are called DinoTails. These resemble the back plates of a stegosaurus. When applied to a wind turbine blade, they increase the overall area of the blade to add lift. The serrated edges help break up air flow around the blades, which decreases turbulence and makes the the turbines quieter while reducing the strain on the blades.</div>
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The second attachments are DinoShells. These are shaped like a snow shovel (or the curve of a dinosaur egg) and extend the shape of the turbine blade all the way to the main shaft. Siemens says this extension makes the turbine more efficient.</div>
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The third attachment is a vortex generator -- no cutesy name -- that features small fins that force air to stay in contact with the top of the blade for longer. This increases lift, which in turn increases power generation.</div>
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Siemens says when these three attachments are added, a wind turbine's power output is increased by 1.5 percent. This may seem like a tiny number, but when you outfit an entire wind farm with these, 1.5 percent is actually nothing to laugh at. New Scientist <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21528825.500-dinosaurinspired-upgrades-add-bite-to-wind-turbines.html"><span style="color: #004276;">reports</span></a>, "the Altamont Pass Wind Farm in California - one of the world's biggest - produces 125 megawatts on average. A 1.5 per cent increase there would meet the energy needs of an extra 2500 households."</div>
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Siemens is installing the attachments at the Bison 2 and 3 Wind Energy Centers in North Dakota, which should boost capacity by 3.15 megawatt."</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-72540794539919089432013-06-22T18:48:00.000+01:002013-06-23T20:32:16.617+01:00SASE to tap wind energy in snow-bound areas Retirado do site <a href="http://standardenergysupplycompany.blogspot.pt/2013/05/sase-to-tap-wind-energy-in-snow-bound.html" target="_blank">SESCO</a>:<br />
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"by <b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">Vijay Mohan/TNS </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">To cater to the energy requirements of the armed forces in remote snow-bound areas, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is exploring the potential of tapping wind power to generate energy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">While the Himalayan ridges are known for their high wind potential, accumulation of heavy snow and ice in that region is a critical factor that adversely affects sensitive structures and also jams moving parts in turbines. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Scientists at the Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE), a DRDO laboratory based here, said consequently unconventional technologies like non-rotating generators are being developed as an alternate to the traditional propeller-based wind turbine. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">SASE has developed a laboratory model of a "wind belt", which uses the "flutter" or vibration of a magnetically activated strip to generate power through electromagnetic induction. The belt is attached at both ends inside a frame and the motion of the wind passing over it causes the flutter. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Earlier this year, a joint workshop was held here with the US Army's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, where technologies and methodologies to combat the challenges of unconventional power generation in snow bound regions were discussed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Field trials of the wind belt are scheduled to be held in winters later this year. This technology is also being used in Hong Kong. Wind belts, scientists said, are more energy efficient that wind turbines and also more economical. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As a pilot project, a 10 MW wind turbine was installed by SASE at the Banihal Top in Jammu and Kashmir, at an altitude of over 3000 meters with wind speeds of up to 21 meters per second, to study the effects of snow and ice on the aerodynamics of wind turbines and rotatables. Low temperature and ice effects the physical properties of materials and lubricants damages electrical equipment, seals and rubber parts, cause aerodynamic imbalances and increased vibrations and jams movable parts.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">India is estimated to have a wind power potential of 45,000 MW, with an installed capacity at present of just 18,425 MW. Close to 30 per cent of the potential lies in the hills. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Syndicated from </span><a href="http://indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/sase-tap-wind-energy-snow-bound-areas" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">IndiaEnvironmentPortal</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-66324143885210040862013-06-17T23:07:00.000+01:002013-06-17T23:07:02.682+01:00New Flow Battery Propel Solar and Wind Power to the Grid<div class="byline" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Retirado do site <a href="http://www.sepco-solarlighting.com/blog/bid/148515/New-Flow-Battery-Propel-Solar-and-Wind-Power-to-the-Grid" target="_blank">Sepco - Solar lighting</a>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Posted by </span><a href="http://www.sepco-solarlighting.com/blog/?Author=Liz+Karschner"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Liz Karschner</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">A major obstacle to the widespread use of solar and wind power to supply the grid is the problem of storing the energy produced at a low enough cost. Energy generated by the wind and the sun is subject to unpredictable fluctuations. Until now, the cost of batteries large enough to smooth out these swings in production has made the technology relatively uneconomic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The US federal government recognizes the importance of the problem and the Department of Energy has set up the Batteries and Energy Storage Hub - the </span><a href="http://www.jcesr.org/"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Joint Center for Energy Storage Research</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> (JCESR) - specifically to focus on the issue of power storage for alternative technologies. Any new technology supporting the use of renewable, non-carbon energy sources on a commercial scale is clearly of vital significance for the economy and for a sustainable future. It is the sort of development which players in the power industry need to keep abreast of through such agencies as </span><a href="http://edrnet.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Environmental Data Resources</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The flow battery The JCESR initiative has borne fruit: it has supported Stanford University’s Yi Cui and his team, in their work on a new type of battery. The new battery is an adaptation of the so-called ‘flow battery’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Flow batteries use two different liquids, which can be stored in swimming pool size tanks, as anode and diode. They can easily be scaled up, with available space being the main limitation. The volume of stored liquid is the determining factor, as other components do not have to be changed to increase capacity. However, flow batteries utilize very expensive materials.The liquids used are themselves expensive, and they have to be kept apart by a membrane which is also costly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">A cheaper version Yi Cui’s team has adapted the flow battery to be used with cheaper materials: lithium and sulfur. Lithium and sulfur had previously been used in solid form in batteries but suffered from degradation after repeated use. The new type of battery is a combination of flow technology and lithium/sulfur technology. Like flow batteries, it has the potential for large scale use and durability, but it is much cheaper to make. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Instead of using different liquids for the anode and diode, the new battery uses one type of liquid only, along with lithium in solid form. The design is simpler, and there is no need for an expensive membrane barrier to separate different liquids. The lithium is coated with material to inhibit corrosion, which is much cheaper. The materials used, lithium and sulfur are themselves less expensive than those used in the conventional flow battery. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Next steps| The prototype design has worked well in the laboratory. The next step is to produce a larger scale model, so that any problems in design and engineering can be worked on. Then, all being well, the team wants to work on engaging a power supply company in a commercial scale trial of the technology. It is early days for this technology: the work has just been reported in the May 2013 edition of </span><a href="http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/EE/C3EE00072A"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Energy & Environmental Science</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">. If it fulfills its promise of cheap, large scale, durable energy storage, we will have taken a step towards a more sustainable future.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">About the Author: Tom Grant is a energy sustainability researcher. He enjoys blogging where he shares his findings to various environmental blogs."</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-43097332302722485732013-06-17T23:06:00.000+01:002013-06-17T23:06:17.708+01:00A Solar Fridge for Fresh Food in Hot Climates<div style="text-align: justify;">
Retirado do site <a href="http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/06/solar-fridge-fresh-food-hot-climates/" target="_blank">TriplePundit</a>:<br />
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<strong>The University of Cincinnati responds to food shortages with solar-powered cold storage for farms.</strong></div>
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Food shortages in India are compounded by a lack of cold-chain storage facilities, but a new solar-powered cold storage device, developed by the <a href="http://www.uc.edu/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #3166b0;">University of Cincinnati</span></strong></a> in partnership with industry, could put this problem on ice.</div>
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SolerCool has been designed to provide cooling at the individual farm level. The size of a large garden shed, it can be easily transported to farms on the back of a truck.</div>
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The SolerCool project is a partnership between the University of Cincinnati and three local companies – <a href="http://www.acutemp.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #3166b0;">Acutemp Thermal Systems</span></strong></a>, <a href="http://www.simplicool.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #3166b0;">SimpliCool Technologies International</span></strong></a> and <a href="http://www.sasgripper.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #3166b0;">SAS Automation</span></strong></a> – funded by a <a href="http://www.pg.com/en_UK/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #3166b0;">Procter and Gamble</span></strong></a> higher-education grant.</div>
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The unit derives its power from eight solar photovoltaic panels which, when in operation, deliver 1kW to charge several deep-cycle batteries. In contrast to the short, high-current bursts of starter batteries (such as those found in a car), deep-cycle batteries are designed to regularly discharge between 50 and 80 percent of their total charging capacity, without degrading.</div>
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These power reserves ensure that the compression-based cooling unit is capable of functioning both day and night. SolerCool also features a battery health monitoring system, which digitally displays status updates and can predict in advance if any battery is in danger of failing.</div>
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“A recent report by the UK’s <a href="http://www.imeche.org/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #3166b0;">Institution of Mechanical Engineers</span></strong></a> highlighted that in India 21 million tonnes of wheat annually perishes due to inadequate storage and distribution. Any technology that addresses this overlooked area of development is to be welcomed,” says Ann-Marie Brouder, who specialises in sustainable food systems at Forum for the Future.</div>
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Each unit may initially be somewhat expensive, at around $5,000, University of Cincinnati engineer Mohsen Rezayat told the<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #3166b0;"> <em>New York Times</em></span></strong></a>. However, wider applications may bring the cost down. SolerCool has potential, not only in countries with hot climates, but also as a “green” alternative to existing cold-chain technologies, says Ilse Hawkins, the associate business law professor who heads up the project at Cincinnati. Plans for commercial roll-out will be finalised following further tests, she confirms.</div>
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<em>Ian Randall is a journalist working at CERN</em><em>"</em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-30386241771314058972013-06-17T23:02:00.001+01:002013-06-17T23:03:22.399+01:00FEUP lidera projeto europeu em energias renováveis<div class="entrymeta">
<small>Retirado do site da <a href="http://noticias.up.pt/feup-lidera-projeto-europeu-em-energias-renovaveis/?goback=%2Egde_4238305_member_249092586" target="_blank">Notícias UP</a>:</small><br />
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<small>"Quinta-feira, 6 de Junho, 2013</small></div>
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Marina Bertoncello / FEUP <small>|</small></div>
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A<strong> Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP)</strong> lidera um projeto do 7º Programa Quadro da Comissão Europeia dedicado ao desenvolvimento e disseminação de tecnologias de geração de eletricidade usando fontes de energia renováveis. O projeto <strong>REnewable ELectricity COOPeration (REELCOOP)</strong> terá em foco cinco áreas diferentes: eletricidade fotovoltaica, centrais solares de concentração, eletricidade solar térmica, biomassa e integração de eletricidade renovável na rede.</div>
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Investigadores vão conceber e testar três protótipos inovadores de sistemas de geração elétrica.</div>
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De acordo com o plano estratégico da União Europeia para a energia (SET-Plan), serão estudados e desenvolvidos sistemas de geração centralizada de eletricidade, assim como sistemas de geração distribuída (de pequena dimensão).</div>
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O projeto REELCOOP vai compreender a conceção, construção e teste de três protótipos de sistemas de geração elétrica, que incorporam inovações tecnológicas de relevo: um protótipo de um sistema elétrico fotovoltaico integrado num edifício, um protótipo de um sistema de micro-cogeração híbrido (solar térmico/biomassa) e um outro de uma mini central de concentração solar.</div>
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Para além da FEUP, são entidades parceira do projeto a Universidade de Reading (Reino Unido), o DLR (Alemanha), a Universidade de Évora (Portugal), o CIEMAT (Espanha), o ENIT (Tunísia), o IRESEN (Marrocos), a Universidade de Yasar (Turquia), o CDER (Argélia) e as empresas ONYX Solar (Espanha), MCG Solar (Portugal), Termocycle (Polónia), Soltigua (Itália), Zuccato Energia (Itália) e Advanced Energy Systems (Tunísia).</div>
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O projeto REELCOOP terá a duração de quatro anos, com início em setembro de 2013, e receberá uma contribuição financeira da Comissão Europeia superior a 5 milhões de euros. A FEUP será a entidade coordenadora, sob a responsabilidade científica do Armando Oliveira, professor do Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica (DEMec) da FEUP."</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-70809741311601500592013-06-17T23:01:00.000+01:002013-06-17T23:01:53.658+01:00Entrevista: Olhão conquista prémio europeu e persegue autosustentabilidade<div style="text-align: justify;">
Retirado do site <a href="http://www.eficiencia-energetica.com/DetalheNoticias.asp?ID_conteudo=745&ID_area=23" target="_blank">EE</a> (Eficiência-Energética):</div>
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"Olhão recebeu, a 17 de maio, durante a Conferência Internacional “Mediterranean Energy Cities”, em Chipre, o galardão EAA (European Energy Award). A autarquia obteve a quarta melhor pontuação entre 72 municípios dos sete países da bacia do Mediterrâneo (Itália, Espanha, Grécia, Chipre, Malta, Portugal e Eslovénia). O vice-presidente da câmara diz que a eficiência energética é uma das prioridades do município e que no próximo mandato, se vencer as eleições, quer fazer com que a autarquia produza pelo menos metade da energia que consome.</div>
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<strong>EE: Olhão conseguiu 64% da pontuação no conjunto dos parâmetros em análise no concurso. Quais foram aqueles em que se destacou?</strong></div>
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António Pina: Um dos pontos que mais atraiu esta avaliação foi as experiências que temos na área da eficiência dos equipamentos municipais. Falo da biblioteca, das piscinas e do auditório, onde temos um projeto de microgeração de energia, mas também medidas que os municípios estão a adotar em termos de planeamento. Valorizaram bastante também o facto de estarmos a concluir o nosso Plano de Mobilidade e Transportes de Olhão, que assenta muito na eficiência energética.</div>
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<strong>Em que é que consiste esse plano?</strong><br />
Tenta perceber quais são os fluxos das pessoas, quer dentro da cidade, quer para fora da cidade, e tenta projetar condições para que os usos de meios de transporte públicos e de meios que não produzem CO2 sejam mais fáceis e mais atrativos, promovendo-os.</div>
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<strong>Por exemplo, mais autocarros e a promoção do uso da bicicleta?</strong><br />
Sobretudo a promoção da bicicleta e o a pé conjugado com os circuitos urbanos.</div>
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<strong>O plano inclui também veículos elétricos?</strong><br />
No plano prevê-se também a atração de investimento privado na colocação em determinados pontos-chave da cidade de veículos elétricos.</div>
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<strong>Quando é que começaram a implementar medidas de eficiência energética?</strong><br />
Desde o mandato anterior.</div>
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<strong>Porque é que a nível nacional apenas concorreram concelhos do Algarve [os outros são Vila do Bispo, Vila Real de Sto. António, Albufeira e Aljezur, igualmente distinguidos]?</strong><br />
Penso que aqui tem a ver com a boa dinâmica da nossa associação para a energia. A AREAL [Agência Regional de Energia e Ambiente do Algarve], que é uma associação onde estão também municípios, tem uma boa e grande dinâmica e terá concorrido a este programa europeu.</div>
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<strong>Para além das medidas atrás referidas, que outros planos têm nesta área?</strong><br />
No futuro queremos ser muito arrojados nesta área. A questão da eficiência energética vai ser um dos temas que os próximos fundos comunitários mais vão evidenciar (...) e, considerando que o município de Olhão tem uma fatura da eletricidade na ordem de 1,4 milhões de euros, o que representa mais de cinco por cento do orçamento do município, faz todo o sentido evoluir para uma quase autosustentabilidade de produção energética. Essa será a nossa aposta no futuro. Para além dos edifícios municipais - onde já temos a experiência e a perceção de qual é a rentabilidade desses investimentos, nos edifícios que já referi - tencionamos ir mais longe, mesmo no que diz respeito à iluminação pública. Queremos aproveitar os fundos numa parceria, naturalmente com os prestadores de serviços de energia, uma vez que também temos agora a questão da liberalização do mercado, e porque não que a iluminação pública seja feita através da produção fotovoltaica?</div>
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<strong>Querem ser autossustentáveis. Isso será para quando?</strong><br />
Queremos procurar essa autosustentabilidade no próximo mandato. Há eleições e eu, como candidato a presidente do novo executivo, pretendo ter isso como um dos objetivos do novo exercício A autosustentabilidade é difícil a 100 por cento, mas queremos que esse seja o caminho e talvez nos próximos quatro anos conseguir pelo menos que 50 por cento da energia que é consumida pelo município ser produzida pelo município, que é um objetivo perfeitamente alcançável desde que entendamos que essa é uma prioridade.</div>
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<strong>De que forma é que têm envolvido a população na temática da eficiência energética?</strong><br />
Temos trabalhado nos últimos tempos com a população mais no sentido de fazer o esclarecimento sobre como adaptar-se à liberalização do mercado. Essa é que tem sido a nossa preocupação. Mais do ponto de vista do consumidor, saber enquadrar e aproveitar da melhor forma a liberalização do mercado e até também para ter alguns cuidados. Estas sensibilizações que temos feito na área da eletricidade e na área do gás, mas a questão da eficiência energética ainda não tem sido trabalhada a esse nível.</div>
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<strong>Mas no futuro pretendem sensibilizar a população para medidas de eficiência energética?</strong><br />
Essa missão, julgo que é um dos objetivos da AREAL, em conjunto com os municípios. A questão da eficiência energética, acima de tudo, é uma iniciativa de gestão pessoal. Aí o papel dos municípios pode vir a ser essencialmente o de transpor aquilo que são as nossas experiências e os nossos ganhos e dar-lhes como bom exemplo, especialmente aos grandes condóminos, naquilo que eles também poderão fazer."</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-23686270877275979522013-06-10T20:36:00.001+01:002013-06-13T18:36:38.496+01:00Eficiência em grandes superfícies <div class="video">
<span style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><strong>Retirado do site <a href="http://www.energiasrenovaveis.com/GaleriaVideo.asp?ID_foto=234&ID_area=24&ID_cat=20" target="_blank">Portal das Energias Renováveis</a>:</strong></span></div>
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<span style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><strong>"</strong></span><span style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><a href="http://sicnoticias.sapo.pt/" target="_blank">Sic Notícias</a></span> </div>
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<strong>Resumo</strong>: </div>
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A loja IKEA de Loures, a maior da Península Ibérica, foi inaugurada há três anos e investiu quase um milhão e meio de euros num plano de sustentabilidade que inclui a reutilização de água e a poupança de energia, através do aproveitamento da luz natural e do uso de tecnologias de baixo consumo. Medidas que já se traduziram em poupanças anuais de 400 mil euros.</div>
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<strong>Data</strong>: 22-05-2013"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-25073254730167547252013-06-10T20:35:00.000+01:002013-06-10T20:35:13.046+01:00UK pilot testing for a world of EVs<div class="byline" jquery1369576313585="40" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Retirado do site <a href="http://www.fiercesmartgrid.com/story/uk-pilot-testing-world-evs/2013-05-22?utm_campaign=AddThis&utm_medium=AddThis&utm_source=linkedin&goback=%2Egde_56843_member_243425263" target="_blank">FierceSmartgrid</a>:<br />
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"May 22, 2013 | By <a href="http://www.fiercesmartgrid.com/author/blundin%40fiercemarkets.com" rel="author" title="View author profile."><span style="color: #000099;">Barbara Vergetis Lundin</span></a></div>
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My Electric Avenue, Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution's (SSEPD) project studying the impact that recharging electric vehicles (EV) may have on the local electricity network, is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. It promises to deliver real, significant benefits on both commercial and technical levels through the engagement of customers, distribution network operators (DNO), small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and companies new to the electricity industry, while pushing the currently accepted boundaries of innovation.</div>
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As sales of electric vehicles increase, there is a need to assess the potential impact that a cluster of EVs may have in a local area served by one electricity substation. In the event of all EVs being recharged at the same time, and without any preparation, the load on the local electricity network may exceed the substation capacity.</div>
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Project participants will drive an EV for 18 months to trial new technology in preparation for a time when EVs are commonplace. The technology will monitor and control the electricity demand from charging electric cars -- a solution that will save expensive and disruptive work being carried out to upgrade the electricity network.</div>
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My Electric Avenue is the first time a DNO has empowered a third party to develop, manage and deliver a network innovation project on its behalf to test a possible approach that will help shape the design and delivery of future network innovation competitions.</div>
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For more:<br />
- visit this <a href="http://myelectricavenue.info/"><span style="color: #000099;">website</span></a>"</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-85145947633646151132013-06-10T20:34:00.000+01:002013-06-10T20:34:26.552+01:00Entrevista: Português cria modelo de cidade sustentável aplicável em "todo o planeta"<div style="text-align: justify;">
Retirado do site <a href="http://www.energiasrenovaveis.com/DetalheNoticias.asp?ID_conteudo=738&ID_area=23" target="_blank">Portal das Energias Renováveis</a>:</div>
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Rui Vasques, de 25 anos, idealizou cada pormenor da cidade em que gostaria de viver ao criar a Eco-Village Community, um projeto que lhe valou o Prémio Melhor Aluno de Curso IADE 2012 e que tem apresentado por todo o país. Para o jovem de sete ofícios - para além da conservação do ambiente, da construção e do design, também tem projetos nas áreas do desenho, música, desporto e juventude - "a maioria das pessoas está preparada para viver de uma maneira mais simples".</div>
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<strong>PER: Porque é que decidiu projetar a Eco-Village Community?</strong><br />
Rui Vasques: A Eco-Village Community nasceu no âmbito do meu Mestrado em Design de Produção quando realizava a tese-projeto sobre “Construções Sustentáveis”. Ao pesquisar sobre temas do meu interesse relacionados com quatro áreas de conhecimento - cultural, científica, experimental e logística - e que iam muito para além do Design. Abordei temas como ecologia, antropologia, sociologia, neurociência, arte, bioconstrução, marketing verde e ainda inúmeros filmes e documentários que me fizeram perceber a evolução do Homem no planeta e a sua conduta perfeitamente desajustada da natureza que observamos nas sociedades globais de hoje em dia.<br />
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<strong>A ideia inicial era começar por criar uma casa sustentável. Como é que evoluiu de uma casa para uma comunidade?</strong><br />
Através de uma metodologia avançada de projeto, das triangulações que relacionam os conteúdos e dos conceitos que fui desenvolvendo, surgiu a ideia de projetar um modelo social de raiz que respondesse aos problemas sociais, económicos e ambientais que abordei, apoiado pelo conhecimento e esperança depositada nesta nova era de transição para o desenvolvimento sustentável.<br />
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<strong>Como é que a comunidade seria autossustentável quanto a energias renováveis?</strong><br />
A comunidade utiliza energia solar, energia eólica, produção de biomassa e biocombustíveis, energia cinética e, se necessário, a energia geotérmica, dependendo das condições locais. A ideia é criar uma rede energética geral ligada a uma central elétrica de armazenamento, que gera energia através das tendas solares com células fotovoltaicas, candeeiros solares, painéis solares e ainda ventoinhas eólicas eficientes. Esta rede independente serve de apoio aos sistemas elétricos individuais de cada habitação/estrutura, assim como às sub-redes distribuidoras por zonas de moradores. Deste modo, cada bloco de habitações é autossuficiente e se necessário ou em caso de falha pode usufruir da energia armazenada da rede geral.<br />
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<strong>Como é que essas estruturas para a geração de energia renovável seriam incluídas no espaço físico da Eco-Village?</strong><br />
Para além das tendas e candeeiros solares já projetados, a comunidade inclui seis painéis solares por cada bloco de habitações, no total de 96 painéis solares distribuídos por oito estruturas de captação, uma por cada par de blocos da zona de habitação. Na parte central existem mais 24 painéis solares distribuídos em quatro estruturas de captação com seis painéis cada. As ventoinhas eólicas eficientes são dispostas no topo de cada habitação onde há maior aproveitamento dos ventos e para consumo próprio, num total de 60 sistemas de captação. A compostagem, produção de biomassa e biocombustíveis estão presentes em estruturas destinadas às respetivas funções, na zona exterior da comunidade relacionada com a produção de recursos. A energia cinética é aplicada a motores de movimento e no equipamento urbano desportivo, máquinas de exercícios diversos que aproveitam a energia gerada pelo utilizador armazenando-a na rede central.<br />
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<strong>Este sistema é aplicável em qualquer parte do mundo?</strong><br />
Penso que este modelo se aplica a todo o planeta, desde que seja feito um estudo prévio das condições climatéricas e potencial energético do local, direcionando assim a utilização das energias renováveis para o local em questão e compensando a falta de um elemento com outro. A tecnologia de hoje permite-nos obter a energia da natureza em qualquer parte do planeta e das mais variadas formas possíveis.</div>
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<strong>O sistema criado permite o armazenamento ou venda de energia à rede?</strong><br />
Sim. Um dos objetivos é que a rede central possa disponibilizar uma parte excedente de energia para troca ou venda às comunidades vizinhas.<br />
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<strong>Pode descrever-me a técnica de construção das casas e de que forma é que a eficiência energética é tida em conta?</strong><br />
O Superadobe é uma técnica de construção a partir de sacos com terra criada por Nader Khalili que funciona em sinergia com a energia dos quatro elementos naturais: terra, água, ar e fogo. As suas principais vantagens são: rapidez e simplicidade de construção, extrema resistência física, excelente conforto térmico e acústico, baixo custo e mínimo impacto ecológico pela utilização de materiais locais. Esta técnica foi desenvolvida num simpósio com a N.A.S.A para estudar a viabilidade de construir na lua, com o mínimo material possível e máxima resistência, durabilidade e adaptação ao solo. Cada casa é energizada pela rede individual, que é alimentada pelas sub-redes locais e ainda apoiadas pela rede geral de armazenamento. São ainda aplicados sistemas de gestão e eficiência energética como por exemplo POM Power Guard Energy em cada estrutura. As estruturas estão pensadas para funcionar consoante os percursos do sol ao longo do ano, a frequência dos ventos e os lençóis freáticos existentes, rentabilizando ao máximo as condições de conforto e energia aproveitada.<br />
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<strong>Como é que é feita a mobilidade das pessoas nesta comunidade?</strong><br />
A minha intenção é que as pessoas se desloquem de bicicleta, porque o espaço não ultrapassa os 500 m de diâmetro e se for preciso levar cargas pesadas utilizam atrelados a veículos elétricos ou veículos movidos a energias não poluentes e/ou biocombustíveis. A maioria das pessoas nesta vila certamente que iria preferir andar a pé.<br />
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<strong>Essa comunidade está pensada para quantas pessoas?</strong><br />
O número médio de pessoas para este modelo social varia entre os 300 a 500 habitantes.<br />
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<strong>Que investimento exige a construção desta comunidade?</strong><br />
Neste momento estou a trabalhar no desenvolvimento mais aprofundado dos modelos de negócio possíveis para o projeto: a ideia da criação de um ecoresort sustentável e/ou de um centro de investigação para o desenvolvimento sustentável que reunisse todos os projetos dentro do âmbito em Portugal. O modelo está pensado para fechar o ciclo ao fim de um a dois anos e a partir desse momento tornar-se completamente autossuficiente em todas as vertentes, causando um impacto mínimo no meio e ecossistemas envolventes. Está também previsto o retorno de investimento financeiro, ao fim de três a cinco anos, dependendo da ideia de negócio, e também o retorno do consumo energético próprio comparando com o valor do investimento inicial. Muito ainda por alto, e arredondando para cima os valores de investimento, para pôr o modelo em funcionamento e dividindo por áreas são necessários 1,45 milhões, designadamente 600 mil em estruturas de Superadobe auto-suficientes, equipadas com tecnologia e sistemas inteligente, 80 mil para vegetação, pavimento, construção e infraestruturas. 200 mil em energia, 50 mil em água, 30 mil em produção de recursos, 60 mil em equipamento e ainda 400 mil como margem de segurança.<br />
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<strong>Depois do lançamento deste projeto, já teve algum convite para aplicar esta comunidade sustentável?</strong><br />
Ainda não. Já percorro o país desde o início de 2012 pelos eventos relacionados com sustentabilidade e empreendedorismo (...). Já tive algumas propostas, ainda por alto, mas de aplicar algo com os mesmos conceitos e mais pequeno e nunca esta solução no seu todo. Creio que nesta fase de crise que atravessa o país é difícil arranjar um investidor português, mas ainda tenho esperança que possa vir a acontecer, porque também a crise é uma grande potenciadora de novas ideias, projetos inovadores e principalmente de mudança.<br />
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<strong>Tem ideia de começar por um resort Eco-Village na região da Nazaré. Porque ali?</strong><br />
A Nazaré foi um dos locais escolhidos como proposta para testar este modelo na forma de um resort auto-sustentável, porque é um local relacionado com a comunidade nacional e estrangeira de surf, um desporto que tem crescido muito em Portugal e que começa a precisar de mais estruturas de apoio ao turismo relacionado com o mesmo. Este tipo de solução de linha orgânica, bioconstrução e amiga do ambiente encaixa perfeitamente no perfil e nas necessidades dos surfistas nacionais e internacionais que pretendam ter um sítio para repousar perto de um dos melhores locais do país para a prática do desporto.<br />
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<strong>Tem feito apresentações do projeto em Portugal ou no estrangeiro? Se sim, qual o feedback que tem recebido?</strong><br />
Tenho percorrido o país tentando inspirar as pessoas para uma visão mais sustentável do futuro e em busca de seguidores, parceiros, mentores e pessoas que acreditem e queiram contribuir para o projeto. (...) Tenho recebido bastante feedback de pessoas experientes em diversas áreas, que muitas vezes me colocam questões semelhantes que acabo por responder da mesma maneira, ou seja, quando questionam uma parte do projeto muitas vezes tenho que responder com o "todo" porque tudo está interligado e funciona em sinergia. As principais discussões correntes são a adaptabilidade das culturas a este tipo de solução e se a maioria das pessoas está preparada para viver de uma maneira mais simples. Eu penso que sim, porque acredito que o homem é diretamente condicionado pelo meio que o envolve e, se este for sustentável, este irá adaptar-se ao meio para cooperar e poder sobreviver. Outras questões pertinentes são se existe alguma produção industrial de bens local, ao qual respondo que não e que tento evitar isso ao máximo porque o artesanato pode produzir todo o tipo de utensílios para suprir as funções relativas às necessidades básicas. Os restantes produtos tecnológicos e bens pessoais são adquiridos fora da comunidade. Também me questionam quanto ao sistema de organização, que explico já ter sido estudado e utilizado em muitos projetos urbanísticos por trazer muitas vantagens de otimização, assim como sobre os processos de produção de recursos ao qual respondo com temas como permacultura, estações aeropónicas e hidropónicas verticais, criação de gado, árvores de fruto e peixe em cativeiro, etc.</div>
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Saiba mais e veja fotografias sobre o projeto Eco-Village Community <a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Eco-Village-Community/2801459" target="_blank">aqui.</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" target="_blank">PER</a> </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-70363614772560473062013-06-10T20:33:00.000+01:002013-06-10T20:33:12.302+01:00Fábrica do Sol, a energia eficiente debaixo dos pésRetirado do site <a href="http://www.energiasrenovaveis.com/DetalheNoticias.asp?ID_conteudo=747&ID_area=4" target="_blank">Portal das Energias Renováveis</a>:<br />
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Um velho edifício em Barcelona, renovado há uns anos, foi transformado no perfeito exemplo de energia eficiente. O edifício, apelidado de Fábrica do Sol, utiliza energia geotérmica vertical associada a um sistema de ar condicionado que aquece no inverno e refresca no verão, sem necessitar de ter um vulcão por perto.</div>
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“Normalmente, quando se pensa em recuperar calor do subsolo para aquecer a casa, para ser usado como aquecimento, não necessitamos de ter um vulcão junto aos nossos pés. Utilizamos um outro sistema, que requer uma profundidade de apenas 100 metros, e é mais barato, e implica termos uma bomba de calor que usamos como se de um sistema de ar condicionado se tratasse”, explica Aniol Esquerra Alsius.</div>
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O engenheiro industrial, citado pela <a href="http://pt.euronews.com/2013/04/22/energia-eficiente-por-baixo-dos-nossos-pes/" target="_blank">Euronews,</a> explica que é possível “usar esta inércia térmica que existe no solo, a uma temperatura constante, para conseguirmos uma fonte térmica muito mais eficiente”.</div>
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E uma bomba de calor faz quase todo o trabalho. Sete tubos gigantes são colocados no subsolo. Uma máquina geotérmica potente injeta água fria nos tubos que devolvem calor do subsolo, que entra na máquina, que por sua vez transfere o calor para o circuito de distribuição no solo ou nas unidades independentes. É um circuito fechado de água, que transporta calor ou frio.</div>
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Segundo Dimitrios Mendrinos, engenheiro coordenador do Centro para Recursos de Energias Renováveis do projeto Ground-Med, o “Ground-Med utiliza tecnologia de bombas de calor que produzem uma energia útil ao edifício de eficácia número 5, ou seja, a energia produzida é cinco vezes superior à energia consumida.”</div>
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As bombas de calor, como a usada em Barcelona, são produzidas em França. Trata-se de um projeto de investigação europeu que desenvolve bombas capazes de uma eficácia de nível 5, o que significa que por cada 1 kw de eletricidade, a bomba devolve 5 kw.</div>
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Em termos de custos, estas bombas são mais caras, custam mais ou menos 10 mil euros para uma casa individual, mas podem ser aplicada em qualquer edifício, até em casas antigas.</div>
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“É verdade que a energia geotérmica vertical tem um ponto fraco. A sua instalação, porque além da máquina, temos de perfurar o solo, um dos pontos mais delicados. Mas não há dúvida de que com o aumento da produção geotérmica, os custos vão diminuir no futuro”, disse Frédéric Bruyère, gestor de sistemas de desenvolvimento, também citado pela<a href="http://pt.euronews.com/2013/04/22/energia-eficiente-por-baixo-dos-nossos-pes/" target="_blank"> Euronews.</a></div>
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A Fábrica do Sol também explora a energia solar: painéis fotovoltaicos e um sistema de fibra ótima são suficientes para inundar um quarto com luz.</div>
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A bomba de calor fornece um terço da energia necessária ao edifício, o sistema de aquecimento através da biomassa outro terço e o painel fotovoltaico fornece o último terço, sendo as plantas usadas para refrescar o edifício.</div>
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Para Aniol Esquerra Alsius, “o objetivo da Fábrica do Sol é educar, mostrar às pessoas dando o exemplo”. A caminhada europeia rumo à otimização da energia geotérmica vertical não se fica por Barcelona. Sete centros de demonstração existem em França, Itália, Grécia e Roménia.</div>
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<a href="http://pt.euronews.com/2013/04/22/energia-eficiente-por-baixo-dos-nossos-pes/" target="_blank">PER / Euronews</a>"</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-57944057258041141672013-06-06T15:30:00.000+01:002013-06-06T15:30:56.427+01:00Hydropower Energy Harvesting<span style="color: black;">Retirado do site <a href="http://www.engineering.com/ElectronicsDesign/ElectronicsDesignArticles/ArticleID/5761/Hydropower-Energy-Harvesting.aspx?goback=%2Egde_2121068_member_245774194" target="_blank">Engineering</a>:</span><br />
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"<a href="http://www.engineering.com/Author/ID/149083/TomLombardo">Tom Lombardo</a> posted posted on May 27, 2013 |</div>
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Hydroelectric power is the oldest large-scale system for generating electricity, dating back more than one hundred years. Hydroelectric power is considered “clean” because it doesn’t emit carbon or other pollutants. But no technology is entirely clean; large-scale hydroelectric plants are usually created by damming a river, which <a href="http://www.nature.org.vn/en/news/on-media/the-thirst-for-hydropower-plants-devastating-living-environment/" target="_blank">drastically alters the local ecosystem and affects the water rights of those downstream</a>. A joint project between researchers at New Mexico State University and Ho Chi Minh University of Technology is proposing small hydroelectric power plants that don’t rely on dams, but instead use existing natural or man-made water flows. </div>
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Professor Nadipuram Prasad and his colleagues are developing a turbine for two kinds of hydroelectric energy harvesting. One uses water flow from urban water systems, such as the diluted effluent that water treatment plants discharge into natural bodies of water and the flow of clean water down a tower and towards residences. The other sources are irrigation canals and natural streams, both of which are “low-head” and therefore low energy sources. In order to maximize the energy from these low-head sources, Dr. Prasad and his team are proposing a modified water turbine design, one that uses the Venturi effect to increase the velocity of the fluid, which increases its kinetic energy. (The same principle is used in the <a href="http://www.engineering.com/ElectronicsDesign/ElectronicsDesignArticles/ArticleID/5732/A-Down-To-Earth-Wind-Turbine.aspx" target="_blank">INVELOX wind turbine design that I wrote about last week</a>.) Dr. Prasad calls these water turbines HyPER (HydroPower Energy Recovery) harvesters. </div>
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<img alt="" height="240" src="http://www.engineering.com/Portals/0/BlogFiles/tlombardo/HyPER/VenturiEffect.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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As you can see from the picture and equation, decreasing the area causes an increase in velocity. Since power is proportional to the cube of velocity, power will increase even though the area decreases. Of course, one does not simply increase energy - it has to come from somewhere. The Venturi effect causes a decrease in pressure that corresponds to the increase in velocity, resulting in a decrease in potential energy caused by the pressure of the fluid. That loss of “pressure energy” produces the gain in kinetic energy. An alternator placed in the narrow section converts the flow into “wild frequency” AC, which is rectified and fed through an inverter to produce grid-quality AC. <a href="http://share.pdfonline.com/389306cd4e01494e9792a404f120cf7d/IPEC%202012%20Paper_Dec%2031-2012.htm">This paper has more technical details about the design</a>.</div>
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The model was designed in conjunction with a project-based learning activity conducted by Dr. Prasad in his energy harvesting and electrical engineering courses at New Mexico State University. (<a href="http://www.engineering.com/Education/EducationArticles/ArticleID/5759/The-end-of-the-Engineering-Ivory-Tower.aspx" target="_blank">See another example of project-based learning here</a>.) Assisted by a grant from the US Department of Energy, Dr. Prasad’s team will be building and testing two 10kW prototypes in the Elephant Butte Irrigation District in Las Cruces, New Mexico in the spring of 2014.</div>
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“The HyPER project is aimed toward developing the cheapest and most efficient ways of harnessing energy from gravity-fed flowing water resources such as rivers, streams, irrigation canals and flood canals,” Prasad said. “The key benefit is that it requires minimal infrastructure for its installation and end use. As such, its use is practically unlimited.”</div>
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<a href="http://www.engr.nmsu.edu/news_items/2013_news/news_1_prasad.shtml" target="_blank">[Read More...]</a>"</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-2414116813600706562013-06-06T15:02:00.000+01:002013-06-06T15:02:55.365+01:00Sapatilhas transformam movimento dos pés em energia elétrica<span>Retirado do site <a href="http://www.energiasrenovaveis.com/DetalheNoticias.asp?ID_conteudo=743&ID_area=23" target="_blank">Portal das Energias Renováveis</a>, referido pelo Pedro Fonseca.</span><br />
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Estudantes de engenharia da Universidade de Rice, em Houston, no Texas desenvolveram, como projeto de conclusão de curso, um par de ténis que é capaz de aproveitar a energia mecânica do movimento dos pés e gerar uma corrente elétrica para abastecer pequenos aparelhos eletrónicos, como telemóveis.</div>
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Em colaboração com o Laboratório de Análise de Movimento do Shriners Hospital for Children, em Houston, a equipa determinou que a força do calcanhar tem muito mais potencial para fornecer energia do que qualquer outra parte do pé.<br /><br />Neste sentido, os estudantes desenvolveram o protótipo de um dispositivo que é colocado justamente sob a base do calcanhar no ténis para converter o movimento em eletricidade.<br /><br />Entretanto, algumas melhorias técnicas ainda são necessárias para tornar o protótipo atrativo para o mercado, como o tamanho do aparelho, muito grande e pesado para ser usado com conforto no dia a dia.<br /><br />Os alunos esperam também que o seu trabalho possa contribuir para desenvolver uma nova geração de bombas cardíacas artificiais, através de uma parceria entre a Universidade de Rice e o Instituto do Coração do Texas.<br /><br />A ideia é que no futuro pacientes que usam essas bombas artificiais possam contar com uma fonte de energia confiável e sempre disponível para recarregar os aparelhos dos quais dependem para viver."</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-2453784925181093622013-06-06T14:59:00.000+01:002013-06-06T14:59:40.506+01:00"Tidal stream power with Alstom"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Um pequeno vídeo promovido pela empresa <a href="http://www.alstom.com/" target="_blank">Alstom</a> sobre o aproveitamento da energia das marés, referido pelo Pedro Fonseca.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-4109527671669448462013-05-26T11:59:00.000+01:002013-05-26T12:36:59.482+01:00Building sector slowly getting smarter about efficiency <div class="byline" jquery1369080303065="38" sizcache="2" sizset="45">
Retirado do site <a href="http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/top-3-efficiency-opportunities-utilities/2013-05-14?utm_campaign=AddThis&utm_medium=AddThis&utm_source=linkedin&goback=%2Egde_127111_member_240957275" target="_blank">FierceEnergy</a>:</div>
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"May 14, 2013 | By <a href="http://www.fierceenergy.com/author/blundin%40fiercemarkets.com" rel="author" title="View author profile.">Barbara Vergetis Lundin</a></div>
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Intelligent efficiency is changing the way companies integrate and operate equipment, according to GTM Research.</div>
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Energy-efficiency opportunities in the building and commercial and industrial sectors are vast, and utilities can get involved in a number of technology areas - the most lucrative being lighting, HVAC and energy storage.</div>
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According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), lighting in commercial buildings makes up 21 percent of electricity use and between 20 to 38 percent of consumption in the industrial sector. Lighting represents one of the easiest opportunities for efficiency opportunities in the commercial and industrial sectors. Costs of solid-state LED technologies have steadily come down, and programmable LED technologies with system-wide monitoring capabilities are allowing for the monitoring of occupancy, temperature, energy consumption and light quality.</div>
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After lighting, HVAC components such as air conditioners, boilers, chillers, furnaces, heat pumps and packaged air handlers represent almost 50 percent of all energy consumed in U.S. buildings, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. In data centers, cooling alone represents 45 percent. HVAC units offer huge load reduction and load shifting opportunities. Variable speed motors improve energy consumption based on dynamic usage requirements. Smart thermostats can make decisions about how to operate an HVAC system. Cloud-based software allows for seamless remote monitoring; and demand-controlled ventilation responds to dynamic occupancy levels in real time.</div>
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Most consumers don't associate storage or on-site renewables with traditional energy efficiency. But the same types of analytics that are turning "dumb" lighting and HVAC equipment into dynamic systems are also driving intelligence in these sectors, according to GTM Research, meaning significant impacts for building-efficiency projects.</div>
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Thanks to intelligent architecture, storage is being integrated as part of energy-efficiency projects. The intelligent deployment of electric vehicle fleets, renewable energy systems, combined heat and power and on-site storage can dynamically manage load and reduce energy costs.</div>
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For more:</div>
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- get the <a href="http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/intelligent-efficiency-innovations-reshaping-the-energy-efficiency-market"><span style="color: #000099;">report</span></a>"</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-73198618321741578882013-05-26T11:58:00.000+01:002013-05-26T11:58:35.877+01:00Off-Grid Street LightingRetirado do site <a href="http://www.engineering.com/ElectronicsDesign/ElectronicsDesignArticles/ArticleID/5707/Off-Grid-Street-Lighting.aspx?goback=%2Egde_2121068_member_240351559" target="_blank">Engineering</a>:<br />
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"<a href="http://www.engineering.com/Author/ID/149083/TomLombardo">Tom Lombardo</a> posted on May 12, 2013 |<br />
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It costs a lot of money to build a road … even more if you want to add wires to power the streetlights from the grid. Urban Green Energy (UGE) has a solution: an off-the-grid streetlight. </div>
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<img align="left" alt="" height="160" src="http://www.engineering.com/Portals/0/BlogFiles/tlombardo/UGEStreetlight/HoYi%20Streetlight_0.JPG" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" width="220" />UGE recently installed 120 streetlights on a stretch of highway in PingQuan, China. What’s special about these lights? They’re powered by a combination of solar and wind. Complementary systems derive the most energy because when the solar resource is low (e.g. in the winter), it’s often windy. On the other hand, it’s more likely to be sunny on calm summer days. When your photovoltaic panels are in the dark, the wind turbines pick up the slack. And when the wind slows down, it’s likely that the solar panels will produce. (That’s the theory, at least.) What about calm nights? The light fixture includes a battery that holds enough energy for up to five days of autonomy. </div>
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Each UGE light consists of two highly-efficient LED bulbs, two solar panels, a vertical axis helical wind turbine, and a 150Ah battery. One LED bulb produces over 3100 lumens of light while using 56W of electricity. (By comparison, you would need two 100W incandescent bulbs or one 70W high-pressure sodium lamp for the same light output.) Each solar panel generates 235 Watts (peak) and the wind turbine generates 200W at a wind speed of 12 m/s (about 27 MPH). That’s a pretty high wind speed, especially considering its low latitude. But keep in mind that on a busy highway there’s a lot of turbulent wind generated by the traffic. </div>
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Just running some conservative numbers, let’s say you can achieve a somewhat consistent 6 m/s wind. Wind power operates on the inverse-cube law, so cutting the wind velocity in half reduces the power by a factor of 8. That 200W turbine is generating a paltry 25W at this speed. If that occurs for 10 hours per day, we can generate 250 watt-hours of energy each day.</div>
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With a solar resource estimate of 4 Peak Sun Hours (PSH), each solar panel would generate 940 Watt-hours per day, so the pair gives 1880 Watt-hours per day. Combined with the wind resource, the system can generate roughly 2 kWh per day. A 56W bulb running 12 hours per day uses 672 Wh/day. Two bulbs requires 1344 Wh. This leaves around 700 Wh available to charge the batteries. </div>
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The math works out; the lights will be on when you need them. But I think the helical wind turbine serves more of an aesthetic purpose than anything else. With the above numbers, the turbine generates 12% of this system’s total energy. Based on my calculations, the system would work perfectly well without the turbine. But hey, it looks nice, doesn’t it?<br />
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<em><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image and video: Urban Green Energy</span></sup></em> </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbangreenenergy.com/" target="_blank">[Read More...]</a>"</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-23830422683933393662013-05-26T11:57:00.000+01:002013-05-26T11:57:18.262+01:00Torres Vedras pode tornar-se autossustentável em 2015<div style="text-align: justify;">
Retirado do site <a href="http://www.energiasrenovaveis.com/DetalheNoticias.asp?ID_conteudo=737&ID_area=23" target="_blank">Portal das Energias Renováveis</a>:</div>
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O concelho de Torres Vedras, onde residem 80 mil pessoas, produz mais de metade da eletricidade que consome e pode tornar-se autossustentável em 2015, devido à existência de fontes de energia renováveis.</div>
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Dados da Direção Geral de Energia e Geologia (DGEG), disponibilizados pela autarquia, revelam que as várias fontes renováveis existentes no concelho já contribuem com a produção de 250 gigawatts (GW) para as necessidades anuais de consumo, que são de 336 GW.</div>
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Para além da entrada em funcionamento de uma central de gás natural, a força dos ventos permitiu a fixação de nove parques eólicos, com uma capacidade instalada de 116 megawatts (MW).</div>
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A autarquia tem adotado políticas de eficiência energética, como a instalação de 15 painéis fotovoltaicos nos edifícios públicos. «Hoje conseguimos uma redução de 20 por cento na fatura total da eletricidade consumida pelo município, que por ano para 1,2 milhões de euros», segundo Carlos Bernardes, vice-presidente da câmara e também vereador com o pelouro do Ambiente.</div>
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A substituição da iluminação pública convencional por lâmpadas de baixo consumo, o incentivo aos particulares para aderirem à microgeração e ao veículo elétrico e a criação de uma rede de bicicletas públicas gratuitas na cidade, a inaugurar em junho, são outras das medidas levadas a cabo pelo município.</div>
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No concelho com a maior área do distrito de Lisboa, em empresas e habitações, existem cerca de 330 sistemas instalados com uma potência equivalente a uma torre eólica de 1MW, capaz de abastecer um aglomerado populacional com 500 moradias.</div>
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As políticas municipais de eficiência energética contribuíram também para a instalação de empresas ligadas às renováveis no concelho, onde se localiza a única fábrica de produção de painéis fotovoltaicos do país, da multinacional espanhola Eurener, e uma outra empresa que fabrica componentes tecnológicos para transformar o hidrogénio em combustível.</div>
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A meta da eficiência energética deverá ser alcançada «tendo em conta as enormes potencialidades em energias renováveis» que existem na região, disse João Bernardo, diretor do departamento das renováveis da DGEG.</div>
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<a href="http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/economia---economia/torres-vedras-energia-tvi24/1451162-6377.html" target="_blank">PER / IOL</a>"</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-71602898489759278482013-05-20T20:48:00.000+01:002013-05-20T20:48:47.892+01:00Georgia Set To Increase Solar Energy With New Legislation<div class="rpuKeepThis rpuByLine">
<a href="http://www.indianadg.net/clean-technica-georgia-set-to-increase-solar-energy-with-new-legislation/?goback=%2Egde_2121068_member_237022275" target="_blank">Retirado do site IndianaDG:</a></div>
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A new solar energy bill in the US state of Georgia has been submitted, “Rural Georgia Economic Recovery and Solar Resource Act of 2014.” This bill would create a new model for generation and distribution of <a class="autolink" href="http://cleantechnica.com/2011/09/01/the-economics-of-distributed-renewable-power-why-we-should-democratize-the-electricity-system-part-2/" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank" title="The Economics of Distributed Renewable Power — Why We Should Democratize the Electricity System, Part 2 (AutoLink by Repost.Us)">electricity</a>, allowing the Public Service Commission to authorize and establish a rural community solar initiative and oversee and manage the expansion of solar <a class="autolink" href="http://cleantechnica.com/2012/12/17/minnesotas-first-community-solar-project-doubles-down-on-local/" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank" title="Minnesota’s First Community Solar Project Doubles Down On Local (AutoLink by Repost.Us)">energy</a> in the state.</div>
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One of the key backers of the bill is Georgia <a class="autolink" href="http://cleantechnica.com/2012/12/31/top-10-solar-power-stories-of-2012/" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank" title="Top 10 Solar Power Stories Of 2012 (AutoLink by Repost.Us)">Solar</a> Utilities, who, like other third-party companies, will be able to submit proposals to the Public Service <a class="autolink" href="http://cleantechnica.com/2011/09/08/the-political-and-technical-advantages-of-distributed-renewable-power/" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank" title="The Political and Technical Advantages of Distributed Renewable Power (AutoLink by Repost.Us)">Commission</a> for financing and aggregating solar.</div>
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Image Credit: <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&search_source=search_form&version=llv1&anyorall=all&safesearch=1&searchterm=solar+panels&search_group=#id=132162755&src=C4514D14-963B-11E2-AEC2-3F289EA4A24C-1-31" style="color: #143c58;" target="_top">Solar Panels</a> via Shutterstock</div>
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Individual customers who own solar generating assets will be able to offset a portion of their <a class="autolink" href="http://cleantechnica.com/2012/04/16/solar-advocates-like-preliminary-puc-decision-to-boost-clean-energy/" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank" title="Solar Advocates Like Preliminary CPUC Decision to Boost Clean Energy in California (AutoLink by Repost.Us)">electricity bills</a> by receiving a pro-rata share of what they have sold back to the grid. This will also be available to renters and other customers who are as yet unable to install their own <a class="autolink" href="http://cleantechnica.com/2012/12/31/top-10-solar-power-stories-of-2012/" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank" title="Top 10 Solar Power Stories Of 2012 (AutoLink by Repost.Us)">solar systems</a>, for one reason or another.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20132014/HB/657" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank">new bill</a> could open the solar energy market for Georgia. It will help clear some of the roadblocks like interconnection and grid access for generating assets, and it should also drive down the soft costs associated with construction and installation by creating market incentives from competitive bidding. Both <a href="http://greenbuildingelements.com/2012/09/07/ten-facts-about-solar-panels/" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank">homes with solar </a>and solar farms will be covered under the statue.</div>
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<a href="http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/new-bill-could-help-georgia-ratepayers-reap-solar-cash-crop" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank">Greentech Media</a> quoted the CEO of Georgia Solar Utilities as saying:</div>
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“The world has changed for the economics of solar in Georgia, but we’re stuck with 40-year-old laws that block us from taking advantage of it,” said Robert Green, CEO of Georgia Solar Utilities.</div>
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“So we’re offering a conservative, no-brainer proposition: let a private company bear all the downside risk for investing in solar with no upward pressure on utility rates, and let ratepayers reap the upside of future cost savings as solar prices fall.”</div>
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The bill also includes a regulatory liability reserve for <a class="autolink" href="http://cleantechnica.com/2012/05/15/lots-of-solar-power-may-reduce-not-increase-electricity-prices/" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank" title="Lots of Solar Power May Reduce, Not Increase, Electricity Prices (AutoLink by Repost.Us)">cost</a> recovery and rate reduction to assist the grid operator. The third parties will pay a liability fee that will be used to offset any unforeseen rate impacts from their solar projects. Such as, wear-and-tear on distribution lines or any cost shifting between non-solar user and solar users.</div>
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Any remaining money is reimbursed to solar subscribers as a rate-reduction dividend.</div>
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If passed this bill could serve as a model for deploying <a class="autolink" href="http://cleantechnica.com/2011/09/01/the-economics-of-distributed-renewable-power-why-we-should-democratize-the-electricity-system-part-2/" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank" title="The Economics of Distributed Renewable Power — Why We Should Democratize the Electricity System, Part 2 (AutoLink by Repost.Us)">solar energy</a> in other regulated states. <a href="http://cleantechnica.com/2012/10/05/georgia-could-more-than-triple-solar-power-capacity/" style="color: #143c58;" target="_blank">Georgia’s solar potential </a>has been rated as one of the top ten best states, but its current capacity is nowhere near that. Hopefully, this will be the game changer for Georgia."</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-34850427696072594622013-05-20T20:47:00.001+01:002013-05-20T20:47:54.339+01:00HVDC breakthrough heralds a new era for renewables<div class="article-content" itemprop="articleBody">
Em continuação a um <a href="http://forumenergiaeambiente.blogspot.pt/2013/05/hvdc-transmission-from-energy-source-to.html" target="_blank">post anterior</a> que introduzia o conceito de HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current).<br />
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<span itemprop="datePublished"><span style="font-size: small;">"29 April 2013</span></span><br />
Gail Rajgor</div>
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<strong>Power technology group ABB says it has made a breakthrough in the ability to interrupt direct current (DC), solving a 100-year oldelectrical engineering puzzle, and paving the way for a more reliable electricity system.</strong></div>
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<em>This article is taken from the March/April issue of Renewable Energy Focus magazine. To register to receive a digital copy </em><a href="http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/magazine-subscription" target="_blank"><span style="color: #01405f;"><em>click here</em></span></a><em>.</em><span itemprop="datePublished">Retirado do site RenewableEnergyFocus:</span></div>
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It took years of research, <a href="http://www.abb.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #01405f;">ABB</span></a> says, but what it hails as the world’s first circuit breaker for high voltage direct current (HVDC) is now available. It combines very fast mechanics with power electronics, and is capable of ‘interrupting’ power flows equivalent to the output of a large power station within 5milliseconds - that is thirty times faster than the blink of a human eye, the firm points out.</div>
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“The breakthrough removes a 100-year-old barrier to the development of DC transmission grids, which will enable the efficient integration and exchange of renewable energy,” the company says. “DC grids will also improve grid reliability and enhance the capability of existing AC (alternating current) networks.”</div>
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Joe Hogan, CEO of ABB says the firm – which has been in discussions with power utilities to identify the first projects for the new development (<em>see box within article, Mar/Apr 2013 issue</em>) – has written a new chapter in the history of electrical engineering. “This historical breakthrough will make it possible to build the grid of the future. Overlay DC grids will be able to interconnect countries and continents, balance loads and reinforce the existing AC transmission networks.”</div>
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HVDC technology is needed to <a href="http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/24305/all-energy-2012-preview-making-the-supergrid-happen-part-1/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #01405f;">facilitate the long distance transfer of power from hydropower plants, the integration of offshore wind power, the development of visionary solar projects, and the interconnection of different power networks</span></a>, explains the company. Hence, the Hybrid HVDC breaker development has been a flagship research project for ABB (which invests over $1bn annually in R&D activities).</div>
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The breadth of ABB’s portfolio and combination of in-house manufacturing capability for power semiconductors, converters and high voltage cables (key components of HVDC systems) were, it says, “distinct advantages” in the new development. The company pioneered HVDC nearly 60 years ago and continues to be a technology driver. Indeed, with over 70 HVDC projects, ABB accounts for around half the global installed base, representing an installed capacity of more than 60GW.</div>
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Deployment of HVDC has led to an increasing number of point-to-point connections in different parts of the world. The logical next step is to connect the lines and optimise the network. So ABB is already working on the construction of multi-terminal systems and the latest DC breaker innovation, it says, is a major step in the evolution of HVDC grids. In parallel to the new hybrid breaker development, ABB has an established HVDC grid simulation center developing solutions for future DC overlay grid operations.</div>
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Magnus Callavik, technology manager for ABB’s grid systems business, says the new breaker is a ‘game changer’. “It removes a significant stumbling block in the development of HVDC transmission grids where planning can start now. These grids will enable interconnection and load balancing between HVDC power superhighways integrating renewables and transporting bulk power across long distances with minimal losses,” he says. “DC grids will enable sharing of resources like lines and converter stations that provides reliability and redundancy in a power network in an economically viable manner with minimal losses.”</div>
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In simple terms, ABB's new Hybrid HVDC breaker will enable the transmission system to maintain power flow even if there is a fault on one of the lines, Callavik adds. Being able to interrupt power flow within milliseconds is critical. It “helps protect the DC transmission system and prevent power outages in new low loss compact power superhighways,” he says. “Existing mechanical HVDC breakers are capable of interrupting HVDC currents within several tens of milliseconds, but are too slow to fulfill the requirements of a reliable HVDC grid.”</div>
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Compared with high-voltage alternating current (AC) grids, active power conduction losses are relatively low and reactive power conduction losses are zero in an HVDC grid. So, Callavik notes: “HVDC transmission remains a technology of choice for bulk power transmission over long distances with minimum losses. HVDC lines also require less space and are capable of going underground or underwater. Voltage source converter based HVDC applications in embedded AC grids and for offshore connections have grown substantially, in line with quantum leaps in power ratings and significant loss reductions.”</div>
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Harmeet Bawa, Head of Communications for ABB's Power Products and Power Systems divisions, agrees. “The evolving grid needs to be increasingly flexible and interconnected, as well as more reliable and intelligent to address new challenges like large-scale integration of renewables.”</div>
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Countries like Germany could well be the incubator for such a vision and has many of the elements that call for the development of a more interconnected grid, Bawa says. “Several studies including the recent Network Development Plan and network study II by Dena (German Energy Agency) have examined the feasibility of using HVDC technology to connect renewable energy sources in the north with load centers in the south. Such a DC connection could later be integrated with an overlay grid to augment optimisation efforts and conventional attempts to expand the AC grid. In fact, ABB engineers first conceived a vision for the European grid in the 1990s.”</div>
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A major stumbling block or missing link previously has been the absence of an HVDC breaker that acts fast enough to interrupt current and isolate faults and at the same time keeps losses to a minimum, but this has now been overcome by ABB with its latest breaker. “Of course, in addition to closing technology gaps, we also need political and social consensus, standards, funding models and a regulatory framework to be put in place,” Bawa cautions.</div>
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New orders for ABB HVDC technology</h4>
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ABB announced in February that it has won an order worth around $260mn from US utility Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), a power marketing agency within the US Department of Energy, to upgrade the existing Celilo HVDC converter station in Oregon. This station is an important part of the electricity link between the Pacific Northwest and southern California commissioned more than 40 years ago in 1970, ABB says. The order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2012.</div>
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The Celilo converter station is located at the north end of the Pacific DC Intertie, also known as Path 65, which has a capacity of 3100MW and originates near the Columbia River. The Intertie is 846 miles long and connects to the Sylmar converter station in the south.</div>
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The Pacific DC intertie transmits electricity from the Pacific Northwest to as many as three million households in the greater Los Angeles area. During the winter, the north consumes significant quantities of power for heating while the south requires less, but in the summer, demand is reversed with more power needed in the south for cooling. The Pacific Intertie allows power to flow between the Northwest and Southern California, helping to balance supply with demand.</div>
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Key components of the state upgrade include valves, controls, transformers as well as switchgear and cooling equipment. In addition to modernising the converter station, the upgrade will also make it feasible to boost capacity up to 3800 MW. ABB carried out a similar upgrade of the Sylmar converter station in 2004.</div>
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Baltic integration</h4>
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Shortly after winning the BPA contract, ABB also secured an order worth about $110mn from Litgrid AB, the state owned electricity transmission system operator in Lithuania, to supply and install a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station. The 500MW back-to-back HVDC converter station will help connect the 330kV Lithuanian grid to the 400kV Polish grid, thereby integrating the electricity networks of the Baltic states with the continental European power grid and contribute to the development of an EU electricity market. At present, the Lithuanian electricity system is connected only with the grids of Latvia, Estonia and the countries to the east. The new link will also bolster the NordBalt HVDC connection with Sweden, currently under construction by ABB.</div>
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“In addition to facilitating energy trading between Poland and Lithuania, this link will strengthen grid stability and security of power supply in the region,” Koch said. ABB will design, engineer, supply and install the converter station including high-voltage equipment, such as power transformers and thyristor valves. The station will be built near the city of Alytus in Lithuania and is expected to be operational in 2015. A 160 kilometre-long 400 kV alternating current (AC) overhead line will link the HVDC station in Alytus with a substation close to the city of Elk in Poland.</div>
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<strong><em>About: Gail Rajgor</em></strong><em> is magaing Editor of Renewable Energy Focus"</em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-13832613329054789252013-05-20T20:46:00.000+01:002013-05-20T20:46:28.112+01:00SOCCKET, the Energy Generating Soccer Ball, Ramps Up Production On KickstarterEm continuação de um post anterior (link), <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1q6mHF/inhabitat.com/soccket-uncharted-play-unveils-an-energy-generating-soccer-ball/" target="_blank">retirado do site StumbleUpon</a>:<br />
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"by <!--<a href="">--><a href="http://www.inhabitots.com/author/kristinelofgren/" rel="author" title="Posts by Kristine Lofgren"><strong><span style="color: #2079a6;">Kristine Lofgren</span></strong></a>, 03/15/13<br />
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A few years ago we introduced <a href="http://www.inhabitots.com/energy-generating-soccer-ball-brings-power-to-developing-nations/" title="Energy Generating Soccer Ball Brings Power to Developing Nations"><strong><span style="color: #2079a6;">SOCCKET</span></strong></a>, an energy generating soccer ball that can provide light for children in developing nations.”Much more than a normal soccer ball, the SOCCKET is a portable generator that provides fun and power to those who play with it.” The invention has made the leap from innovative idea to reality with an improved prototype of SOCCKET that is already helping people around the world. The ball, which harnesses energy as it is kicked around, can light an <a href="http://www.inhabitots.com/brighten-up-your-kids-room-with-uniquely-designed-eco-friendly-lights-lamps/" title="Brighten Up Your Kid’s Room with Uniquely Designed Eco-Friendly Lights & Lamps"><strong><span style="color: #2079a6;">LED lamp</span></strong></a> for a few hours at a time. That means that a child who was forced to study by candle or kerosene light may now have a safe alternative for illumination – and he/she can have a ‘ball’ and get exercise while charging up too! Currently, SOCCKET developers are aiming to ramp up production and make more balls available across the world. Learn more about this inspiring toy/generator hybrid after the jump!</div>
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<a href="http://www.inhabitots.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/SOCCKET-Power-Generating-Soccer-Ball-Kickstarter-Campaign-Light-Uncharted-Play.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://www.inhabitots.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/SOCCKET-Power-Generating-Soccer-Ball-Kickstarter-Campaign-Light-Uncharted-Play.jpg" usa="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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The SOCCKET ball uses <a href="http://unchartedplay.com/" title="Uncharted Play"><strong><span style="color: #2079a6;">Uncharted Play’s</span></strong></a> technology to capture the kinetic energy that is produced when the ball is moved. A pendulum-like device inside the ball captures and stores this energy, saving it until the LED light, which comes with the ball, is plugged in. With just three hours of play, the light can stay illuminated for three hours. The SOCCKET ball weighs only slightly more than a regular soccer ball and it is soft, durable and water resistant, making it pretty similar to the typical soccer ball.</div>
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Right now, the ball is currently being used in the Americas to provide illumination and education, and about 100 <a href="http://www.inhabitots.com/worlds-first-solar-powered-soccer-ball-could-help-the-blind-play-soccer/" title="World’s First Solar Powered Soccer Ball Could Help the Blind Play Soccer"><strong><span style="color: #2079a6;">soccer balls</span></strong></a> are produced each week. In order to keep the new-and-improved ball in production and manufactured in the US, and to ramp up development so that the ball can reach even more people, SOCCKET developers are asking for a little help via Kickstarter. With donations, the project can be expanded and new technology can be implemented. In fact, if the campaign reaches its goal of $100,000, an energy-tracking device will be included with the SOCCKET. If the campaign reaches $150,000, an emergency cellphone charger will be included. Head on over to <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/unchartedplay/soccket-the-energy-harnessing-soccer-ball" title="SOCCKET: The Energy-Harnessing Soccer Ball"><strong><span style="color: #2079a6;">Kickstarter</span></strong></a> and help the campaign reach its goals and make a difference."</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-13450434463957884052013-05-12T20:46:00.000+01:002013-05-12T20:46:36.790+01:00Tales of Scottish solar<div class="blog_day black post" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.solarcurator.com/2013/05/01/tales-of-scottish-solar/?goback=%2Egde_3638342_member_237667377" target="_blank">Retirado do site SolarCurator:</a></div>
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"01 May 2013</div>
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History lesson and PV update from Edinburgh, Soitec goes public to finance South African project, Hawaii increases solar footprint</div>
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What do Scotland, South Africa, and Hawaii have in common? Certainly not the weather—at least in Caledonia’s case—but the answer is, of course, the increasing implementation of solar power in the respective regions. But a recently posted story from up Edinburgh way not only shares information about new projects coming online but also tells a historical tale, of a time way back in 2005 when a decent-sized (for then) PV system on a university campus was on the bleeding edge of photovoltaic science.</div>
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In an <a href="http://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/guest_blog/key_solar_pv_locations_in_edinburgh_scotland_2356"><span style="color: #00a7ca;">entertaining read at the UK-focused SolarPowerPortal site</span></a> (and <a href="http://www.solarbuzz.com/resources/articles-and-presentations/scotland-goes-solar-completes-first-solar-farm"><span style="color: #00a7ca;">also at the NPD Solarbuzz blog</span></a>), Finlay Colville spends several paragraphs describing the pioneering installation at Napier College’s Merchiston campus as well as some fascinating BP Solar backstory. “It was not simply notable that this installation was one of the largest in the UK at the time (and definitely Scotland’s largest by far),” he writes, “it was also the home of 156 high-efficiency selective-emitter mono c-Si modules; the Saturn laser-grooved buried contact (LGBC) technology that was the forerunner to Suntech’s Pluto cell technology and was based upon BP Solar’s licencing and technology-transfer agreement with the University of New South Wales.”</div>
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On the opposite end of the longitudinal grid from Scotland, South Africa is beginning to see some of its multigigawatt PV and CSP pipeline turn into actual active projects. In what could be considered a milestone in the bankability of the still-nascent (in terms of deployment anyway) concentrator photovoltaics sector, <a href="http://www.soitec.com/en/investors/financial-press-releases/soitec-completes-zar-1-000-000-000-inaugural-solar-financing-bond-transaction-in-south-africa-1275/"><span style="color: #00a7ca;">Soitec has secured a $100 million-plus “publicly listed project bond” </span></a>to “finance the construction of a 44MWp utility-scale CPV solar power plant in Touwsrivier, South Africa.” The company says this is the first such bond to be issued to underwrite a CPV farm, as well as the first transaction of its kind in South Africa and the third worldwide. The investors came from a “diverse pool of South African institutional investors, pension funds and asset managers.” Soitec’s EPC partner Group Five has begun construction on the project, which will consist of a veritable forest of <a href="http://www.pv-tech.org/news/soitec_financed_solar_power_project_in_south_africa"><span style="color: #00a7ca;">more than 1500 sizeable CPV tracking systems</span></a>; completion is expected in a little over a year in June 2014.</div>
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The Hawaiian solar PV market may be relatively small in the global scheme of things, but it is mighty, especially in terms of its recent growth. In <a href="http://www.heco.com/vcmcontent/StaticFiles/pdf/PVSummary_1stQtr2013.pdf"><span style="color: #00a7ca;">new statistics provided by the Hawaiian Electric Co. (HECO)</span></a> utility and curated via <a href="http://www.photon.info/photon_news_overview_en.photon?ActiveID=1107"><span style="color: #00a7ca;">Photon’s daily newsletter</span></a>, the 50<sup>th</sup> U.S. state had 208MW across 27,226 systems of grid-connected, mostly residential-scale PV installed at the end of March 2013. (Off-grid systems were not included in the count.) A closer look at the numbers reveals that recent growth has been off the hook, with 36MW across 4676 systems (average size of 7.7KW) built out in the first quarter of this year alone—which represents more than 17% of the total installed capacity. The islands, with a population of about 1.392 million, can claim about 149W of grid-tied PV per inhabitant on a per-capita basis. When you compare the Aloha State’s PV footprint (ninth among the 50 states, according to <a href="http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-industry-data"><span style="color: #00a7ca;">GTM/SEIA data</span></a>) to that of the entire United States (population of 315.78 million, around 8GW of installed PV), the national per-capita solar capacity comes in at a paltry 25W per person. Just another reason to say “<i>mahalo, Hawai’i</i>.”"</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-66402665398774319732013-05-12T20:42:00.000+01:002013-05-12T20:42:07.542+01:00Noruega vai importar lixo para aquecer as suas cidades<a href="http://greensavers.sapo.pt/2013/05/04/noruega-vai-importar-lixo-para-aquecer-as-suas-cidades/" target="_blank">Retirado do site GreenSavers:</a><br />
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Publicado em 04 de Maio de 2013.</div>
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Numa época em que cresce a necessidade de encontrar alternativas aos aterros sanitários e de reduzir a produção de lixo no mundo, Oslo, capital da Noruega, está a atravessar um problema invulgar com o seu lixo: ele não existe em quantidade suficiente.</div>
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Alguns países do norte da Europa tornaram-se nos principais mercados de produção de energia a partir do lixo, trocando os tradicionais aterros sanitários por incineradoras produtoras de energia. A Noruega é uma entusiasta desta alternativa – quase metade da capital e muitas das suas escolas são aquecidas a partir de lixo queimado. Acontece, no entanto, que este combustível está a deixar de existir.</div>
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O <a href="http://www.hafslund.no/english/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #669900;">Hafslund Group</span></a>, uma empresa de energia norueguesa que produz e distribui aquecimento na cidade de Oslo, anuncia no seu site que “o objectivo é substituir todos os combustíveis fósseis para os picos de carga em 2016”. O output de energia actual nas suas instalações é de 1.5 TWh – o suficiente para aquecer 150 mil casas.</div>
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De modo a colmatar este problema, a Noruega prepara-se para importar lixo de lugares tão distantes como os Estados Unidos, uma vez que o transporte marítimo é relativamente barato. <a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/01/norways-capital-doesnt-have-enough-trash-to-help-power-the-city/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #669900;">De acordo com a Time</span></a>, esta tendência estende-se a outras nações – a Áustria e a Alemanha também planeiam construir mais fábricas de incineração de lixo. A Suécia tem igualmente intenções de <a href="http://greensavers.sapo.pt/2012/09/12/suecia-vai-importar-800-mil-toneladas-de-lixo-dos-paises-europeus/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #669900;">importar anualmente 800 mil toneladas de resíduos</span></a> do resto da Europa, de modo a manter a sua produção de energia de forma eficiente.</div>
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Certos grupos ambientalistas, no entanto, acham que esta dependência do lixo é apenas uma solução a curto prazo para as metas ambientais. “Há uma pressão para se produzir mais e mais resíduos desde que existe este limite de capacidade”, disse Lars Haltbrekken, presidente do grupo ambientalista mais antigo da Noruega.</div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>Haltbrekken defende que, numa hierarquia de objectivos ambientais, produzir menos lixo deve estar em primeiro lugar, enquanto a produção de energia a partir de resíduos deve estar na parte inferior."</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-62302775601986063022013-05-12T14:05:00.000+01:002013-05-12T20:42:22.811+01:00Dupla GreenSpark na final dos Ericsson Application Awards<div class="excerpt" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="166">
<a href="http://www.computerworld.com.pt/2013/05/08/dupla-greenspark-na-final-dos-ericsson-application-awards/?goback=%2Egde_4238305_member_239849224" target="_blank">Retirado do site Computer World:</a></div>
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"Poan Shen e Joel Rodrigues propõem a utilização de dispositivos personalizados e de serviços de cloud computing para resolver problemas de segurança e sustentabilidade em sistemas de painéis solares.</div>
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A dupla de estudantes da Universidade da Madeira, Poan Shen e Joel Rodrigues, que formam a equipa GreenSpark, estão na final da categoria estudantes, dos Ericsson Application Awards. Os finalistas são convidados a marcar presença na cerimónia que terá lugar na sede da Ericsson, em Estocolmo, no dia 22 de Maio.</div>
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O <a href="http://www.computerworld.com.pt/2013/04/18/alunos-da-um-nas-semi-finais-do-ericsson-application-awards/" itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="171" target="_blank"><strong itxtharvested="0" itxtnodeid="172"><span style="color: #64723c;">projecto apresentado</span></strong></a> propõe a utilização de dispositivos personalizados e de serviços de cloud para fazer face aos problemas de segurança e sustentabilidade evidenciados pelos sistemas de painéis solares existentes. A ideia de criar uma aplicação para tornar a gestão e monitorização de sistemas de painéis solares mais eficientes, do ponto de vista energético."</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-53389471585937321602013-05-07T21:43:00.001+01:002013-05-07T21:43:09.019+01:00Açores recebem financiamento para energias renováveis e transporte de electricidade<div class="A_Standard_P3">
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BEI/13/52</div>
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Luxemburgo, 29 de Abril de 2013</div>
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<span class="A__T3">O Banco Europeu de Investimento (BEI) está a disponibilizar a primeira </span><span class="A__T6">tranche </span><span class="A__T3">no montante de 50 milhões de EUR (de um empréstimo total de 72,5 milhões de EUR) à Electricidade dos Açores S.A., para apoiar o programa de investimento 2011-2016 da empresa. O projecto contemplará investimentos nas áreas da energia geotérmica, do transporte e distribuição de electricidade e da </span><span class="A__T4">produção a petróleo nas nove ilhas do arquipélago dos </span><span class="A__T3">Açores e resultará na adição de aproximadamente 15,5 MW de capacidade de produção e na instalação de cerca de 200 componentes dos sistemas de transporte e distribuição.</span></div>
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<span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">O empréstimo</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">ajudará a</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">financiar</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">investimentos destinados a aumentar a</span></span><span class="A__T2"> produção </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">de electricidade</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">a partir de</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">fontes de energia renováveis</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">e a modernizar</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">a</span></span><span class="A__T2"> rede de </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">distribuição e transporte</span></span><span class="A__T2">, tendo por </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">objectivo manter</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">a qualidade e a fiabilidade</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">dos diferentes</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">sistemas de abastecimento.</span></span><span class="A__T5"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">Uma terceira componente</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">do</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">projecto envolverá</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">investimentos na</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">modernização das</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">centrais térmicas</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">existentes.</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">O programa de investimentos</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">será implementado</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">até 2016</span></span><span class="A__T7">.</span></div>
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<span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">O projecto contribuirá</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">para satisfazer a procura de energia eléctrica</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">nas ilhas dos Açores</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">de uma forma</span></span><span class="A__T2"> ambientalmente </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">sustentável</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">utilizando os recursos naturais</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">disponíveis</span></span><span class="A__T2">, aumentará</span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2"> a qualidade</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">da oferta</span></span><span class="A__T2">, reduzirá as perdas </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">do sistema e</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">facilitará a integração da</span></span><span class="A__T2"> produção </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">a partir de</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">fontes renováveis nas</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">nove ilhas do arquipélago</span></span><span class="A__T7">.</span></div>
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<span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">Os</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">investimentos apoiados</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">por este empréstimo</span></span><span class="A__T2"> prosseguem </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">os objectivos</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">da UE</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">e as prioridades do Banco de</span></span><span class="A__T2"> fomentar </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">o desenvolvimento regional</span></span><span class="A__T2"> através do apoio à </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">coesão económica e social</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">nos Açores</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">e</span></span><span class="A__T2"> da </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">promoção de formas de energia</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">sustentáveis</span></span><span class="A__T2">, competitivas e seguras n</span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">um contexto de</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">condições macroeconómicas</span></span><span class="A__T2"> difíceis </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">e escassez de</span></span><span class="A__T2"> </span><span class="A_Default_20_Paragraph_20_Font_hps"><span class="A__T2">fontes de financiamento alternativas</span></span><span class="A__T7">. Trata-se do 8.º programa de investimento da EDA a receber o apoio do BEI, dando continuidade a uma cooperação de longa data, iniciada ainda antes da adesão de Portugal à CE.</span></div>
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Acerca do BEI</div>
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<span class="A__T5">O Banco Europeu de Investimento é a instituição de financiamento a longo prazo da União Europeia que tem por accionistas os Estados-Membros da UE. O BEI concede financiamentos de longo prazo a investimentos viáveis a fim de contribuir para a prossecução dos objectivos políticos da UE."</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280931087118773854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257839967567737594.post-38458990008375020052013-05-07T21:12:00.000+01:002013-05-07T21:43:28.873+01:00HVDC transmission from energy source to consumer<span itemprop="datePublished"><a href="http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/3567/hvdc-transmission-from-energy-source-to-consumer/" target="_blank">Excerto retirado do site RenewableEnergyFocus:</a></span><br />
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<span itemprop="datePublished">"01 November 2007</span></div>
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Peter jones, Bo Westman</div>
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<strong>Finding efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly ways of transmitting electricity generated can be almost as important as generating the electricity in the first place. Peter Jones and Bo Westman look at HVDC Light. </strong></div>
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For well over 100 years, AC (Alternating Current) has been regarded as the natural choice for electrical power transmission. However, <em>HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current)</em> is now emerging as a practical and economical alternative that is not only very efficient for transmitting large amounts of power over long distances, it also offers an elegant solution for a number of reliability and stability issues associated with connecting sustainable energy schemes – especially wind farms – to the main power grid.</div>
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HVDC is also something that people involved in large scale CSP (Concentrating Solar Power) stations are tentatively looking at, as the potential to generate utility-scale solar generated electricity (and transport it vast distances) moves from a pipe dream to an area of serious consideration.</div>
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What is HVDC?</h4>
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<a href="http://www.abb.com/" target="_blank">ABB</a> pioneered HVDC, and developed the first commercial scheme over 50 years ago. This was a link between the Swedish mainland and the island of Gotland in the Baltic sea. The power rating was 20 MW and the transmission voltage 100 kV. Since then, a total of about 70,000 MW of HVDC transmission capacity has been installed in more than 90 projects worldwide.</div>
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A key advantage of HVDC is that long distance transmission is more efficient, as there is no need to charge the capacitance of a transmission line with the alternating voltage. In addition, the power flow can be controlled rapidly and accurately, as to both the power level and the direction. This possibility is often used in order to improve the performance and efficiency of the connected AC networks.</div>
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Originally, the HVDC converters were equipped with mercury arc valves. Later thyristor valves were introduced that made the design of HVDC systems more flexible, and increased the amount of power they could transfer.</div>
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Why use HVDC?</h4>
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HVDC has a number of properties that make it different from AC transmission:</div>
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<li>The two converter stations can be connected to networks that are not synchronised, or do not even have the same frequency;
<li>Power can be transmitted over very long distances without compensation for reactive power; reactive power is power that does not add to the transmitted power, but is a by-product of AC transmission resulting from charging the line or cable capacitance at 50 or 60 times per second. Since HVDC operates at constant voltage it does not generate reactive power;
<li>Only two conductors are needed (possibly just one if the ground or sea is used as the return) compared with three conductors for AC. (...)</li>
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<strong>About the Authors:</strong></div>
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Peter Jones and Bo Westman work for ABB;"</div>
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Ver <a href="http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/3567/hvdc-transmission-from-energy-source-to-consumer/" target="_blank">artigo completo </a>(HVDC Light Caracteristics, where has HVDC light been used, HVDC and CSP...)</div>
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