BMW Unveils The FULL Details On Its i3 Concept Coupe

The study presented at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show has been brought out in parallel to the ongoing development process for getting the first ever all-electric model from the BMW i brand ready for series production, and demonstrates the potential for conceivably extending the model range. The state-of-the-art, clean-cut and open design showcased by the BMW i3 Concept Coupe represents a pioneering form of urban mobility that makes sustainability awareness an intrinsic part of the premium profile. Beyond this, the three-door model employs the design idiom that has been created especially for the BMW i cars to convey an undeniable sense of dynamism and driving pleasure.
The carbon-fibre body's visual impact is largely shaped by the gracefully flowing coupe roof line and the fresh interpretation of the BMW i "stream flow" design that can be seen in the side window styling, and gives an instant impression of lightness, transparency and streamlined aerodynamic qualities. On the inside, the sense of spaciousness typical of the BMW i brand is combined with an exclusive lounge-style ambience in the two individual rear seats. The BMW i3 Concept Coupe furthermore assumes the title of the world's first fully networked electric vehicle. Thanks to the inclusion of innovative BMW ConnectedDrive functions that have been devised by BMW i for use in production vehicles, operation of the navigation system as well as the information transfer between the vehicle, the outside world and the driver's smartphone has been geared towards the specific requirements of e-mobility.
The BMW i3 Concept Coupe sharply focuses the spotlight on the dynamic performance that can be achieved with the purely electric version of the BMW eDrive technology. Like the BMW i3 Concept, the Coupe is also propelled by an electric motor developed by the BMW Group, which develops a maximum output of 125 kW/170 hp and peak torque of 250 Newton metres (184 lb-ft), and channels its instantaneous power delivery to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission. The electric motor draws its energy from the lithium-ion storage cells under the floor. Positioning the battery units here has the effect of lowering the centre of gravity considerably, which further adds to the vehicle's sensationally agile handling.The LifeDrive concept for the BMW i vehicle architecture is instrumental in enabling a brand new vehicle character to be married so harmoniously with BMW eDrive, a technology that is already nearing production standard. The horizontally split construction consisting of two self-contained elements intrinsically focuses on the technical requirements of the electric drive train, and helps to produce a design concept, sense of spaciousness and driving experience that are unique to BMW i cars.

Harnessing Power By Funneling Solar Energy

The concept is a simple one, borrowing from some very elementary principles. For instance, everyone knows the best way to capture and contain the most of an element or substance is with a funnel. These cones make it easier to put oil in our cars or fill small glass shakers from a larger bag of sugar.Now, some MIT engineers have worked out a computational model which shows how solar energy can be more or less funneled before it's captured, ensuring an efficient and effective solar energy capturing mechanism.This new concept places highly specialized materials under "elastic strain," which allows the materials to first capture the China Solar laptop charger Suppliers and then collect it at the center.
"We're trying to use elastic strains to produce unprecedented properties," explains Ju Li, a professor at MIT and author of the paper which describes the research behind this solar funnel idea. This paper has been published in the journal Nature Photonics.The common funnel used in auto repair or food service works thanks to gravity: The conical tube gathers the material downward to a smaller, central hole, all while gravity guides it along its intended path.The solar funnel, on the other hand, works by electronic forces. As explained by the research authors, electrons and holes are guided to the center of the material under elastic strain by electronic forces. Though they refer to a funnel only as a metaphor, the resulting shape does resemble a household funnel.
To create this funnel, Li and team worked with a material which can be used to form a film only one molecule (or 6 angstroms) thick. This material, known as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), is also a natural semiconductor and can be used to make solar cells or integrated circuits.As it stands, silicon is often used to make solar cells. The problem with silicon cells, however, is the way in which the electron-hole pairs (called excitons) move within the material. These China Motion Sensor Lights Suppliers move randomly throughout the silicon once generated by photons, says Xiaofeng Qian, a postdoctoral student in MIT's Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and co-author of the paper.In their computer model of the solar funnel process, the center of this MoS2 film is indented with a needle, placing it under elastic strain. When the material is placed under this strain, it undergoes a characteristic change, causing certain parts of the material to respond to different colors of light. These different colors of light are then gathered at the film's center, making it easier to collect.According to Li, this research is only possible thanks to the convergence of 4 trends in field of elastic strain engineering.

Trina Solar Shifts Strategy in Fight Against Low Prices

Trina Solar Ltd. (TSL), China's third- largest maker of solar panels, is shifting its focus to profitable orders and away from deals aimed primarily at gaining market share, in an effort to curtail "irrational" pricing."We see profitability as number one and the focus for now," Chief Financial Officer Terry Wang said during a conference call yesterday. "Market share is going to be secondary."Wang said the Changzhou, China-based company won't continue to cut prices to chase sales even with its factories running at half-speed. Overcapacity and a global supply glut have driven down the industry's average panel price by 21 percent in the past year, and Trina is among the first to take steps to impose a floor. Others may follow suit, said Mark Bachman, an analyst at Avian Securities Inc. in Boston.
"It's the first hint of rational behavior we've seen from a Chinese manufacturer," Bachman said yesterday in a telephone interview. "We could see more manufacturers wake up and follow Trina's lead." Trina reported third-quarter sales of $298 million, down 38 percent from a year earlier, according to a statement yesterday. Solar-panel shipments fell 9.2 percent from the prior quarter to 380 megawatts as the company opted to focus on profitable contracts. Shipments in the current quarter will be unchanged or will increase as much as 5.2 percent to 400 megawatts. The company said its panel price declined sequentially without giving the figure. That was due in part to "the irrational pricing practices by some competitors," Chief Executive Officer Gao Jifan said in the statement.
Solar panel prices are starting to rise. They averaged 79 cents a watt on Nov. 5, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, up from 67 cents on Sept. 24, the lowest since the London-based research company began tracking the market in November 2010. Trina may find it difficult to unilaterally hold its pricing ground, according to Gordon Johnson, an analyst with Axiom Capital Management in New York."The idea that somehow they're going to determine pricing is just funny," Johnson said in an interview. "They've said this before and they were wrong."It will be hard for the company to convince the rest of the industry to fall in line, he said."A cartel works when you have three or four guys," Johnson said. "When you have 50 guys, it doesn't work. Cartels don't work in oversupplied, commodity markets." Jinko, based in Jiangxi, China, shipped 280 megawatts of panels in the quarter, up 28 percent from a year earlier, while revenue fell 22 percent to 1.39 billion yuan ($223 million), according to a statement yesterday. It reported a net loss of 54.8 million yuan, compared with net income of 68.1 million yuan. Shipments in the current quarter will be 250 megawatts to 300 megawatts.

Issues at Rocky Mountain Innosphere hinted to Abound Solar's collapse

In the gleaming lobby of the new Rocky Mountain Innosphere building in Fort Collins, a large television tells you in real time how much electricity the solar panels outside are generating.Funded in part by the city of Fort Collins and CSU, the 2-year-old Innosphere is a place for Northern Colorado's best and brightest to collaborate and create, particularly in the fields of biotechnology and alternative energy. The building was designed as a showcase for that work, and the dozens of solar panels above the parking lot help drive the point home.
But while the television in the lobby at 320 E. Vine Drive will tell you how much power the panels are generating today, it won't tell you that the entire installation had to be ripped out and replaced after only a year. Why? Because the China Solar Chargers Wholesalers manufactured only 35 miles away by homegrown Abound Solar stopped working properly.Court records and federal filings show that faulty panels just like those installed at the Innosphere played a significant role in Abound's spectacular and ongoing collapse that's left thousands of creditors and hundreds of employees wondering what happened and American taxpayers out $70 million.
"That was the problem — unrealistic expectations for their product," said Jim Welch of Bella Solar, a leading installer of residential and commercial systems that is based in Louisville, Colo. "It had a lot of risk and it was the wrong technology."Abound spun out of Colorado State University in 2007 after university researchers developed a way to make a new type of solar panel. Instead of using an established technology, the researchers were making what are called thin-film panels, which could have been cheaper to manufacture.
Welch, who has decades of experience in solar panel installations, served as an unpaid consultant during Abound's early years. He said he repeatedly warned Abound executives about the challenges they faced.Other solar panel manufacturers faced the same problems when they got going in the 1980s, Welch said."It took them 20 years and half a billion dollars worth of investment before they came out with China Solar Mp3 player and charger Suppliers product," Welch said. "I said, ‘It's going to be very hard to meet your goals and have a commercially available product in a few years.' "Abound pushed ahead, drawing in about $200 million in private-sector investments. The company abandoned plans to build a massive manufacturing facility in Fort Collins and instead rented a building near Longmont, then pursued an even larger facility in Indiana.In late 2010, around the same time it was making and installing the faulty panels at the Innosphere in Fort Collins, Abound received a federal loan guarantee worth up to $400 million. Within months, however, the company alerted federal overseers that it was having problems making reliable panels.

The solar crescents continue to grow wider as the moon slowly moves away

This heralds the moment when the diamond ring is finally extinguished and the sun is fully obscured by the moon. Total eclipse begins. Simultaneously, the dark lunar shadow that has been growing in the west rushes in and engulfs everything. You are now standing in the shadow cast by themoon a quarter of a million miles away. The moon's inky disk set against the sun's pearly white corona appears like an eerie black hole in the sky.During the brief period of totality, the full extent of the sun's corona is displayed in all its glory. Take note of the solar prominences and the overall shape and size of the corona, which vary from eclipse to eclipse. Try to discern fine details in the corona's structure — such as long wispy streamers as well as delicate brushes, loops and arcs — which are delineated by the sun's powerful magnetic field.
The daytime darkness during totality doesn't really get as black as at night. It resembles more of a deep twilight. While the sky surrounding the eclipsed sun is dark, all along the horizon the sky remains bright, bathed in a vivid yellowish orange glow. It's like being surrounded by a 360-degree sunset.The brightest planets and stars typically come out in the minutes leading to totality and remain visible throughout the total eclipse. On Nov. 14, Venus should be fairly easy to spot west of the eclipsed sun. Mercury to the east and Saturn in between Venus and the eclipsed sun might be more challenging.Keen-eyed observers can also try to glimpse the stars Arcturus to the north and Alpha Centauri to the south.
If you have a thermometer in the shade, you can measure how much the  temperature has decreased since first contact. Depending on the duration of totality and how high the sun is in the sky, the air temperature can dip by as much as 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (4 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit).You'll know that the show is almost over when the western side of the corona begins to brighten, and the chromosphere and prominences become visible again.After a few minutes of totality, as the moon begins to uncover the sun, observers will see a single bead of sunlight burst forth in slow motion from behind a deep lunar valley, forming a magnificent diamond ring. The total eclipse is over, and another round of loud cheering and applause erupts from the crowd.
Over the next hour, the various stages of the eclipse repeat themselves, this time in reverse order and on the western side of the sun. The moon's shadow races to the east as Baily's beads reappear. The corona as well as the planets and stars fade from view.Daylight returns very quickly, as if somebody had turned off the celestial dimmer switch. As the razor-thin sliver of the sun grows larger, shadow bands briefly come into view. Everything goes back to normal, including plants, animals and humans. The solar crescents continue to grow wider as the moon slowly moves away from the sun's disk.

Abengoa Begins Construction On 150 MW Concentrating Solar Power Plants

Abengoa has started construction on South Africa's first two utility-scale concentrating solar power (CSP) plants, to be equipped with the latest technology designed specifically to meet domestic operating conditions and power needs. Both the Khi Solar One and KaXu Solar One CSP plants will be able to store solar-generated energy and generate power after sunset, as well as employ advanced dry cooling technology to significantly reduce water consumption.Khi Solar One is a 50 megawatt (MW) concentrating solar power tower, while the 100 MW KaXu Solar One is based on solar parabolic trough technology. Abengoa on Nov. 6 signed long-term power purchase agreements with South Africa's state-owned power utility Eskom, and also concluded project finance agreements with a group of South African and international financial institutions, according to a company press release.
South Africa has set ambitious targets for Best Custom Lighting Africa and renewable energy growth as part of a broader sustainable development strategy. The SA Dept. of Energy expects to bring 17,800 MW of renewable energy online by 2030. SA's Energy Minister recently announced approval of $5.4 billion for 28 solar, wind, and geothermal energy projects that are to add 1.4 gigawatts (GW) of clean, renewable power to the nation's grid.Partnering with Abengoa on the CSP projects is state-owned development finance institution Industrial Development Corp. (IDC). With a 51% equity stake in Khi Solar One and KaXu Solar One, Abengoa is building and will operate the plants. IDC holds a 29% equity interest, and domestic Black Economic Empowerment program owns the remaining 29%.
Aiming to minimize water use, both CSP plants will employ advanced dry cooling technology, which Abengoa says reduces water consumption by around 2/3 compared to other CSP plants (historically, one of CSP's weaknesses compared to solar PV and wind power). The plants will also include energy storage capacity — about two hours' worth for China Portable Exporters and three hours for KaXu — which means Eskom will have greater flexibility and control over their power supplies, including being able to draw on and dispatch power from the plants to meet intermittent power demand after sunset.US development finance institutions Overseas Private Investment Corp. (OPIC) on Sept. 17 announced it has approved up to $250 million in financing that will enable US-based solar photovoltaic (PV) cell and module manufacturer MEMC Electronic Materials and its solar installation and project development subsidiary SunEdison to build and operate a 60 MW solar PV facility in South Africa's Free State.

Ghana Seeks $1 Billion for Renewable-Energy Resources

Ghana is seeking investment of as much as $1 billion to develop renewable-energy resources over the next eight years, according to the Energy Ministry."Policies are in place to exploit the country's energy potential in solar, biomass, wind, as well as mini-hydro," Seth Mahu, deputy director at the ministry, said in an interview in the capital, Accra, on Nov. 2. "We are looking at both Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian private-sector operators partnering government to develop these resources."Ghana, which has the second-biggest economy in West Africa, has experienced more than three months of electricity cuts after a natural-gas pipeline off the coast of Togo was damaged by a ship. The pipe supplies gas for power from Nigeria to Benin, Togo and Ghana and the outage is expected to continue until December, according to the West African Gas Pipeline Co.
The renewable-energy investments will add 500 megawatts of power to the nation's capacity and help expand electricity provision to all parts of the country, "especially in isolated areas," said Mahu.The country's current 2,443-megawatt capacity reaches 72 percent of the population, according to figures from the ministry. The failure on the gas pipeline curbed power supplies by about 300 megawatts, Energy Minister Joe Oteng-Adjei said in September. President John Dramani Mahama, who is vying to win a second term in office for his ruling National Democratic Congress party in an election next month, pledged electricity for the whole country by 2016. Both Mahama and his main opponent, Nana Akufo- Addo of the New Patriotic Party, promised to boost production to 5,000 megawatts.
Ghana has almost 10,000 solar-panel installations in communities that don't have access to the national power grid, Edward Bawa, a spokesman for the ministry, said yesterday. "We are doing a test run of wind-energy installations in the Central region," he said, referring to the southern area that borders the capital city region.A hydroelectric plant on a dam at Bui, in the central-west Brong Ahafo region, is expected to add 400 megawatts of power in the first quarter of 2013, said Mahu. Ghana derives 1,180 megawatts from two hydro plants on the Volta River in eastern Ghana, including Akosombo, which was opened in 1965 by the country's first president, Kwame Nkrumah.Ghana is developing its own natural-gas reserves and will supply 150 million standard cubic feet each day for thermal power generation, Mahu said."This will provide cheaper fuel for energy generation from December," George Sipa Yankey, head of the Ghana National Gas Co., said.

Solar cells provide mobile electrical power for defense and commercial applications

MGLTs revolutionary thin-film solar panels capture a larger section of the light spectrum from the sun using relatively inexpensive materials like flexible substrates and various coatings. Perhaps this is one of several reasons why MGLT has a long and prosperous history of collaborating with the federal government. Earlier this month, MGLT received a $750,000 Phase II award from the United States Air Force as part of the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. The goal of this two-year program is to develop ultra-high efficiency, thin-film solar cells that provide mobile electrical power for defense and commercial applications in space as well as on the ground. The work on this contract complements the work on high-efficiency solar cells previously funded by the Air Force and announced in November 2011.
Dr. Ashok K. Sood, President and CEO of Best Custom Solar laptop charger, stated, "We are working to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic devices via novel materials combined with innovative device designs. Quantum dot structures with excellent structural and optical properties were demonstrated during the Phase I program and are intended to be incorporated into advanced photovoltaic devices during the Phase II effort. These structures have the potential to enable photovoltaic devices to reach new levels of performance for power output efficiency."Current approaches are reaching practical limits due to the complex design and hefty cost of multi-junction solar devices. With that shot in the proverbial arm from the U.S. Air Force, MGLTs developing nanostructured solar cells have the potential to deliver ultra-high efficiencies in single-junction devices -- efficiencies that can potentially approach 50 percent in un-concentrated sunlight. This would mean a less complex, more efficient and ultimately cheaper source of energy for China Remote Controlled LED Offers.
"This means devotion to solar with heart and soul, providing assurance for solar energy technology and being able to lead others in offering the most satisfying service to customers in the market. Katavi district council can testify this," says Mmasi. In Mpanda alone, says Mmasi, his company has already provided 98 kilowatt hour power in different schools, dispensaries and in some residential houses.Under a new agreement to be signed soon between Katavi District Council and Baraka Solar specialist, more schools and council's offices will be installed with solar power. Called Service Level/ Warrant Agreement, Baraka Solar specialist is set to take care of all solar panels installed in that place. That will be a 20-year agreement after the phase one agreement that was aimed at installation.

Meijer Brightens Produce With LED Lighting

Meijer here completed a one-store LED spot-lighting pilot in the produce department last month that has brightened product displays while delivering improved energy results."We're getting a good ROI and energy results on this," said Mitch Boucher, manager of energy and engineering for Meijer, during a session last month at the Food Marketing Institute's Energy & Store Development Conference in Phoenix. In his presentation, Boucher said that Meijer would "validate results and make adjustments" in what he called a "2013 pre-rollout."Meijer's current ROI for most lighting projects is three to five years, Boucher said. "They are all coming in very well for us." Meijer asks all potential suppliers to use the same ROI formula so that the chain can make "apples to apples" comparisons, he added. In addition to produce spot lighting, Meijer is considering applying the directional, focused lighting characteristics of LED (light-emitting diode) to gas station canapé lighting and to other areas where "there is a good fit between the technological capabilities of LED and our applications," Boucher said. The chain, which operates 197 stores, is not looking at using LED for "volumetric" — or more diffuse — lighting applications in stores. LED lighting for refrigerated cases, a common LED application in supermarkets, is also "not on our radar," he added.
LED's lighting capability "has changed tremendously" over the past five years, said Chip Israel, president, Lighting Design Alliance, Long Beach, Calif., who spoke with Boucher at the conference session. He said LED as a directional lighting source could be used now at a distance of 12 feet, double the distance attainable a few years ago.In Meijer's pilot store, lighting levels on produce racks "came up a little bit" with LED spot lighting, said Boucher. "We were below 80 foot-candles and we're trying to hit 80 to 100 foot candles. Floor lighting in between the aisles came down a little, which was good."
In assessing lighting technology, retailers should consult with a store designer to bridge the gap between the technical specifications and the lighting goal in the store, Boucher advised. "There's a whole list of things that are not designed to get you to your goal, and that's where you need a good designer to bring the technology to the application."Boucher cited heat management as an operational challenge for retailers installing lighting that needs to be seen in context. "Every LED manufacturer talks about how they manage heat," he said. "That's good but we really just want to light produce appropriately. Heat is not the most important thing up front." Characteristics Meijer is seeking in produce spot lighting included warm product colors, high color rendering index (CRI) and low UV (ultraviolet) index.