Recommendations for non price barriers to entry Essay

Recommendations for non price barriers to entry - Essay Example i. Larson needs to subtly and powerfully draw public's attention to its "staying power" and one of the top leaders in the market considering that it has a presence of over 5 years and 15 years in the USA and Germany respectively. ii. The company should build and strengthen its image as a responsible corporate by enhancing its presence in the community through initiatives and participatory events. This could heighten the positivism of the brand of the company and could be a clear differentiator since community events are also caught by media and do not involve additional advertising. 2) Internal Cost Cutting: The Company needs to critically analyze its cost structure and find ways and means to optimize costs instead of increasing prices. This will ensure higher profit margins and allow company to reduce product prices potentially attracting new customers. 3) Expansion to new markets: Larsen's presence is currently limited to only 2 counties which are currently in recession. It needs to expand into newer / growth oriented markets like Asia and Africa. It needs to consider organic and inorganic growth through acquisitions, mergers, setting up subsidiaries and tie-ups with local companies in other countries and homes countries too. 5) Outsourcing: Larsen can critically analyze the feasibility of moving its manufacturing bases to

Renewable Energy Literature Survey Dissertation

Renewable Energy Literature Survey - Dissertation Example It demonstrated how capital can be obtained for project financing through a combination of debt and equity investment, debt being available through bank loans, institutional debt or through public markets. The paper mentioned the possibility of procuring equity from internal or external sources in public and private markets, and sponsorship through developers, contractors, equipment suppliers, operators, off-takers and fuel suppliers, who are active equity investors. The factors limiting project finance of renewable energy power projects (REPP’s) were examined. The author indicated that resource and technology risks were high and that financial institutions lacked the experience in evaluating risks related to REPP’s. The author also noted that with the rapid change in technology and the shortage of REPP technology engineers, they would have lacked the technical expertise in this area to assess and monitor REPP’s. ... This therefore results in a smaller margin for project financing and consequently puts pressure on costs related to maintenance and overheads. The author also pointed out that government policies, which are often unpredictable, greatly affect the economies of REPP’s. The paper gave focus to the importance of equity, seeing it as the main protection against risks. Lenders will therefore favour equity contributions in the initial part of the project. Lenders see equity investment as a form of commitment by the developers and sponsors. The author also found that security was another significant consideration for the lender, so they would implement safeguards such as a fixed charge over the projects site; a floating charge over the assets of the projects company; requiring that all cash flow be paid into a project account where they would have control, and contingency funds in place for unforeseen problems. The experience and credit worthiness of all participants would also be con sidered by the lender. There financial strengths would be assessed and the ability of these parties to carry out their contractual obligations with the project company would be determined. The article highlighted a number of risks that should be considered. The risk areas include the project itself, technology, construction, fuel/resource, the market, regulatory risks, mitigation and pass through. Project risks affect the amount, timing and availability of funds for the project finance. For technology lenders want to ensure that it is tested and proven, and that it will not be obsolete anytime soon. In relation to the construction risks the paper looked at the probability of cost overruns and delays in completion; most importantly

Media Coursework Essay Example for Free

Media Coursework Essay For my GCSE media coursework I have been asked to write about a television soap or series. I have chosen to write about the popular soap, Eastenders. Eastenders is a fictional drama soap about a small community living in East London. First I shall explain what a soap is. A soap is a television program that is all about peoples daily lives and the events that happen. Soaps are ongoing, contemporary dramas. Contemporary means that the plots and storylines are all based on on real life events that can and do happen to real people. Ongoing means the plot of the soap is held out over the episodes. Soaps can be split into different categories such as, countryside soaps, city soaps, or police soaps. Emmerdale is an example of countryside soap, Coronation Street, Eastenders, as city soaps, and The Bill as a police soap. The reason television soaps are called soaps is because the soap used to be advertised on the side of soap packets. Soaps always end with a cliffhanger. When I say cliffhanger, I mean that at the end of the episode the main plot finishes half way through. This leaves the viewers wondering what will happen next, so they watch the next episode. On the other hand, series have a different way of keeping the viewers interested. At the end of the episode they show you a sneak preview of what will be happening in the next episode. I dont think this is a good way to make sure you keep your viewers because its spoils the surprise. A series has a new main plot for every episode, the plot is introduced as the episode begins and finishes as it ends. Series always have smaller plots. The idea for these is for you to keep in the back of your mind, so you keep watching. The smaller plots are carried on over two or three episodes, like in soap. Another way they keep people watching is by letting newspapers and magazines inform their readers of the future storylines. I dont think they should be allowed to do this because most people would rather watch the soap without knowing what will happen next. It makes the soap or series more enjoyable. By doing this, it means more people watch so they get more money. Another Eastender makes its money is by merchandising. In other words, Eastenders produce product which have a connection to Eastenders and try to sell them. On the Eastenders website (www. bbc. co. uk/eastenders) they sell items such as, mugs, T-shirt, books etc. All of which have some connection to Eastenders. They may have a picture of a character of Eastenders written across it. Series are not ongoing. They usually have about 12 episodes, then switch with a different series. Series also have different categories, such as, city and countryside series, relationship series, police, crime and prison series, comedy series, and hospital series. Both soaps and series exaggerate the plot to make it more interesting and attract more viewers. We know that it doesnt really happen like that in life but we except and believe it to make the soap work, if we didnt they would be no point in watching. Like in Eastenders, the characters live in a fictional city called Albert Square in East London. We all know this place doesnt exist but we believe in it. Julia Smith and Tony Holland created Eastenders as a rival for Coronation Street. The first ever episode was transmitted at 7pm on the 19th February 1985. For the first eight years, Eastenders was shown twice weekly but on the 11th April 1994, it was changed to three episodes per week. Now, in the year 2002, the standard yearly output with four episodes a week is 208 episodes plus the omnibus repeat on Sundays. However, there are often additional episodes filmed throughout the year, increasing the figure to between 210 and 215 episodes. I think one of the reasons it was changed to four times a week is because that is how many times Coronation Street is shown. Eastenders is one of the most successful BBC programs in history and to date is topping the charts with viewing figures of 11. 2milion viewers per weekday episode, which is equal to 53% share of television viewing. Eastenders is mostly watched by people aged 25- 45 with 34% of the viewers fitting in that age group. Closely following is the under24s which make up 24% of the viewers. The remaining 42% of the audience are the over 45s. Over half of the viewers are female whilst only 33% are male and 12% of Eastenders audience are children. The reason for such a low percentage of children, I think, is because Eastenders is on our screens at round about 7:30pm or 8:00pm and stays there for roughly half an hour. Most children would be in or going to bed. Eastenders is transmitted for our enjoyment, every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday with a repeat every Sunday. I timed an episode of Eastenders. The viewing time was 27:06:92 minutes and the credits were 00:31:38 seconds, which together, give a total o 27:38:25 minutes. This is slightly over the target length for Eastenders, which is 27 minutes and 15 seconds. The maximum is 27:40:00 minutes. I also timed an episode of another popular soap, Coronation Street. I found out that Eastenders is on our screens for about 1 minute and 30 seconds longer than Coronation Street. The reason for this may be that, Coronation Street has a commercial break, which Eastenders doesnt have. A plot is the main storyline of the program. It usually involves two or more of the characters. Currently, the main plot of Eastenders includes Phil Mitchell, Peggy Mitchell, Sonja Jackson, Jamie Mitchell, Lisa Fowler and her and Phils baby, Louise. In a recent episode, Lisa took her baby and fled to Portugal. Phil wasnt happy about this; after all she had taken his child. Phil followed her to find his daughter. In the last episode, Phil pulled up in a taxi and climbed out with Louise. The viewers were then expecting Lisa to get out, but then the taxi pulled away. Phil had returned. Without Lisa. People were very suspicious and refused to believe when Phil lied to them saying that he and Lisa had came to an agreement. He said Lisa was suicidal and they had agreed it was best for Phil to take the baby. We found out that this was a complete lie when Peggy, was unpacking for Phil and she came across two passports. One was Phils and the other was Lisas. Peggy knows he is lying but she refuses to believe it and keeps quiet about it. This is the main plot at the moment, it only involves a few characters, but it is interesting to watch. Other issues that have been in the plot of Eastenders include, rape, abortion, teenage pregnancy, homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution, divorce, extra marital affairs, unmarried mothers, mixed marriages, murder, gambling, adoption, teenage runaways, Alzheimers disease, HIV/AIDS, drink driving and euthanasia. I think that it is a good idea to broadcast these issues because all these subjects happen in real- life and it helps people to learn about it and how to cope if it should ever happen to them. These issues could also be involved in the sub- plot. Sub- plots are just like main plots but they involve fewer characters and are just there for us to keep in the back of our minds. If soaps only had one storyline, it might not involve your favourite character so you might not be interested in watching. The most recent sub- plots in Eastenders are involving Ian and his wife, Laura. Laura is pregnant, but we all know it isnt Ians child because he has had a vasectomy. Steven, Ians son has found out that Ian is not his real dad and that his real dad doesnt even live in England or know he has a son. Sonja made her boyfriend Jamie, sneak into Phils pub to find Lisas passport. Soaps usually have about three or four sub- plots. This means only about half of the cast is actually involved in one episode. They are roughly 35 different characters in the cast, two of whom have been in Eastenders since the first episode. The two characters that have been in Eastenders since the first episode are Adam Woodyatt, who plays Ian Beale and Wendy Richard, better known as Pauline Fowler. Adam Woodyatt is my favourite character. He is 34 years old and was born on the 28th June 1968. He was born in Walthamstow. Adam is one of the few cast members to actually come from the East End of London. Ian Beale is my favourite character because he is a very believable character. This is because if you combine Adams wonderful acting with the skill of the scriptwriters, it creates a real, believable character. Also, Ian is nearly always written into the script. So far, Ian has been through divorce more than twice, bankruptcy, his wife tried to murder him, he has slept with a prostitute, told his old fianci e, Mel, that his child was ill just so she would marry him and his most recent plot is that his current wife, Laura, is pregnant but the child is definitely not Ians. Ian Beale comes across as a sneaky, sly, wimp and he likes to get his own way. He always seems to be plotting something but his plans never work. He is a bit of a failure. As a businessman, as a husband and as a dad. His business failed when he went bankrupt, he has been married three or four times and his son has left him, to go see his real dad. Ian does not seem like a nice man. The reason I like him is because I feel quite sorry for him. Everything goes wrong and I think he deserves something nice to happen. Underneath, I think he is really sensitive. He cries a lot, I must have seen him cry about 5 times, usually to do with his children. Ian is a character I definitely wouldnt like to be, because he has a hard life. However, the character I would love to be is Janine Butcher. The actress Charlie Brooks has the task of being Janine Butcher. Charlies date of birth is 3rd May 1981 and is originally from Barmouth, North Wales. Her first appearance in the soap was on 22nd June 1989 when she was only eight years of age. She was the third actress to play Janine Butcher. Janine is a fairly pleasant character although she is awful to the people she dislikes. I think she is greatly misunderstood. She likes to get her own way, and if she doesnt she really can be a frightful person to be near. She is also uses people. She once made friends with a man called Terry, just to get her hands on his money and have a job and a place to stay. But, I would still like to be Janine because she knows how to have fun and is very witty. Janine also knows how to take care of herself. These are the reasons I admire her. On a whole, I think Eastenders is really realistic because they dont exaggerate the issues too much unlike other soaps. It is also fun and easy to watch. It doesnt matter if you miss one or two episodes because it is so easy to catch up on the plot. I really enjoy watching Eastenders along with 53% of television viewing and I think it is one of the best soaps to watch.

The Photovoltaic Energy Calculation Engineering Essay

The Photovoltaic Energy Calculation Engineering Essay We used the program PVSYST in order to calculate accurately the output of our photovoltaic installation. PVSYST was the only program we had access to and it is a very widely known industrial program for sizing and designing photovoltaic systems. We used the most up to date version of 5.0.6. Procedure First from the main menu above we choose project design and we select the stand alone system because ours is not connected with an existing grid (i.e. electrical generator) In order to create a project in PVSYST, here is the Eco-friendly bulk carrier, we have to define: The project name, which will identify the project in the file list in our data library. The geographical location. The hourly Meteo file, which is given from the program. A geographical site is defined by: its name, country, and world region, its geographical co-ordinates: latitude, longitude, altitude and time-zone, Monthly meteorological data. To be used in the simulation, the minimum meteorological data include: the monthly Global horizontal irradiation Monthly averages of the ambient temperature. Meteo values are displayed and easily defined on the screen. It is to be noted that for the verification of rather uncertain data, the clearness index Kt is also displayable, which is the irradiation actually received on earth, normalised to extra-terrestrial irradiation in monthly values. The monthly average of Kt should usually lie between about Kt = 0.25 and Kt = 0.75 at any place (PVSYST defaults). Monthly meteo values can be used as a basis for the generation of synthetic daily data. Then we generate a graph for the specific site (i.e. Broome): Where, the blue line is the clear day model (irradiation values with clear sky). The above graph shows us graphically the irradiation sum per month (diffuse and global) with daily change values. The Clearness Index Kt for Broome: We can see that the values range from 0.25 to 0.75 The ambient temperature changes through the year. The above graphs were generated by the program from the below table: Also it is interesting to show the solar path at Broome or what is the solar height with respect of the plane through the day in order to understand how the sun moves from east to west. The graph also shows some landmark dates (denoted as 1 to 7) where the sun changes height: Our next step to the program is to find the albedo Coefficient: The albedo coefficient is the fraction of global incident irradiation reflected by the ground in front of a tilted plane. This effect takes place during the reversal computation of the horizontal irradiation onto a tilted plane. The albedo seen by the plane is of course null for a horizontal plane, and increases with tilt. In the project definition, the albedo values can be adjusted each month in order to take any possible snow-cover into consideration. The value usually admitted in the urban localities is of the order of 0.14 to 0.22, and can go up till 0.8 for a snow-cover. Ideally, the best value is obtained by a direct measurement on the site. But in practice, except for vertical planes, this value does not take on any great importance as the albedo component is relatively weak in the incident global irradiation (this contribution can be visualised in the results of the simulation). The following table gives some usual values for the albedo: We used the 0.35 value of the Albedo coefficient because it matches on our material. After defining the above values through the program we proceeded to the orientation of our PV plane. Our project consist a fixed tilted plane (The plane tilt is defined as the angle between the plane and the horizontal), because we considered placing the panels at the hatches due to the fact that they would be exposed all day to the suns radiation. PVs are placed onto the hatches of the ship with zero tilt (Azimuth is zero as well because it doesnt affect the global on collector plane output. In northern hemisphere, the plane azimuth is defined as the angle between south and collector plane. In southern hemisphere, the plane azimuth is defined as the angle between north and collector plane). As the program calculated, our loss with respect to an optimum orientation is 3.8% and the available irradiation on this tilted plane is 2370kWh/m2 We also considered using various configurations of panels as to maximise the output per m2 before choosing the above configuration. The below configurations was rejected due to the sun is changing place constantly throughout the day and the ships movement reinforces the situation, we decided that the best configuration was the above due to sturdy design (one panel placed along the hatch), high efficiency (sun always hit the panel at any time) and simple installation. Using two panels on each hatch half, tilted for 25o each having an output of 2445 kWh/m2 and the loss to an optimum orientation is 0.7%. Sun hit the panels only east and west when the ship goes north. (Highest efficiency, complex design, not easy installation). Using two panels on each half, tilted for above 25o the output is greatly decreased and we have great loss to an optimum orientation. The next step is to calculate the near shadings effect or shading. Near shadings are partial shadings which affect only a part of the field. The shaded part changes during the day and over the seasons. We call shading factor the ratio of the illuminated part to the total area of the field, or inversely shading loss is its complement. Through the construction/perspective tool we created a model of the ship from the ships particulars with the PVs installed on it in order to calculate the shading loss we have in various positions of the ship: The real effect of partial shadings on the electrical production of the PV field is non-linear, and depends on the interconnections between the modules. In the PV array, the current of each cell string is limited by the current of the worst cell in the series. That is, when one only cell is shaded the entire string is strongly affected (which has also dramatic effects on the I/V(current/voltage) characteristics of the whole array). Even with by-pass protection diodes, this string does not participate more than slightly in the production of the PV array. This phenomenon is too complex to be treated in great detail . Nevertheless, the program provides a simplified method, giving the possibility of partitioning the field into rectangles, each of which supposed to represent a string of modules in series. Then it calculates a Shading factor according to strings, stating that as soon as a string is hit by a shadow, the entire string (rectangle) is considered as electrically unproductive. A lthough not perfect, this approach should give an upper limit for the real shading loss evaluation. In practice, one often observe that (except for regular arrangements like sheds), this upper limit is not so far from the lower limit (that is, the linear loss). And the losses percentage due to shading in any sun height. After we define the natural parameters, we proceeded to the system consumption during a month in the specific site (BROOME). We cannot apply the maximum load 669.64 kW because it is the 100% and it is impossible to achieve it, but we apply an acceptable amount of about 20% of the max output which is 140Kw as a fixed load for 12 hours. After that we proceed to battery set and module selection: Where: LOL Loss-of-load probability This value is the probability that the users needs cannot be supplied (i.e. the time fraction when the battery is disconnected due to the Low charge regulator security). It may be understood as the complement of the Solar fraction (although it is described in terms of time rather than energy). During the sizing process, the LOL requirement allows for determining the PV array size needed, for a given battery capacity. Here the default program value is 5% which is acceptable. Autonomy and battery sizing: In the Presizing process, the proposed battery pack capacity is determined according to the required autonomy of the system, given in days. The autonomy is defined as the time during which the load can be met with the battery alone, without any solar inputs, starting of course from a full charged battery state. With non-constant loads (seasonal or monthly definition, weekly use), this is accounted as the worst case over the year. The calculation takes the minimum state of charge (SOC) disconnecting threshold, and the battery energy efficiency into account. For our project we decided that 4 days is enough autonomy for our ship. Battery Voltage Choice In a stand-alone PV system with direct coupling to the user (without inverter), the battery voltage determines the distribution voltage. As now many DC appliances can be found as well in 24V as in 12V, this choice should be made according to system and/or appliance power, as well as the extension of the planned distribution grid to minimise the ohmic wiring losses. This choice should be done from the early planning of an installation, since the existing appliance voltage usually cannot be changed, and voltage translators will be expensive and not 100% efficient. The rated distribution values could be chosen according to the following criteria (inverter supposed directly connected on the battery pack): 12V: little systems for lighting and TV: Appliance max power 24V: medium size, with fridge and little appliances, or wiring extension to more than 10 m. Appliance max power 48V: special industrial or agricultural use Appliance max power Higher powers require either high DC voltages (special appliances) or AC feeding through inverter. Here we choose 440V The module which we choose was the highest output monocrystalline silicon module in the program database, from SunPower company, constructed in 2009 the specifications of the module are: The batteries specification ,model and Manufaturer: Continuing: below is a brief sketch of the system The battery operating temperature was set to a fixed value of 20oC and the program let us use a default regulator with a DC-DC converter which specs are above. Array Losses Array losses in PVSYST program: Array loss parameters are initially set to reasonable default values by the program, so that modifications only need to be performed during a second step of the system study. PVSYST treats in detail the following loss types in a PV array: Thermal losses Ohmic wiring losses Module quality losses Mismatch losses Incidence angle (IAM) losses. In the simulation results, the effect of each loss will be available in hourly, daily or monthly values. They may be visualized on the Loss diagram. Array Thermal losses Thermal Model The thermal behaviour of the field which strongly influences the electrical performances is determined by a thermal balance between ambient temperature and cells heating up due to incident irradiance: U  · (Tcell Tamb) = Alpha  · Ginc  · (1 Effic) Where Alpha is the absorption coefficient of solar irradiation, and Effic is the PV efficiency (related to the module area), i.e. the removed energy from the module. The usual value of the Absorption coefficient Alpha is 0.9. When possible, the PV efficiency is calculated according to the operating conditions of the module. Otherwise it is taken as 10%. The thermal behaviour is characterised by a thermal loss factor designed here by U (formerly called K-value), which can be splitted into a constant component Uc and a factor proportional to the wind velocity Uv: U = Uc + Uv  · v (U in [W/m ²Ã‚ ·k], v = wind velocity in [m/s]). These factors depend on the mounting mode of the modules. For free circulation, this coefficient refers to both faces, i.e. twice the area of the module. If the back of the modules is more or less thermally insulated, this should be lowered, theoretically up to half the value (i.e. the back side doesnt participate anymore to thermal transfer). Determination of the parameters The determination of the parameters Uc and Uv is indeed a big question. We have some reliable measured data for free mounted arrays, but there is a severe lack of information when the modules are integrated. What value should be chosen according to the air duct sizes under the modules, and the length of the air path? One can observe that the heat capacity of the air is very low. Even with large air vents, the flowing air under the modules may quickly attain the equilibrium with the modules temperature at the end of the duct, leading to no heat exchange at all. Therefore for the top of the array the U value may be the fully insulated U-value; you can have big differences between the regions of the array near the air input, and at the output. The program doesnt take this inhomogeneity of the array temperature into account. On the other hand, the use of the wind dependence is very difficult. On one hand the knowing of the wind velocity is extremely rare. On the other hand the meteo wind velocity (taken at 10 meter height) is not representative of the temperature at the array level (there may be a factor of 2 between them). In this respect the Uv value is obviously not the same for these two definitions of the wind velocity. Default and proposed values The default value is fixed for free-standing arrays, as: Uc = 29 W/m ²Ã‚ ·k, Uv = 0 W/m ²Ã‚ ·k / m/s If you have fully insulated arrays, this should be halved: Uc = 15 W/m ²Ã‚ ·k, Uv = 0 W/m ²Ã‚ ·k / m/s These values suppose an average wind velocity of around 1.5 m/sec at the collectors level. In very windy regions (larger average wind velocities), you can increase the values; but we cannot say by which amount in a reliable way. NOCT Values Some practicians and most of PV modules catalogues usually specify the NOCT coefficient (Nominal Operating Collector Temperature), which is the temperature attained by the PV modules without back coverage under the standard operating conditions defined as: Irradiation = 800 W/m ², Tamb=20 °C, Wind velocity = 1 m/s, Open Circuit. The NOCT factor is related to loss factor U by the thermal balance (from the expression of the top Alpha  · 800 W/m ²  · (1 0) = (Uc + Uv  · 1m/s)  · (NOCT 20 °C). In the definition dialog, the user may define either the U factors or the NOCT. The program immediately gives the equivalence (using Alpha=0.9 and Effic = 10%, without wind dependence). Ohmic wiring losses Ohmic Loss Ratio The Ohmic Loss ratio is referred to the PV array at standard conditions (1000 W/m ², 25 °C), It is the ratio of the wiring ohmic loss Pwir = Rwir * Isc ² compared to the nominal power Pnom(array) = Rarray * Isc ² (SC= short circuit). Where: Rarray = Vmp / Imp at Standard Test Conditions (STC) Rwir = global wiring resistance of the full system. This is computed for a given sub-array as the resistance of all strings wires in parallel, in series with the cables from the intermediate connexion box on the roof to the inverter input. The global wiring resistance Rwir is obtained by putting all the sub-array wiring resistances in parallel. Use in the simulation The Global wiring resistance value finally used during the simulation may be defined here: as an Ohmic Loss ratio (the default value is 1.5% at STC) or given explicitly in mOhm. Wire diameter optimisation and Wiring Resistance Wire sections are determined by the maximum allowable current and the ohmic resistance. Here the proposed diameters are automatically limited to the minimum allowable section, according to the European standards for isolated wires mounted in apparent mounting ducts. Now for a given global loss target (at STC, i.e. maximum operating current), the best section choice is determined by the program in order to minimise: The global copper mass, The ohmic losses behave in a quadratic way with the array current (Ploss = R  · I ²), so that the ratio diminishes linearly with the output current. Therefore the average wiring losses are much lower during the whole running year. Metal resistivity The resistivity of wiring metals is strongly dependent on the temperature, which can widely vary due to dissipating currents. For pure metal, one has: Copper: Rho = 1.68 E-8 * (1 + 0.0068 * Temp [ °C]) [Ohm ·m] Default value: Temp = 50 °C => 22 mOhm ·mm ²/m Aluminium: Rho = 2.7 E-8 * (1 + 0.0043 * Temp [ °C]) [Ohm ·m] Default value: Temp = 50 °C => 33 mOhm ·mm ²/m We use copper which have minimum resistivity. Module quality losses / mismatch Module quality loss It is well-known that most of PV modules series dont match the manufacturer nominal specifications. Up to now, this was one of the greater uncertainties in the PV system performance evaluation. Now, with guaranteed power statements and increasing availability of independent expertise, the situation seems going toward some clarification. Module series are sold with a given tolerance, and actual powers usually lie under the nominal specified power, but stay in the tolerance. We decided that the program default was acceptable. Array mismatch loss Losses due to mismatch are related to the fact that the real modules in the array do not strictly present the same I/V characteristics. The graph below helps for visualising the realistic behaviour of such an array, with a random distribution of the characteristics of short-circuit current for each module. This allows for the quantification of power-loss at the maximum power point, as well as of current-loss when working at fixed voltage. (MPP= maximum power point) Array incidence loss (IAM) The incidence effect (the designated term is IAM, for Incidence Angle Modifier) corresponds to the weakening of the irradiation really reaching the PV cells surface, with respect to irradiation under normal incidence. In principle, this loss obeys Fresnels Laws, (They describe the behaviour of light when moving between media of differing refractive indices. The reflection of light that the equations predict is known as Fresnel reflection), concerning transmission and reflections on the protective layer (the glass), and on the cells surface. In practice, it is often approached using a parameterisation called ASHRAE (as it has become a standard in this American norm), depending on one only parameter bo: FIAM = 1 bo  · (1/cos i 1), with i = incidence angle on the plane. For single-glazed thermal solar modules, the usually accepted value for bo is of the order of 0.1. But in a PV module, the lower interface, in contact with the cell, presents a high refraction index and our specific measurements on real crystalline modules actually indicate a value of bo = 0.05. Final Report for Broome for January

Racial Profiling of Asians in America Essay example -- Sociology Racis

Racial Profiling of Asians in America      Ã‚   "Have you heard the one where someone broke into this guy's house and all his electronics were stolen but they knew that the burglar was Asian because the math homework that was left on the kitchen table was completed?   What about the one how Asians get their names?   By dropping a fork down the stairs."   In the first issue of the Asian American magazine, Amerisian, the magazine introduces an Asian American perspective of how a community is viewed in today's society..   For many years, Asian Americans strive to distance themselves to the subjective racial stereotypes and profiling society places on them.   Asian Americans have been trying to find their place in the American society.   The efforts of gaining the admiration in society may appear as a seemingly possible task to attain, yet the communities continues to thrive.   Unfortunately, many Asian Americans are still being treated unjustly. Wen Ho Lee, a former nuclear scientist at Los Alamos Laboratories, has been an American citizen for the past 27 years, however   was sentenced to prison with no bail because he was transferring documents in his office from a classified computer to an unclassified computer.   "He remains in his cell 23 hours a day, sometimes in shackles. He has limited contact with his family, and until recently, was not allowed to speak in his native language" (Murthy).   His case is still not final.   People are constantly trying to prove that what had happened to him was a cause of mistreatment and racial profiling. A man named John Deutch, now a professor at MIT, had transferred documents as Mr. Wen did, however, was not treated the same... ...   6 Apr. 2001.   <http://www.bctv.net/telcom/asian.html> Ayuyang, Rachelle.   "Asian Americans Take Center Court."   Monolid   Aug. 2000:   26-28. Parenthetical note:   (Ayuyang 28) Boyle, Jenny.   "Asian and Asian American Stereotype."   13 Oct. 2000.   Online posting.   Suite101.com.   6 Apr. 2001. <http://www.i5ive.com/article.cfm/3677/50465> Hu, Arthur.  Ã‚   "Education: Race DOES Matter, but Mastering the !@#$% Material matters the Most."   Arthur Hu's K12 Education Page.   6 Apr. 2001.   <http://www.leconsulting.com/arthurhu/index/asianam.htm> Murthy, Sharmila.   "Teach-In Probes Racial Profiling in the Wen Ho Lee Case."   6 Apr. 2001. <http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/citizen/00apr17/murt0417.html> Perng, Olivia.   Personal interview.   7 Apr. 2001. "Racist Love."   6 Apr. 2001.   <http://www.bol.ucla.edu/~tiffloui/love.htm>   

Planning and Measuring Performance Essay

Planning and Measuring Performance Planning and Measuring Performance This paper will discuss Hospital Corporation of America’s (HCA) goals of achieving industry-leading performance in clinical and satisfaction measures and recruiting and employing physicians to meet the need for high quality health services (University of Oregon Investment Group, 2011). This paper will also discuss which tools would be most effective in measuring the organization’s performance against the determined standards. The actual standards that HCA would use to measure the first goal of achieving industry-leading performance in clinical and satisfaction measures are set by The Joint Commission. According to Kicab Casta eda-Mendez (1999), achieving improved clinical performance and satisfaction measures requires performance measures in three areas: * To lead the entire organization in a particular direction. * To manage the resources needed to travel in this direction. * To operate the processes that make the organization work. According to Kicab Casta eda-Mendez (1999), these measures are: * Strategic–to drive strategies into action and change the organizational culture. * Diagnostic–to evaluate the effectiveness of these actions and the extent of change. * Operational–to improve continuously. The most effective tool to measure these improvements is benchmarking. Benchmarking against the top healthcare companies will determine if HCA is achieving industry-leading performance in clinical and satisfaction measures. Without benchmarking HCA could not determine if the company was leading the industry or if they were at the bottom of organizational ladder. HCA’s goal of hiring physicians to meet the need for high quality health services can be measured by determining the number of physicians need to accommodate the number of patients, determining the specialties/ sub-specialties the physicians are needed in, as well as measuring the retention rate of the physicians. The Balanced Scorecard would best fit this goal. The Balanced Scorecard allows the company to see the projected percentages and the actual percentages of the measurements. It also helps the company see what needs to be changed and gives direction for those changes. HCA can use benchmarking and the Balanced Scorecard to measure the different aspects of their goals. HCA will also be able to see the areas that need improvement and have some guidance into making these changes. With these tools HCA will be able to make an effective go at achieving their goals. References University of Oregon Investment Group (May 6, 2011). Hospital Corporation of America. Retrieved from http://uoinvestmentgroup. org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/HCA. pdf Casta eda-Mendez (1999). Performance Measurement in Healthcare. Retrieved from http://www. qualitydigest. com/may99/html/body_health. html

The Development of Wave Energy in China

Introduction With the growing concern over the emission of greenhouse gas and the depletion of fossil in roughly a hundred years (Guo, 2010), greater emphasis are placed on the utilization the renewable clean energy, such as solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, biomass energy. Wave power, as one of inexhaustible clean energies, stands out prominently due to high efficiency and low capital cost. As a result, Sea wave power has been increasingly viewed in many countries as a competitive and promising energy resource(You, 2003).China’s engagement in the study of wave energy conversion since 1970’s has made significant progress in fueling China’s fast growing economy. And there is still great potential of further exploitation of wave energy as about 7? 1010 W of wave energy is technological accessible in the near shore of China. Development and deployment of wave power help phase in the energy structure swift ‘from coal-dominance to more shares of clean energy typesâ₠¬â„¢ to tackle the problem of energy crisis and environmental pollution in a cost-effective manner (reference from Beijing Foreign Affairs Office).This term paper focuses on the conditions, progress and challenges of utilizing wave energy in China. Firstly it discusses the physical concepts of sea wave energy, including the basic process, relative merits and several common converters. The main part then elaborates on the reasons and situations for China to exploit wave power. It finally concludes from the progress of utilization that wave power has a vast developing foreground and an infinite market potential in China. Physical Features of Wave PowerAs one of the mechanical waves, the ocean waves are generated by wind blowing vastly enough over the sea surface and transferring energy from wind to wave(Guo, 2010). Specifically, the formation of waves is due to ‘the tangential stress on the interface between the wind and sea’(Guo, 2010), intensified by ‘the wind blo ws on the upwind side of the wave which cause pressure different between upwind and downwind of wave(Guo, 2010). While energy transformation takes place in macrocosm and transverse aspect, changes of energy magnitude exist in microcosm and longitudinal regard.Under the action of wind and gravity, the particle moves in circle in deep water while moves elliptically in shallow water. Dimensions of particle trajectories decrease exponentially as the depth increase in both deep water and shallow water(Guo, 2010). Typically these paths will become very small at a water depth larger than a few wavelengths in the deep water (Chow, 2012), which means that the larger orbits on the sea surface contain more wave energy than those in the deeper location.Consequently, ‘the wave energy is stored in the ocean worldwide and highly concentrated near the ocean surface’(Guo, 2010). The above-mentioned kinetic energy and potential energy generated by sea surface waves is referred to as ocea n wave energy(â€Å"Wave Energy Development,† 2006). Huge amount of energy is stored in waves, consisting of 94% energy of the ocean stored in the waves and the other 6% in tidal energy(Guo, 2010). Generally speaking, wave power cannot convert to electricity directly like wind energy. Wave energy should first be captured and converted into useful mechanical energy and then use this form of mechanical energy to generate electricity’(Guo, 2010), which might cause energy loss during conversion. Three determinants of energy output are wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density. †¦ Relative Advantage and Disadvantages The technology of producing electricity from sea waves is innovative and a leading method worldwide.Environmental pollution and global warming as a result of fossil fuel consumption have turned people to make use of largest world resource to create electricity, namely, sea waves. Comparing with other renewable clean energies, wave power has re lative high-lightened merits as follows(Kloosterman, 2010): High Density Wave power is the densest power among renewable energy resources, namely about 5kW/m to 100kW/m(Guo, 2010). The high density of wave power implies that considerable amounts of electricity may be yielded at relatively small sites. Certain ContinuityThe second feature that makes wave power suitable for electricity production is that the wave power can produce electricity continuously Unlike most of renewable energy resources (Guo, 2010). By contrast, nuclear power plants and hydroelectric stations are hi ghly susceptible to earthquake damage and China is hit by more than 4 typhoons a year on average, making the building of wind farms extremely difficult but wave electrical devices promising(Aviv, 2008). High Efficiency Besides high density and continuity in production, wave energy also is characterized by its high efficiency.According to S. D. E, wave energy has the potential to provide 4 times more energy per sq uare meter than wind, leading to rendering 500 times more than the electricity requirements of the whole world population if fully harnessed which ‘offers a solution to the severe global shortage of electricity that is estimated to cost billions of dollars’(Aviv, 2008). Multi-purpose Utilization Plenty of other purposes can be realized by wave energy besides providing electricity. The low temperature water in deep seas can replace Freon for the refrigeration of air-conditioners in summer.Desalination of sea water on islands lacking of fresh water can also be achieved by wave power. As with You (2003), ‘Multi-purpose utilization of wave energy can increase its commercial values’. Some Drawbacks As a rather new field with most of the technology under development, the practical efficiency of the wave power device is not high enough. Basically, wave power is ready to be used at low speed and high force and the motion of forces is not in a single direction, rais ing difficulties for most electric generators that operate at higher speeds and turbines that need a constant, steady flow(â€Å"Powered by the Sea,†).Conversely, the cost for construction is high. Since the devices used for capturing the sea waves, ‘the structure need to be withstanding the rough weather and the corrosive sea water’(Guo, 2010). ‘The total cost includes the primary converter, the power take-off system, the mooring system, installation and maintenance cost, and electricity delivery costs(â€Å"Powered by the Sea,†)’, boosting costs of generation in this way.Also, the wave power electricity generation is highly dependent on the sea characteristics, putting limits of the construction of wave power devices exclusively to the high wave power density coastlines(Guo, 2010). Moreover, wave electricity devise can exert potential negative influence on the marine environment. Large-scale implementation of wave energy converts (WECs) is l ikely to introduce an anthropogenic activity in the ocean(Patricio, 2009). This in turn may contribute to underwater noise which is detrimental to certain marine fauna with acoustic sensibility.Proper and continuous monitor of the noise can help abate the negative effect on marine species. Consequently, the advantages of wave energy far outweigh its drawbacks which mostly can be mitigated with further technological development. Potential Worldwide and in China ‘The realistically usable worldwide resource of wave energy has been estimated to be greater than 2 TW’, equivalent to an annual amount of 6000TWh(Wikipedia). The practical potential to harness the wave power to generate electricity would be much less given some constraints like technical and economic difficulties(Guo, 2010).Waves generate approximately 2,700 gig watts of power. According to Wikipedia, of those 2,700 gig watts, only about 500 gig watts can be utilized with the technology currently. This huge poten tial and applicability of wave power concentrate especially on the regions along coastlines, including the western seaboard of Europe, the northern coast of the UK, and the Pacific coastlines of North and South America, Southern Africa, Australia, and New Zealand(Wikipedia).South-eastern China has an obvious comparative advantage in regard of wave resources, with excellent conditions for mineralization, and there are 130 types of minerals with proven reserves. Recent Progress of utilization of wave power in China Although the first known patent on wave energy conversion was issued as early as 1799, extensive researches have not been carried out until the early 1970s(â€Å"Wave Energy Development,† 2006). Extracting the power of the waves is ‘moving out of the realms of sea mythology and into scientific reality’(â€Å"Powered by the Sea,†).Representative countries that pioneered in this field are United Kingdom,Norway,Portugal,China,India and so on(You, 200 3). ‘Various kinds of wave energy conversion devices have been proposed and many prototype wave power stations have been constructed, such as Salter duck, clam, Cockerel raft, oscillating water column (OWC)(You, 2003). ’ Had it not been due to certain technical and economic constraints, the huge reserve of power stored in oceans covering 71% of the earth’s surface is bound to have a promising foreground.For example, most of the studies on other influencing devices have been called off in light of low conversion efficiency and poor sustainability, leaving the OWC system of wave energy conversion to be the major direction of researches(You, 2003). Therefore, wave power generation is not currently a widely employed commercial technology comparing with other renewable green energies(â€Å"Powered by the Sea,†). In tune with the world trend, China is in the first rank of countries in studying wave energy conversion at present with a history also dated back to 1 970s. Actually, the application of wave power in a real sense started in 1982(Guo, 2010).Developments in establishing small marine wave power devices like lighthouse or small power devices equipped in ships laid foundation for the completion of the first wave power station in 2005 with capacity of 50kW and yields roughly 26MWh every year(Guo, 2010). The next milestone is also established in 2005 which is the largest wave power station in china with capacity of 100kW. Both of the power stations are located in the southern province Guangdong with 4,300 km in costline. China has established Department of Energy in 2009, and will focus on development of renewable energy include wave power.Glorious past contributes to the present development of wave energy in China. It is one of the most influencing countries in studying wave energy conversion at present. Up to now, three types of facilities utilizing wave power have been developed, including shoreline OWC wave power plants, floating OWC buoys and pendulous wave power plants(You, 2003). Besides, one of the two power plants in Guangdong province is under construction with 150kW capacity and the other one of 500Kw capacity is planed to start in the near future(Psenak, 2012).A third plant was built in Yangjiang City in 2011. Applicability of different wave power technologies in China can be summarized into five kinds, that is Oscillating water column(OWC), Pelamis wave power converter, Oyster wave power conerter, wave dragon converter and Finavera wave power converter(Guo, 2010). The main disadvantages with OWC are low efficiency and high capital cost, which canbe addressed with the development of OWC technology. According to the Chinese wave power company, the estimated total efficiency of the OWC system can reach 20%(Guo, 2010).Although covering the shortages of OWC, Pelamis wave power convertor with long and narrow (snake-like) shape pointing into the waves, is not suitable for China as it can only be applied to hi gh power density area. The same situation applies to the Finavera power converter. The Oyster system ‘consists of a hinged mechanical flap connected to the seabed at a depth of 10 metres. Each passing wave moves the flap which drives hydraulic pistons to deliver high pressure water via a pipeline to an onshore turbine which generates electricity’(â€Å"Powered by the Sea,†).Unlike Pelamis wave power converter, ‘Oyster wave converter has relative low limitation in wave power density and it is near-shore fixed in shallow water’(Guo, 2010). Moreover, the capital cost of Oyster wave power convertor is lower than OWC systems. It is considered suitable for China, according to Guo(2010). The wave dragon technology is not mature enough to be put into practice in full size. †¦ The future of wave power in China Chinese policy is open to developing comprehensive renewable energy resources, including wind power, solar power and wave power.Although wave powe r is currently the least used in China, it is widely believed that wave power has a big potential because of some advantageous natural conditions(Guo, 2010). †¦good wave climate in Guangdong, Fujian and some other provinces. The potential capacities of wave power in China are 500GW approximately(Liu). Wave energy is considered to be the large useful wave power resource in China. The technologies of wave power have been developed for a long time, though not very mature due to the high cost of the existing wave power plant.Continous experiments with new equipments to harness ocean wave energy as well as efforts to attract sizeable foreign investments would be the major goals of this giant developing country(â€Å"Wave Power Projects in US, Scotland and China â€Å", 2010). It is reasonably estimated that the cost for wave power generation will decrease to a rational level if wave power is largely used for commercial generation(Guo, 2010). As analyzed preceedingly, the on land O yster systems suit China best and improved OWC will be the most widely adopted wave power generation system in China.According to Guo, ‘if they are combined with newer systems off-shore wave power generation system such as Wave Dragon and Pelamis, these will form the future Chinese wave power generation system'. In this way, the time volatility of wave energy can also be smoothed by interconnection of large numbers of devices(Falnes, 1991). Hence, wave energy is expected to have a great potential to be economically competitive with the development of new designs and technical improvements over time(Falnes, 1991).Establishing, operating and maintaining the convert facilities of wave energy is set to provide a major boost to coastal societies for the country. Aviv, T. (2008). Sea Wave Power Plants Available in China Retrieved from http://www. renewableenergyworld. com/rea/news/article/2008/07/sea-wave-power-plants-available-in-china-53176 Falnes, J. L. , J. (1991). Ocean wave en ergy. Energy Policy, 19(8), 768-775. Guo, L. H. (2010). Applicability and Potential of Wave Power in China. 48. Retrieved from http://hig. diva-portal. org/smash/record. jsf? pid=diva2:327695 Kloosterman, K. (2010).SDE Makes Wave Power in China: Where It's Completing 1 MW Power Plant Deal. Retrieved from http://www. greenprophet. com/2010/04/sde-wave-energy-china/ Patricio, S. , Soares, C. & Sarmento, A. (2009). Underwater Noise Modelling of Wave Energy Devices. 9. Retrieved from http://www. see. ed. ac. uk/~shs/Wave%20Energy/EWTEC%202009/EWTEC%202009%20(D)/papers/151. pdf Powered by the Sea. New Scientist / Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://www. globalenvironmentalsociety. net/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=57:powered-by-the-sea&catid=25:news&Itemid=113 Psenak, L. (2012). Two wave power plants underway in China.Retrieved from http://www. renewable-energy-technology. net/marine-hydro/two-wave-power-plants-underway-china Wave Energy Development. (2006). Retrieved from http://www. fp7-standpoint. eu/index. php/en/wave-energy/wave-energy-development Wave Power Projects in US, Scotland and China (2010). Retrieved from EconomyWatch website: http://www. economywatch. com/renewable-energy/wave-power-development. html Wikipedia. Wave Power. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Wave_power You, Y. G. , Zheng, Y. H. , Shen, Y. M. , Wu, B. J. & Liu, R. . (2003). Wave Energy Study in China: Advancements and Perspectives. China Ocean engineering, 17(1), 101-109.