Ferrari goes Solar
Well at least its factory will!
Supercar maker Ferrari unveiled a massive 210MW solar array that will power its engine mechanical machining facility. The solar PV system has been installed by EnerRay, a Maccaferri Group company, which specialises in medium and large solar power installations.
Ferrari’s plan to reduce the environmental impact of its production activities also includes the installation of a tri-generation plant that will be operational by the middle of this year. The plant will cover a large amount of the company’s electricity requirements, cutting its CO2 emissions by 25-30% in 2009.
Story sourced from www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net
Spray-on material to lead to cheaper solar panels
A spray-on material that could make solar panels cheaper is to be developed in a joint research effort announced by The Australian National University (ANU) and Spark Solar Australia.
As one of two new projects worth a combined $1.85 million, the spray-on project will focus on a new way to treat the surface of a solar cell — the core component inside a solar panel that converts sunlight to electricity. The project will be run with the Finnish materials company Braggone Oy.
"It will provide an opportunity for significant manufacturing cost reductions by replacing the conventional, expensive manufacturing techniques that are currently employed industry wide with the spray-on films," said Dr Keith McIntosh from ANU, the chief investigator in the first project.
The second project will investigate methods to change the surface of a solar cell to improve its efficiency. This project will be run in conjunction with German solar company GP Solar and led by chief investigator Dr Klaus Weber from ANU.
"We aim to develop a range of industry-ready cell fabrication sequences that will offer significantly improved conversion efficiencies," Weber said.
The projects are a further extension of solar research at ANU, which is recognised internationally as a leader in the research and development of photovoltaics. Both projects are supported by the Australian Research Council under the Linkage Projects scheme.
Spark Solar Australia is a new company that is raising $60 million and will build a factory in the ACT region to commence solar cell production in 2010. The operations will create more than 100 new jobs, including high-tech research positions. The factory will initially produce eight million solar cells per year — enough to power about 10,000 Australian homes.
Professor Andrew Blakers, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems at ANU, said that projects such as these ensure that industry can benefit from leading-edge research while also ensuring that the public research community stays relevant to industry.
"It is the perfect time for a photovoltaic industry to take off in Australia, and these exciting collaborative research projects will show that Australia's world-leading photovoltaic research can now lead directly to significant competitive advantages to industry in Australia," said Blakers.
Both projects will start immediately and run until the end of 2011. Story sourced from www.sustainabilitymatters.net.au
400-year-old murder mystery of astronomer 'to be solved' by science
It is the year of Astronomy so I&I could not resist this story by Britain’s Telegraph – with thanks to Glen Moore of the Wollongong Science Centre and Planetarium (http://sciencecentre.uow.edu.au).
A tale of murderous intrigue involving a king, a queen and a brilliant scientist could finally come to a close after 400 years as researchers are preparing to exhume the remains of the celebrated Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe following new leads that he was poisoned by a contract killer in 1601.
Tycho gained scientific repute for his unparalleled bare-eye observations of the skies before the telescope was invented and became the first astronomer to discover a supernova, as well to catalogue over thousand new stars.
The flamboyant aristocrat was also famous for his eccentric lifestyle and appearance: he is said to have lost his nose in a drunken duel as a student and used various prostheses of gold, silver and copper. His favourite pet was a moose that entertained the guests at his castle on the island of Hven off the Danish coast, accompanied by a supposedly clairvoyant dwarf named Jepp. The moose died after falling down the stairs following a dinner party when it was given too much beer to drink.
Danish researchers have now found evidence that Tycho, who was also revered as an astrologist and alchemist, was murdered on the orders of his king, Christian IV of Denmark, who instructed the astronomer's cousin to poison him with mercury.
The new leads derive from the diary of Count Eric Brahe, the alleged murderer and a distant relative to the astronomer, who travelled to Prague, where Tycho settled towards the end of his life, to meet Tycho days before his death.
"The diary contains the details of the attack and, indirectly, the murderer's confession," said Professor Peter Andersen, a specialist on literature and history of the Danish renaissance, who found the lost diary last year.
Professor Andersen claims that King Christian IV ordered the murder of Tycho because of rumours that the astronomer had a liaison with his mother, Queen Sophie, and could even have been his father. He even believes that Shakespeare was aware of the rumour and that he might have used it as inspiration for the plot of Hamlet, which was written around the time of Tycho's death.
Historians have so far been unable to explain why King Christian IV turned against Tycho, who was Denmark's most popular scientist, and forced him to flee to Prague and take up service with the Habsburg Emperor Rudolph II.
An analysis of hair from Tycho's beard kept in a Czech museum has confirmed that he ingested a large and probably lethal dose of mercury on the day before his death, when he was visited by his cousin.
An international team of archaeologists and forensic experts headed by the Danish archaeologist Jens Vellev from the University of Aarhus have now filed a request to exhume Tycho's remains from the ancient vault in the Tyn Cathedral in central Prague.
A popular legend has so far indicated that Tycho died after his bladder burst at a banquet organised by a German baron in Prague because he was too polite to excuse himself from the festive occasion. If you do not believe this tale read it at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/denmark/4322720/400-year-old-murder-mystery-of-astronomer-to-be-solved.html. If it’s in the paper it must be true!
A windy deal for Wal-Mart
Global retail giant Wal-Mart announced plans to source 15% of total energy needs at more than 360 operations in the US from wind-generated power, as part of the company’s long-term strategy to be fully dependent on renewable energy. Analysts said the deal reflects the prospects of wind and renewable power, despite the dampener caused by the financial crisis.
Under the four-year deal with Duke Energy, Wal-Mart will be supplied with 226 million kWh of power annually for the stores and facilities in Texas, which the company somewhat oddly referenced as equivalent to the energy use of washing 108 million loads of laundry.
Duke Energy wind farm is under construction in Notrees (yes that is the name!), Texas, and is expected to begin producing electricity for the stores by April next year.
“The wind power purchase will result in a significant decrease of greenhouse gas emissions and aligns perfectly with Wal-Mart's long-term goal of being supplied by 100% renewable energy,” said Kim Saylors-Laster, vice president of energy for Wal-Mart.
“We're purchasing renewable power at traditional energy rates.”
Story sourced from www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net
Event: Getting started in Exporting
The Western Sydney Business Centre is pleased to announce another seminar in its 2009 Business Growth Seminars Program with: Getting Started in Exports: Beginners Guide to Exporting: 18 February 2009 and 18 March 2009; 8:00am to 11am
To start and succeed as an exporter, businesses need to have access to practical, reliable and up-to-date information and advice on business, planning, finance, marketing, export logistics and international markets. Getting Started in Exports workshops will be delivered by Peter Mace of Australian Institute of Export.
The first workshop on 18 February 2009 will focus on:
• How to prepare an export plan and become ‘export ready’
• What resources are needed for an export strategy
The second workshop to be held on 19 March 2009 will focus on:
• Marketing tips for selling in overseas markets
• Visiting the market
It is advised to book for both workshops at the same time. To register send an email to dsrdparramatta@business.nsw.gov.au. For more information contact Western Sydney Business Centre (telephone 02 8843 1100);
NSW Department of State and Regional Development, Level 2, 470 Church Street, North Parramatta NSW 2151. For future seminars go to: www.business.nsw.gov.au and click on Upcoming Events on right hand side of home page.
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