From the East River walkway near his office on Roosevelt Island, Ron Smith looks across to Manhattan's East Side shoreline, to the hulking warehouses and exhaust stacks of an oil-and-gas power plant, today's way of keeping the city's lights burning.
But in the swift-flowing tidal waters in between, Smith sees the future of energy generation. He and partner Trey Taylor are co-founders of Verdant Power, which generated electricity from underwater turbines in the river as part of a pilot project last year and will install 30 new turbines at the site this spring.
"The 1 megawatt these will generate is trivial," he said. "But by 2020 to 2040, these kinds of technologies will be all over the world."
Verdant Power is among companies worldwide in the forefront of exploring the potential for generating power from the tides, a form of renewable energy with some distinct advantages over wind or solar energy, but also with some unique challenges. In one reflection of the growing interest, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission noted last year that it had issued 100 preliminary permits for various tidal sites in the United States. Just this month, FERC announced an agreement with the Coast Guard to cooperate on navigation and other issues arising from tidal, wave and river current energy projects.
By some estimates, these technologies could one day supply as much as 30 percent of U.S. power needs, but there are a lot of uncertainties about how much of that potential actually can be realized, said Paul Jacobson, senior project manager at the Electric Power Research Institute.
"It's going to be a niche technology," he said. "But in the places where the conditions are good, it can be very attractive."
Alaska, Maine and Washington state have the U.S. sites with the greatest potential, followed by other coastal states including New York and Massachusetts, according to a 2011 Georgia Tech-U.S. Department of Energy report. Because tides move at regular cycles, tidal generators provide a predictable source of power, a distinct advantage over the fluctuating winds and cloudy days that can disrupt wind or solar arrays, Jacobson said.
"When the power is predictable, it's easier to plan to bring other things on line when needed," he said. One of the main challenges of tidal power, though, is the harsh, corrosive sea environment.
"There is a lot of power in these tidal currents, but some of the devices deployed have promptly broken because of the amount of energy," Jacobson said.
Other major challenges are the long lead time and the significant investment required to get projects beyond the conceptual stage. Verdant Power, for one, has raised $35 million thus far, but needs another $25 million for its Roosevelt Island project, Smith said. "There are high initial capital costs, and not a lot of initial return," he said.
Tidal turbine development has made progress in recent years, though, with companies such as Siemens producing tidal turbines, and working projects generating power in the Irish Sea and the Netherlands.
In the United States, the Ocean Renewable Power Co. achieved a major milestone in September when it began delivering power from a turbine in Cobscook Bay, between Eastport and Lubec, Maine, to Bangor Hydro Electric. It was the first time in U.S. history that power from a tidal generator has fed the commercial grid. Over the next five years, the company plans to install enough turbines to generate a total of 5 megawatts of power.
To some, the company's turbines resemble an old-fashioned push lawn mower. Sauer, however, prefers to describe the turbine as a "water wheel that's been twisted." Other designs look more like airplane propellers or wind turbines, except shorter. It's too soon to tell which design will dominate, Sauer said, and it may be that different designs will be better suited to different site conditions.
2013年3月31日 星期日
2013年3月28日 星期四
'American Dream' comes to fruition for basketball coach Andy Enfield
All of those hours accruing knowledge about money management did not go to waste. A company he founded produced videos on shooting and sold them worldwide. Venturing outside of sports, he served as vice-president and part-owner of a high-tech firm in health services, launched by a pal, that is now valued at well north of US$100 million (Dh367.3m).
Meantime, a friend introduced Enfield to a green-eyed lass named Amanda Marcum. This was hardly an attempt at matchmaking; Marcum simply needed a ride to a game he was attending.
No typical basketball fan was she, but a gorgeous magazine cover girl (Vogue, Maxim) and runway model (Victoria's Secret) who would become the most prized recruit Enfield hooks no matter how long he coaches.
A week later, their initial date unfolded at another game. (Jealous yet, guys?) Dinner that night was at a fast-food taco joint. Not exactly from the "How To Impress a Super Model Handbook," but something clicked.
A half-year later, they got engaged when Enfield, maintaining the fast-food theme, tucked the engagement ring in a box of chain-store doughnuts.
Still a young man, Enfield sold his share of the health-services outfit, which offered enough financial freedom to follow his muse and coach basketball.
He procured a job as assistant at a university with a prominent team. Marcum swapped out the skimpy outfits in which she posed for maternity clothes, eventually bearing three children.
Another university – this one obscure, a virtual start-up like Enfield's former company – hired him as head coach two years ago with nothing to lose, except lots of games. Salary was no issue at Florida Gulf Coast, and the self-made millionaire was content to take less than many assistants at major schools.
By now, you might have noticed Enfield's bold streak, reflected in the Wayne Gretzky quote that shouts from a sign in his office: "You miss 100 per cent of the shots you don't take."
So it should come as no surprise that he does not operate from the standard coaching bible.
Whereas others exercise their control-freakiness by holding the reins tight on players, he loosens them almost to the point of dropping them altogether. FGC runs and guns, while having loads of fun, within a hazily defined framework.
The lay-up line during warm-ups is revealing: Every player dunks, or at least tries to. This carefree attitude spills over into games, with Enfield hardly ever seeing fit to scream at players.
He cares not that premier scorer Sherwood Brown sticks out his tongue at nobody in particular after scoring a basket. Or that bench players strut and flap their arms in apparent mimicry of a bird, if not quite the eagle that is the team mascot.
FGC not only won their opening two games in the NCAA Tournament known as March Madness, the most unlikely entrant ever to pull off the double, but did so with a splash of alley-oop slams and fancy passes that knocked the NBA off of the nightly basketball highlight reels. Afterward, in the locker room, players raised a toast of water and soda to Enfield - then poured it all over him. No worries; he can afford the dry-cleaning bill.
Amanda – still a knockout blonde, even far removed from her pin-ups days – entered and exchanged a long embrace with Andy, nine years her senior. For FGC, the idyllic season likely ends in defeat this weekend.
For their coach, who set his own professional and personal course and then tilled it, no alarm clock seems about to awaken him from the American Dream.
Meantime, a friend introduced Enfield to a green-eyed lass named Amanda Marcum. This was hardly an attempt at matchmaking; Marcum simply needed a ride to a game he was attending.
No typical basketball fan was she, but a gorgeous magazine cover girl (Vogue, Maxim) and runway model (Victoria's Secret) who would become the most prized recruit Enfield hooks no matter how long he coaches.
A week later, their initial date unfolded at another game. (Jealous yet, guys?) Dinner that night was at a fast-food taco joint. Not exactly from the "How To Impress a Super Model Handbook," but something clicked.
A half-year later, they got engaged when Enfield, maintaining the fast-food theme, tucked the engagement ring in a box of chain-store doughnuts.
Still a young man, Enfield sold his share of the health-services outfit, which offered enough financial freedom to follow his muse and coach basketball.
He procured a job as assistant at a university with a prominent team. Marcum swapped out the skimpy outfits in which she posed for maternity clothes, eventually bearing three children.
Another university – this one obscure, a virtual start-up like Enfield's former company – hired him as head coach two years ago with nothing to lose, except lots of games. Salary was no issue at Florida Gulf Coast, and the self-made millionaire was content to take less than many assistants at major schools.
By now, you might have noticed Enfield's bold streak, reflected in the Wayne Gretzky quote that shouts from a sign in his office: "You miss 100 per cent of the shots you don't take."
So it should come as no surprise that he does not operate from the standard coaching bible.
Whereas others exercise their control-freakiness by holding the reins tight on players, he loosens them almost to the point of dropping them altogether. FGC runs and guns, while having loads of fun, within a hazily defined framework.
The lay-up line during warm-ups is revealing: Every player dunks, or at least tries to. This carefree attitude spills over into games, with Enfield hardly ever seeing fit to scream at players.
He cares not that premier scorer Sherwood Brown sticks out his tongue at nobody in particular after scoring a basket. Or that bench players strut and flap their arms in apparent mimicry of a bird, if not quite the eagle that is the team mascot.
FGC not only won their opening two games in the NCAA Tournament known as March Madness, the most unlikely entrant ever to pull off the double, but did so with a splash of alley-oop slams and fancy passes that knocked the NBA off of the nightly basketball highlight reels. Afterward, in the locker room, players raised a toast of water and soda to Enfield - then poured it all over him. No worries; he can afford the dry-cleaning bill.
Amanda – still a knockout blonde, even far removed from her pin-ups days – entered and exchanged a long embrace with Andy, nine years her senior. For FGC, the idyllic season likely ends in defeat this weekend.
For their coach, who set his own professional and personal course and then tilled it, no alarm clock seems about to awaken him from the American Dream.
2013年3月27日 星期三
Vermont green energy bill advances but is scaled down
Foes of mountaintop wind power in Vermont were dealt a setback Tuesday when a bill calling for more study of large-scale renewable energy development was significantly reduced in scope.
Though the bill won preliminary approval in the Senate, it was only after provision calling for a slowdown of such development was scaled back, then removed completely.
People on both sides of the debate said the legislation pitted one environmental good against another: protecting Vermont’s pristine landscapes from rapid development, especially of wind power sites but also solar and wood-fired electrical generators, versus promoting those power sources in the hopes of reducing reliance on fossil fuels and stemming climate change.
Critics have charged that renewable energy projects have been approved too easily without giving people who live near project sites enough say in the review process.
"Push has come to shove. Are you serious about global warming or are you not?" asked Sen. Richard McCormack, D-Windsor. He called climate change too crucial an issue to slow renewable energy development, though he said he lamented the mountainside roads, concrete pads and wind turbine towers extending more than 400 feet above Vermont’s ridge lines.
"I’m going to vote against the bill, and I’m going to break my own heart doing it," McCormack said.
In the end, McCormack was part of the 24-6 majority that supported the measure, but only after an amendment offered by Sen. David Zuckerman, D-Chittenden, removed its most hotly debated provisions.
The sections deleted by the Zuckerman amendment would have called for the state utility regulator to give more weight to local and regional land-use plans and less to its traditional standard of determining whether a project was "in the general good of the state." The change in review standards was to last only until July 1, 2014, leading some to question how effective it would be, given the dearth of applications for big wind projects.
"It’s still an anti-renewable dog, but now it’s had all its teeth removed," one of the bill’s toughest critics, Vermont Public Interest Research Group Executive Director Paul Burns said after the vote.
Backers of the original bill said they were disappointed its toughest provisions had been stripped out, but encouraged by sections calling for more coordinated study of Vermont’s energy siting process.
"There’s a certain amount of frustration and disappointment," said Matt Levin of the group Vermonters For a Clean Environment. "But it’s good that the bill will allow the conversation to continue."
Though the bill won preliminary approval in the Senate, it was only after provision calling for a slowdown of such development was scaled back, then removed completely.
People on both sides of the debate said the legislation pitted one environmental good against another: protecting Vermont’s pristine landscapes from rapid development, especially of wind power sites but also solar and wood-fired electrical generators, versus promoting those power sources in the hopes of reducing reliance on fossil fuels and stemming climate change.
Critics have charged that renewable energy projects have been approved too easily without giving people who live near project sites enough say in the review process.
"Push has come to shove. Are you serious about global warming or are you not?" asked Sen. Richard McCormack, D-Windsor. He called climate change too crucial an issue to slow renewable energy development, though he said he lamented the mountainside roads, concrete pads and wind turbine towers extending more than 400 feet above Vermont’s ridge lines.
"I’m going to vote against the bill, and I’m going to break my own heart doing it," McCormack said.
In the end, McCormack was part of the 24-6 majority that supported the measure, but only after an amendment offered by Sen. David Zuckerman, D-Chittenden, removed its most hotly debated provisions.
The sections deleted by the Zuckerman amendment would have called for the state utility regulator to give more weight to local and regional land-use plans and less to its traditional standard of determining whether a project was "in the general good of the state." The change in review standards was to last only until July 1, 2014, leading some to question how effective it would be, given the dearth of applications for big wind projects.
"It’s still an anti-renewable dog, but now it’s had all its teeth removed," one of the bill’s toughest critics, Vermont Public Interest Research Group Executive Director Paul Burns said after the vote.
Backers of the original bill said they were disappointed its toughest provisions had been stripped out, but encouraged by sections calling for more coordinated study of Vermont’s energy siting process.
"There’s a certain amount of frustration and disappointment," said Matt Levin of the group Vermonters For a Clean Environment. "But it’s good that the bill will allow the conversation to continue."
2013年3月26日 星期二
CAW turbine fully operational
A Canadian Auto Workers' wind turbine that has sparked protests, petitions and a strong public backlash is now in full operation in Saugeen Shores.
The turbine, at the union's Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, was turned on and the blades began spinning at about 12:30 p.m. Monday, according to Ken Bondy, the CAW's national health, safety and environment co-ordinator.
"It was a long time coming for us, about nine years from the initial thought process," he said Tuesday in an interview.
He said the turbine is expected to generate enough "green energy" to offset 350 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
While the union is celebrating the "milestone" — it is the first union-owned and operated wind turbine in Canada — opponents of the project are still fuming.
Karen Hunter, spokeswoman for Saugeen Turbine Operation Policy (STOP), said the group is "extremely disappointed" the CAW has decided to "roll the dice and take a chance on our health and their own employees' health.
"They've chosen to ignore the massive evidence that turbines located too close to people destroy health. Their decision to start the turbine shows that the CAW's priorities are money first, people second."
She said STOP will continue to be involved in "noise monitoring and legal action."
STOP and other opponents of the CAW turbine say it is too close to homes and, as a result, threatens the health and safety of many people and reduces the value of nearby residential properties.
About 100 homes are within 550 metres of the turbine, which is the minimum setback in the Green Energy Act. The turbine is exempt from the act since approval was granted before it became law.
Bondy said complaint forms were distributed to every home within a 1,500-metre radius of the turbine, which he said is more than double what was required by the province.
"If there are any complaints, we will deal with those on an immediate basis," he said.
He said he is confident concerns will dissipate once residents experience the turbine in operation.
The turbine was built despite attempts to stop its construction.
Saugeen Shores council tried in 2006 by voting down a rezoning application to permit turbines. The CAW appealed and won at an Ontario Municipal Board hearing in 2007. Council also approved a 2,000-metre setback for wind turbines in 2011, but the rule has no teeth since turbine approvals rest with the province under the Green Energy Act.
Last fall, Saugeen Shores council formally asked the CAW to postpone activating the turbine until Health Canada completes a planned study on the relationship between turbine noise and human health. Results of the study are expected in 2014.
The CAW said it followed all legal and regulatory requirements for new turbines and would not delay turning it on.
Bondy said Tuesday the union plans to develop other ways to reduce its carbon footprint, including investigating the installation of solar panels at the Family Education Centre.
But a second turbine is not in the plans, he said, adding the union did not anticipate the level of opposition or "anxiety" it would create in the community.
The turbine, at the union's Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, was turned on and the blades began spinning at about 12:30 p.m. Monday, according to Ken Bondy, the CAW's national health, safety and environment co-ordinator.
"It was a long time coming for us, about nine years from the initial thought process," he said Tuesday in an interview.
He said the turbine is expected to generate enough "green energy" to offset 350 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
While the union is celebrating the "milestone" — it is the first union-owned and operated wind turbine in Canada — opponents of the project are still fuming.
Karen Hunter, spokeswoman for Saugeen Turbine Operation Policy (STOP), said the group is "extremely disappointed" the CAW has decided to "roll the dice and take a chance on our health and their own employees' health.
"They've chosen to ignore the massive evidence that turbines located too close to people destroy health. Their decision to start the turbine shows that the CAW's priorities are money first, people second."
She said STOP will continue to be involved in "noise monitoring and legal action."
STOP and other opponents of the CAW turbine say it is too close to homes and, as a result, threatens the health and safety of many people and reduces the value of nearby residential properties.
About 100 homes are within 550 metres of the turbine, which is the minimum setback in the Green Energy Act. The turbine is exempt from the act since approval was granted before it became law.
Bondy said complaint forms were distributed to every home within a 1,500-metre radius of the turbine, which he said is more than double what was required by the province.
"If there are any complaints, we will deal with those on an immediate basis," he said.
He said he is confident concerns will dissipate once residents experience the turbine in operation.
The turbine was built despite attempts to stop its construction.
Saugeen Shores council tried in 2006 by voting down a rezoning application to permit turbines. The CAW appealed and won at an Ontario Municipal Board hearing in 2007. Council also approved a 2,000-metre setback for wind turbines in 2011, but the rule has no teeth since turbine approvals rest with the province under the Green Energy Act.
Last fall, Saugeen Shores council formally asked the CAW to postpone activating the turbine until Health Canada completes a planned study on the relationship between turbine noise and human health. Results of the study are expected in 2014.
The CAW said it followed all legal and regulatory requirements for new turbines and would not delay turning it on.
Bondy said Tuesday the union plans to develop other ways to reduce its carbon footprint, including investigating the installation of solar panels at the Family Education Centre.
But a second turbine is not in the plans, he said, adding the union did not anticipate the level of opposition or "anxiety" it would create in the community.
2013年3月25日 星期一
Fix The Text In Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
When Nintendo first launched the 3DS handheld, the company focused its hype machine on one major aspect of the device: Its 3D functionality. In truth, it's very impressive that Nintendo's engineers were able to design a portable gaming machine that can offer 3D graphics without requiring players to strap on bulky glasses, but since its debut most players have discovered that the 3D - no matter how technically impressive - is more of a hassle than the promised future of handheld gaming. Speaking personally, I leave the 3D slider set to "off," only switching it on periodically to check how well a developer has implemented the feature in whichever game I might be reviewing at the moment.
Now, assuming you're like me and do the same with your slider, you may have noticed that the in-game text found in the 3DS incarnation of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate looks terrible. It's not quite unreadable, but it does look smudged and should look far better. The problem here is that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate has been programmed to render a 3D image, regardless of what your slider is telling the game to display.
As a result, the game effectively creates two versions of whatever the 3DS is supposed to display and tosses them onto the screen slightly offset so as to create the 3D effect. The good news is that knowing this makes it quite simple to fix the issue, and as a bonus this trick will also make the entire game look sharper and improve your in-game frame rate by up to 50 percent - which is very helpful in a game like Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate which demands precise timing.
When you first fire up Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, pay a visit to the main menu's "Options" screen. Here you'll notice a toggle for 3D functionality. This is switched to "on" by default, and most players leave it that way, thinking that simply setting the 3D slider to "off" will remove the (oft-literal) headaches of the handheld's 3D. You're going to want to switch this to "off." This will manually force Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate to no longer render that second image, thus removing the smudge effect from the in-game text and freeing up the 3DS' processor which will no longer attempt to render two images, despite your slider's insistence that you don't want to see such things.
Keep in mind that this simple fix does come with one caveat: Once you've switched the 3D toggle to "off," the game will obviously no longer be in 3D. Thus, turning the 3D slider all the way to maximum will have no effect. This isn't a problem if you disliked the 3D in the first place, but it's something to keep in mind.
Oh, and before you ask, there's sadly no text fix for the Wii U version of the game. That's an entirely separate issue that doesn't hinge on simply hitting "A" in the appropriate options menu. The good news is that it doesn't seem to affect most players, but the bad news is that most theories hold that the problem isn't with the game so much as it's with your television. Should you buy a new HDTV specifically to play Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate? No, that would be silly. Besides, it'd be far cheaper to kill a Giant Jaggi and a couple Ludroths for the materials necessary to craft one yourself.
Now, assuming you're like me and do the same with your slider, you may have noticed that the in-game text found in the 3DS incarnation of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate looks terrible. It's not quite unreadable, but it does look smudged and should look far better. The problem here is that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate has been programmed to render a 3D image, regardless of what your slider is telling the game to display.
As a result, the game effectively creates two versions of whatever the 3DS is supposed to display and tosses them onto the screen slightly offset so as to create the 3D effect. The good news is that knowing this makes it quite simple to fix the issue, and as a bonus this trick will also make the entire game look sharper and improve your in-game frame rate by up to 50 percent - which is very helpful in a game like Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate which demands precise timing.
When you first fire up Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, pay a visit to the main menu's "Options" screen. Here you'll notice a toggle for 3D functionality. This is switched to "on" by default, and most players leave it that way, thinking that simply setting the 3D slider to "off" will remove the (oft-literal) headaches of the handheld's 3D. You're going to want to switch this to "off." This will manually force Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate to no longer render that second image, thus removing the smudge effect from the in-game text and freeing up the 3DS' processor which will no longer attempt to render two images, despite your slider's insistence that you don't want to see such things.
Keep in mind that this simple fix does come with one caveat: Once you've switched the 3D toggle to "off," the game will obviously no longer be in 3D. Thus, turning the 3D slider all the way to maximum will have no effect. This isn't a problem if you disliked the 3D in the first place, but it's something to keep in mind.
Oh, and before you ask, there's sadly no text fix for the Wii U version of the game. That's an entirely separate issue that doesn't hinge on simply hitting "A" in the appropriate options menu. The good news is that it doesn't seem to affect most players, but the bad news is that most theories hold that the problem isn't with the game so much as it's with your television. Should you buy a new HDTV specifically to play Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate? No, that would be silly. Besides, it'd be far cheaper to kill a Giant Jaggi and a couple Ludroths for the materials necessary to craft one yourself.
2013年3月24日 星期日
Landowners at war over wind-farm plan for country estate
THE tranquil beauty of the Pentland and Moorfoot hills has been disturbed by a row over a wind farm proposed for land owned by an aristocratic family.
Plans for the Mount Lothian wind farm on Sir Robert Clerk of Penicuik's estate have infuriated a neighbouring landowner - the financier Peter de Vink.
Mr de Vink claims Sir Robert is "trousering millions" in wind farm subsidies and maintains that erecting "monstrous" wind turbines in rural Midlothian will wreck unspoilt countryside.
The bitter feud has broken out over a plan to build nine 335ft-high turbines - seven of which are proposed for the Clerk-owned Penicuik estate.
The proposal has received numerous objections, including one from the author Alexander McCall Smith. But it is Mr de Vink who is one of the most vocal critics of what he describes as a "wind factory", to be sited a couple of miles from his 800-acre estate near the conservation village of Howgate.
But it is Mr de Vink who is one of the most vocal critics of what he describes as a "wind factory", to be sited a couple of miles from his 800-acre estate near the conservation village of Howgate.
Mr de Vink believes it is an unjust system that allows landowners to cash in by renting their land to renewable generators, whose wind farms are subsidised by levying extra cash from ordinary electricity consumers. "It makes the rich richer and the poor poorer," Mr de Vink said. "It is the opposite of Robin Hood."
Moreover, Mr de Vink claims that turbines overlooking his property will decrease its value by up up to GBP1.5 million and said he intends to take legal action against Sir Robert if the plans win approval.
"I will have the estate valued before the wind farm and I will have it valued after the wind farm. The difference has gone into the trousers of Robert Clerk, so I will sue him. My lawyer says it will set a precedent," said Mr de Vink, who sits on Midlothian Council as an independent.
Mr de Vink claimed Sir Robert, a baronet whose family have lived on the Penicuik Estate for generations, would gain millions in rent from the development. He is also angry that locals have been left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket after they fought successfully in 2010 to defeat a wind farm at nearby Auchencorth on the Penicuik Estate.
He is also angry that locals have been left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket after they fought successfully in 2010 to defeat a wind farm at nearby Auchencorth on the Penicuik Estate
The Wind Prospect Group and EDF Energy Renewables, the companies behind the latest venture, refused to disclose details of the rental arrangement.
Dr John Constable, director of the Renewable Energy Foundation, said that deals varied but the "rule of thumb" was that a lease agreement would specify about GBP15,000 per turbine per year.
"Thus we can estimate that for nine turbines at Mount Lothian, the annual rental income for the landowners could be about GBP135,000 and the lifetime rent about GBP2.7m," Dr Constable said yesterday.
When Mr de Vink's claim the landowner would be "trousering millions" was put to Sir Robert, he replied: "I wish I were." On Mr de Vink's plan for legal action, Sir Robert said: "I'm not interested in threats like that."
Sir Robert said: "We will be putting at least 25 per cent of it [the money] into projects on the estate, from which the public will benefit very substantially. And also a great deal of money will be going to the local community."
Plans for the Mount Lothian wind farm on Sir Robert Clerk of Penicuik's estate have infuriated a neighbouring landowner - the financier Peter de Vink.
Mr de Vink claims Sir Robert is "trousering millions" in wind farm subsidies and maintains that erecting "monstrous" wind turbines in rural Midlothian will wreck unspoilt countryside.
The bitter feud has broken out over a plan to build nine 335ft-high turbines - seven of which are proposed for the Clerk-owned Penicuik estate.
The proposal has received numerous objections, including one from the author Alexander McCall Smith. But it is Mr de Vink who is one of the most vocal critics of what he describes as a "wind factory", to be sited a couple of miles from his 800-acre estate near the conservation village of Howgate.
But it is Mr de Vink who is one of the most vocal critics of what he describes as a "wind factory", to be sited a couple of miles from his 800-acre estate near the conservation village of Howgate.
Mr de Vink believes it is an unjust system that allows landowners to cash in by renting their land to renewable generators, whose wind farms are subsidised by levying extra cash from ordinary electricity consumers. "It makes the rich richer and the poor poorer," Mr de Vink said. "It is the opposite of Robin Hood."
Moreover, Mr de Vink claims that turbines overlooking his property will decrease its value by up up to GBP1.5 million and said he intends to take legal action against Sir Robert if the plans win approval.
"I will have the estate valued before the wind farm and I will have it valued after the wind farm. The difference has gone into the trousers of Robert Clerk, so I will sue him. My lawyer says it will set a precedent," said Mr de Vink, who sits on Midlothian Council as an independent.
Mr de Vink claimed Sir Robert, a baronet whose family have lived on the Penicuik Estate for generations, would gain millions in rent from the development. He is also angry that locals have been left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket after they fought successfully in 2010 to defeat a wind farm at nearby Auchencorth on the Penicuik Estate.
He is also angry that locals have been left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket after they fought successfully in 2010 to defeat a wind farm at nearby Auchencorth on the Penicuik Estate
The Wind Prospect Group and EDF Energy Renewables, the companies behind the latest venture, refused to disclose details of the rental arrangement.
Dr John Constable, director of the Renewable Energy Foundation, said that deals varied but the "rule of thumb" was that a lease agreement would specify about GBP15,000 per turbine per year.
"Thus we can estimate that for nine turbines at Mount Lothian, the annual rental income for the landowners could be about GBP135,000 and the lifetime rent about GBP2.7m," Dr Constable said yesterday.
When Mr de Vink's claim the landowner would be "trousering millions" was put to Sir Robert, he replied: "I wish I were." On Mr de Vink's plan for legal action, Sir Robert said: "I'm not interested in threats like that."
Sir Robert said: "We will be putting at least 25 per cent of it [the money] into projects on the estate, from which the public will benefit very substantially. And also a great deal of money will be going to the local community."
2013年3月21日 星期四
Observatory prepares for spring radar study of migration
With one eye on the federal government’s budget situation, Mark Shieldcastle, research director at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, is hopeful there will be another radar study this spring of the flight patterns of migratory birds along the Lake Erie shoreline.
Data from a study conducted in the fall is still being analyzed.
“We were kind of surprised by some of the preliminary results from the fall study – by how the birds were moving,” Shieldcastle said. “There was a lot more movement along the coast at night than they expected. They thought everything would be just going across but they are following the coast very similar to what they do during the day. You would think at night they are migrating across the lake but they found an awful lot of birds that are actually following the coastline to the west, just like they would during the day.”
The U.S. Geological Service provided two radar units and Bowling Green State University provided another for the fall phase of the study that began last spring but with only two radar units.
Personnel from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Ohio State University, University of Toledo, and the observatory have also been participating in the study, which ultimately hopes to gain insight into whether the flight patterns would place the migrating flocks close to wind turbines that have been or soon will be erected near the lake shoreline.
Radar can give researchers a look at the patterns of movement and volume of the birds, their elevation, and how they’re interacting with the lake and shoreline, Shieldcastle said.
One question in particular needs to be addressed, he said: Are they flying above the risk zone – the area around the blades of the turbines?
One radar unit was placed close to the shoreline while the others were three and 15 miles inland. Preliminary data from the unit farthest inland are yielding another surprise.
“That unit had a huge amount of activity below 500 feet,” Shieldcastle said. “How that compares to right along the coastline we don’t know yet. But they weren’t expecting that much bird activity that low 15 miles inland. That can be a very important piece of information, depending on how that analysis comes out. One possible explanation is the birds are dropping in just like a jet comes in – on a long approach. That’s still up in the air until the data is analyzed. But it does show the birds follow a lower altitude farther inland than was thought.”
The Black Swamp Bird Observatory hosted a forum last year, inviting researchers from academia, government, and conservation groups, to update their peers on projects they’ve undertaken in the Great Lake region.
Participants also discussed how radar studies could be included with other strategies such as banding, counts, and acoustic monitoring in a cost-effective manner.
But the researchers also renewed their call for additional study of the migratory flight patterns along the lake before wind energy development is pursued. In particular, they’ve asked for a three-year moratorium on the placement of wind turbines within three miles of Lake Erie in Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Erie counties.
BSBO staffers have been watching development at the Lake Erie Business Park, which has been promoting its site as well suited for wind and solar energy. Wind turbines have been installed at two schools in the Oregon City School District.
Shieldcastle said there has been research on the effect of turbines on migratory birds but most of the studies have been conducted in areas where birds are in active migration and some portion of the flocks are flying well above turbine blades.
Data from a study conducted in the fall is still being analyzed.
“We were kind of surprised by some of the preliminary results from the fall study – by how the birds were moving,” Shieldcastle said. “There was a lot more movement along the coast at night than they expected. They thought everything would be just going across but they are following the coast very similar to what they do during the day. You would think at night they are migrating across the lake but they found an awful lot of birds that are actually following the coastline to the west, just like they would during the day.”
The U.S. Geological Service provided two radar units and Bowling Green State University provided another for the fall phase of the study that began last spring but with only two radar units.
Personnel from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Ohio State University, University of Toledo, and the observatory have also been participating in the study, which ultimately hopes to gain insight into whether the flight patterns would place the migrating flocks close to wind turbines that have been or soon will be erected near the lake shoreline.
Radar can give researchers a look at the patterns of movement and volume of the birds, their elevation, and how they’re interacting with the lake and shoreline, Shieldcastle said.
One question in particular needs to be addressed, he said: Are they flying above the risk zone – the area around the blades of the turbines?
One radar unit was placed close to the shoreline while the others were three and 15 miles inland. Preliminary data from the unit farthest inland are yielding another surprise.
“That unit had a huge amount of activity below 500 feet,” Shieldcastle said. “How that compares to right along the coastline we don’t know yet. But they weren’t expecting that much bird activity that low 15 miles inland. That can be a very important piece of information, depending on how that analysis comes out. One possible explanation is the birds are dropping in just like a jet comes in – on a long approach. That’s still up in the air until the data is analyzed. But it does show the birds follow a lower altitude farther inland than was thought.”
The Black Swamp Bird Observatory hosted a forum last year, inviting researchers from academia, government, and conservation groups, to update their peers on projects they’ve undertaken in the Great Lake region.
Participants also discussed how radar studies could be included with other strategies such as banding, counts, and acoustic monitoring in a cost-effective manner.
But the researchers also renewed their call for additional study of the migratory flight patterns along the lake before wind energy development is pursued. In particular, they’ve asked for a three-year moratorium on the placement of wind turbines within three miles of Lake Erie in Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Erie counties.
BSBO staffers have been watching development at the Lake Erie Business Park, which has been promoting its site as well suited for wind and solar energy. Wind turbines have been installed at two schools in the Oregon City School District.
Shieldcastle said there has been research on the effect of turbines on migratory birds but most of the studies have been conducted in areas where birds are in active migration and some portion of the flocks are flying well above turbine blades.
2013年3月20日 星期三
Family displaced after wood stove fire
A stiff wind carried the scent of burnt wood for miles down Doubling Gap Road in Newville Tuesday night as firefighters put out the last embers in what was once Dianne Allen's attic.
Allen, a short, thin woman with red-rimmed eyes and a damn-it-all sense of humor sat in her truck toward midnight watching men in yellow and tan fire suits toss her ruined possessions out of the smashed windows of her home in the 800 block of Doubling Gap.
In spite of it all, she shook her head wearily and laughed as her charred bathtub hit what was left of her flower garden with an earthy crash.
"There goes the tub!" she crowed. "And I'd just bought some bleach to clean it out, too. Everything I bought tonight I bought to clean the house, and now I've lost it all."
Allen's trip to Walmart Tuesday night will long live in her memory. She recalls banking the wood stove in the back bedroom before leaving just after 7 p.m., then turning off the washing machine and lights. Her two sons and husband were out for the night, she said.
"So I took advantage of that to go to Walmart and get some paint," she said as yet another crash announced the firefighters' discovery of a blackened bed frame. "So much for that!"
When she returned in 45 minutes, she panicked as she spotted flames leaping from her chimney into the roof from the road. Knowing her sons and husband were safe, her mind quickly turned to the pets, a cat and two dogs.
About 15 minutes later, as the first trucks arrived from Friendship Hose Company of Newville, Allen sat, wide-eyed and still in shock, on the concrete in front of her home. All the pets were safe — the cat ran off to the backyard — but the house was well past saving.
"When we got here about half the house was fully engulfed," said Newville Deputy Chief Buck Bigler. "We had a good amount of fire for probably the first half hour after we arrived."
It didn't take a fire marshal's keen eye to pinpoint the cause of the fire, Bigler added.
"I'm almost certain that it started in that wood stove," he said. "We're calling the state fire marshal just in case they want to come out and take a look tomorrow, but it's clear to us."
Including lost property, Bigler estimated the total damage to the house at $150,000 to $160,000.
A Red Cross crew also arrived at the scene and made contact with the family, which ultimately decided to stay with relatives, said Steven Jerasa, a Red Cross spokesman.
"We are providing them with food, clothing and anything else they need," Jerasa added.
Meanwhile, back in her truck, Allen was preoccupied with other thoughts. Even after the full weight of her loss sunk in and fire crews wrapped up toward midnight, she still had to laugh.
"What else can I do?" she asked helplessly, a half ashamed smile on her face. "I've got to laugh at this. Otherwise I'd just lose it again, and what's crying going to do?"
Allen, a short, thin woman with red-rimmed eyes and a damn-it-all sense of humor sat in her truck toward midnight watching men in yellow and tan fire suits toss her ruined possessions out of the smashed windows of her home in the 800 block of Doubling Gap.
In spite of it all, she shook her head wearily and laughed as her charred bathtub hit what was left of her flower garden with an earthy crash.
"There goes the tub!" she crowed. "And I'd just bought some bleach to clean it out, too. Everything I bought tonight I bought to clean the house, and now I've lost it all."
Allen's trip to Walmart Tuesday night will long live in her memory. She recalls banking the wood stove in the back bedroom before leaving just after 7 p.m., then turning off the washing machine and lights. Her two sons and husband were out for the night, she said.
"So I took advantage of that to go to Walmart and get some paint," she said as yet another crash announced the firefighters' discovery of a blackened bed frame. "So much for that!"
When she returned in 45 minutes, she panicked as she spotted flames leaping from her chimney into the roof from the road. Knowing her sons and husband were safe, her mind quickly turned to the pets, a cat and two dogs.
About 15 minutes later, as the first trucks arrived from Friendship Hose Company of Newville, Allen sat, wide-eyed and still in shock, on the concrete in front of her home. All the pets were safe — the cat ran off to the backyard — but the house was well past saving.
"When we got here about half the house was fully engulfed," said Newville Deputy Chief Buck Bigler. "We had a good amount of fire for probably the first half hour after we arrived."
It didn't take a fire marshal's keen eye to pinpoint the cause of the fire, Bigler added.
"I'm almost certain that it started in that wood stove," he said. "We're calling the state fire marshal just in case they want to come out and take a look tomorrow, but it's clear to us."
Including lost property, Bigler estimated the total damage to the house at $150,000 to $160,000.
A Red Cross crew also arrived at the scene and made contact with the family, which ultimately decided to stay with relatives, said Steven Jerasa, a Red Cross spokesman.
"We are providing them with food, clothing and anything else they need," Jerasa added.
Meanwhile, back in her truck, Allen was preoccupied with other thoughts. Even after the full weight of her loss sunk in and fire crews wrapped up toward midnight, she still had to laugh.
"What else can I do?" she asked helplessly, a half ashamed smile on her face. "I've got to laugh at this. Otherwise I'd just lose it again, and what's crying going to do?"
2013年3月19日 星期二
Ed Davey warns wind farm companies about Scottish independence
Ed Davey told the Scottish Renewables annual conference in Edinburgh that its members could no longer rely on subsidies from energy bill payers across the UK to make a profit.
Instead wind farm companies in Scotland would have to compete with green energy providers in countries like Norway and Ireland to supply the remainder of the UK.
Mr Davey warned it would be much more difficult for Scottish wind farms to provide energy at a competitive price if they relied on subsidies from just two-and-a-half million households rather than more than 23 million homes across Britain.
The Liberal Democrat delivered his warning as Scottish Renewables produced an opinion poll that claimed 62 per cent of people would be happy for a large wind farm to be built in their council area.
However, the You Gov survey raised further concerns about the effect on Scottish tourism after less than seven out of ten people responded that the presence of a wind farm would not affect their decision to visit an area.
It also emerged that an anti-wind farm campaign group is to stage a march at the SNP’s spring conference in Inverness on Saturday in protest at the spread of turbines across Scotland’s countryside.
Mr Davey told the conference he supported Alex Salmond’s plan to generate the equivalent of all Scotland’s electricity from renewable sources by the end of the decade.
But he said it would be a “daunting task” that would be further undermined by separation, before rejecting the SNP’s claim that the remainder of the UK would have to buy a separate Scotland’s green energy.
“An independent Scotland will be just that – independent – treated by the UK as just one of a number of countries it could buy renewables from,” he told the conference.
“We are pursuing a number of interconnection projects with our European neighbours, including Norway and Ireland. For an independent Scotland, this would potentially represent serious competition.
“If the UK were to look beyond its borders for renewable energy, we would need to consider which sources provide the cheapest and most reliable options for our people.”
He compared this situation with the current single energy market across the UK, which gives Scottish energy providers automatic access to more than 23 households.
According to the Scottish Renewables poll, conducted by YouGov, 69 per cent of people say their visit an area of Scotland would not be affected by the presence of a wind farm. However, this leaves 31 per cent who refused to provide this guarantee.
Mike MacKenzie, an SNP MSP, said the survey showed Scots “are enthusiastic” about renewable energy.
But campaign group Scotland Against Spin is to stage a march on Saturday “to let the SNP know we have had enough of their industrial turbines, their disregard of the Scottish people and the destruction of our precious scenery.”
Instead wind farm companies in Scotland would have to compete with green energy providers in countries like Norway and Ireland to supply the remainder of the UK.
Mr Davey warned it would be much more difficult for Scottish wind farms to provide energy at a competitive price if they relied on subsidies from just two-and-a-half million households rather than more than 23 million homes across Britain.
The Liberal Democrat delivered his warning as Scottish Renewables produced an opinion poll that claimed 62 per cent of people would be happy for a large wind farm to be built in their council area.
However, the You Gov survey raised further concerns about the effect on Scottish tourism after less than seven out of ten people responded that the presence of a wind farm would not affect their decision to visit an area.
It also emerged that an anti-wind farm campaign group is to stage a march at the SNP’s spring conference in Inverness on Saturday in protest at the spread of turbines across Scotland’s countryside.
Mr Davey told the conference he supported Alex Salmond’s plan to generate the equivalent of all Scotland’s electricity from renewable sources by the end of the decade.
But he said it would be a “daunting task” that would be further undermined by separation, before rejecting the SNP’s claim that the remainder of the UK would have to buy a separate Scotland’s green energy.
“An independent Scotland will be just that – independent – treated by the UK as just one of a number of countries it could buy renewables from,” he told the conference.
“We are pursuing a number of interconnection projects with our European neighbours, including Norway and Ireland. For an independent Scotland, this would potentially represent serious competition.
“If the UK were to look beyond its borders for renewable energy, we would need to consider which sources provide the cheapest and most reliable options for our people.”
He compared this situation with the current single energy market across the UK, which gives Scottish energy providers automatic access to more than 23 households.
According to the Scottish Renewables poll, conducted by YouGov, 69 per cent of people say their visit an area of Scotland would not be affected by the presence of a wind farm. However, this leaves 31 per cent who refused to provide this guarantee.
Mike MacKenzie, an SNP MSP, said the survey showed Scots “are enthusiastic” about renewable energy.
But campaign group Scotland Against Spin is to stage a march on Saturday “to let the SNP know we have had enough of their industrial turbines, their disregard of the Scottish people and the destruction of our precious scenery.”
2013年3月18日 星期一
Local inventor kick starts new project
A local inventor is taking the next step in the process of making his idea a reality. He has taken his idea to Kickstarter, a website designed to help inventors and entrepreneurs raise capital for their projects.
David Burrell is an Eagle Scout and Greenwood native. A conversation with a friend about how people generally lack the knowledge to tie a variety of knots sparked an idea. So Burrell went out to his CNC machine, which he built himself, and cut out a prototype of what eventually became known as the Loop Alien rapid cord attachment.
The Loop Alien is a small, lightweight cord attachment and tensioning device. It allows the user to connect and adjust rope or cord to just about anything, quickly and easily. The original version was much larger and heavier. The current version is 1.25 inches by 0.9 inches and weighs just 2.6 grams. A discussion with friends about how extreme campers count every gram they carry led to the current design.
With a design in hand, Burrell needed a name. He went to his family and asked their opinion. His children said it looked like an alien and his wife said the name needed to have the word loop in it. So he named the device the Loop Alien. The devices are currently being made from high-grade aluminum, but Burrell has visions of making both stainless steel and titanium versions.
Burrell put his project on Kickstarter, a website designed to bring creators and backers together. A person with an idea, like Burrell, puts their project on Kickstarter with the details of the project and the goal for the amount of capital. Kickstarter gives the project an allotted amount of time to achieve that goal. If the goal is achieved, Kickstarter gets 5 percent of the money raised and Amazon Payments receives 5 percent.
Burrell has established tiers for his backers, with various rewards for different levels of support. The levels begin at $5, though any amount over $1 can be pledged, and backers receive a larger number of the Loop Aliens the more support they provide. The highest tier is $45 and above. As of Saturday at midnight, Burrell had nearly 300 supporters pledging almost $9,000 for the project. The target is $13,300. Burrell says he will begin making stainless steel Loop Aliens when he reaches $15,000.
Burrell says that a manufacturing company will rough cut the Loop Aliens for him and he will do all of the finish work himself, which will include removing the tabs from the cutting process and finishing the devices.
The ML20 Markless sensor from Sick Inc. detects the cutting position for label applications without the use of print marks or place markers, enabling more flexibility in package designs and minimizing material waste.
Suitable for web film control in bottling and roll-fed labeling machines, the system combines accurate positioning with high-speed web detection. It provides sensing speeds up to 7 m/s and an accuracy of up to 0.6 mm.
The IP 65-rated sensor improves processes when multiple film changes are required by OEMs and end users. Programming is accomplished through Sopas software, the sensor onboard control panel or a “teach in” process.
Sick also manufactures safety systems, machine vision and automatic identification products for factory and logistics automation.
David Burrell is an Eagle Scout and Greenwood native. A conversation with a friend about how people generally lack the knowledge to tie a variety of knots sparked an idea. So Burrell went out to his CNC machine, which he built himself, and cut out a prototype of what eventually became known as the Loop Alien rapid cord attachment.
The Loop Alien is a small, lightweight cord attachment and tensioning device. It allows the user to connect and adjust rope or cord to just about anything, quickly and easily. The original version was much larger and heavier. The current version is 1.25 inches by 0.9 inches and weighs just 2.6 grams. A discussion with friends about how extreme campers count every gram they carry led to the current design.
With a design in hand, Burrell needed a name. He went to his family and asked their opinion. His children said it looked like an alien and his wife said the name needed to have the word loop in it. So he named the device the Loop Alien. The devices are currently being made from high-grade aluminum, but Burrell has visions of making both stainless steel and titanium versions.
Burrell put his project on Kickstarter, a website designed to bring creators and backers together. A person with an idea, like Burrell, puts their project on Kickstarter with the details of the project and the goal for the amount of capital. Kickstarter gives the project an allotted amount of time to achieve that goal. If the goal is achieved, Kickstarter gets 5 percent of the money raised and Amazon Payments receives 5 percent.
Burrell has established tiers for his backers, with various rewards for different levels of support. The levels begin at $5, though any amount over $1 can be pledged, and backers receive a larger number of the Loop Aliens the more support they provide. The highest tier is $45 and above. As of Saturday at midnight, Burrell had nearly 300 supporters pledging almost $9,000 for the project. The target is $13,300. Burrell says he will begin making stainless steel Loop Aliens when he reaches $15,000.
Burrell says that a manufacturing company will rough cut the Loop Aliens for him and he will do all of the finish work himself, which will include removing the tabs from the cutting process and finishing the devices.
The ML20 Markless sensor from Sick Inc. detects the cutting position for label applications without the use of print marks or place markers, enabling more flexibility in package designs and minimizing material waste.
Suitable for web film control in bottling and roll-fed labeling machines, the system combines accurate positioning with high-speed web detection. It provides sensing speeds up to 7 m/s and an accuracy of up to 0.6 mm.
The IP 65-rated sensor improves processes when multiple film changes are required by OEMs and end users. Programming is accomplished through Sopas software, the sensor onboard control panel or a “teach in” process.
Sick also manufactures safety systems, machine vision and automatic identification products for factory and logistics automation.
2013年3月17日 星期日
Suffolk legal clinic offers a lifeline for start-ups
The intent of the clinic — certified under a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rule that allows students to practice law under the supervision of law school faculty — is to provide Suffolk students with real-life cases and clients grappling with intellectual property matters. The seven students in Suffolk’s IP Clinic help draft trademark filings, technology licensing contracts, employment agreements, and other legal documents, in addition to providing legal research and other services for clients.
The clinic also aims to meet a growing demand by companies for assistance in increasingly thorny and contentious intellectual property disputes.
“We’re like a mini law firm,” said Eve Brown, a Suffolk law professor who helped establish the school’s IP Clinic last June.
Driven by increasing global competition and the growing economic value of intellectual property assets, companies have become particularly aggressive in acquiring, protecting, and asserting their rights. The competition for intellectual property assets has become so fierce that last year Google Inc. purchased Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, in part to obtain Motorola’s trove of patents for mobile devices.
One result of this competition has been an explosion in patent filings and grants: The number of patents issued each year by the Patent and Trademark Office has more than doubled since 1992, according to the latest statistics available. Another result: an explosion of litigation.
The epic patent battle now underway between Apple Inc. and its Korean rival Samsung Electronics Corp. is just one example. In Massachusetts, American Superconductor Corp. of Devens, which does business as AMSC, is fighting in Chinese courts over the alleged theft of its wind turbine control technology.
Start-ups and small companies, must often fight off intellectual property actions brought by much larger competitors. In 2004, for example, a Lexington firm, Geek Housecalls Inc., was sued by retailing giant Best Buy Co., which charged the local home computer support firm infringed on its trademarked Geek Squad unit. The case was settled out of court.
While several local law schools offer student clinics covering a wide range of legal fields, Suffolk has the only one specifically aimed at the general intellectual property field, offering its services to any type of business enterprise, not just technology and life-sciences firms, said Brown, the Suffolk law professor.
“It’s definitely been a learning experience, dealing with actual clients on a daily basis,” said Dan Duval, 28, a student member of the IP Clinic who plans to graduate this May.
One of the IP Clinic’s clients is Remy Carpinito, 21, a Suffolk University senior who recently launched Smart Campus LLC, a developer of a social media platform for students and faculty members to communicate and collaborate on their studies and research.
The IP Clinic helped Carpinito trademark his company’s name and a product brand name, and draft an employment contract with a Silicon Valley software developer who’s getting equity in the company. The clinic also referred Carpinito’s company to a local lawyer to assist in ongoing negotiations with potential investors.
“It’s been such a huge help,” said Carpinito. “I didn’t know how to handle a lot of these things. You get to just call them up at the clinic, and they respond quickly with answers to your questions.”
If Carpinito’s Smart Campus LLC is an example of how the IP Clinic helps firms avert showdowns, Li-Wei Chih’s trademark dispute with Monster Beverage is an example of how it can jump into the middle of legal fight.
The clinic also aims to meet a growing demand by companies for assistance in increasingly thorny and contentious intellectual property disputes.
“We’re like a mini law firm,” said Eve Brown, a Suffolk law professor who helped establish the school’s IP Clinic last June.
Driven by increasing global competition and the growing economic value of intellectual property assets, companies have become particularly aggressive in acquiring, protecting, and asserting their rights. The competition for intellectual property assets has become so fierce that last year Google Inc. purchased Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, in part to obtain Motorola’s trove of patents for mobile devices.
One result of this competition has been an explosion in patent filings and grants: The number of patents issued each year by the Patent and Trademark Office has more than doubled since 1992, according to the latest statistics available. Another result: an explosion of litigation.
The epic patent battle now underway between Apple Inc. and its Korean rival Samsung Electronics Corp. is just one example. In Massachusetts, American Superconductor Corp. of Devens, which does business as AMSC, is fighting in Chinese courts over the alleged theft of its wind turbine control technology.
Start-ups and small companies, must often fight off intellectual property actions brought by much larger competitors. In 2004, for example, a Lexington firm, Geek Housecalls Inc., was sued by retailing giant Best Buy Co., which charged the local home computer support firm infringed on its trademarked Geek Squad unit. The case was settled out of court.
While several local law schools offer student clinics covering a wide range of legal fields, Suffolk has the only one specifically aimed at the general intellectual property field, offering its services to any type of business enterprise, not just technology and life-sciences firms, said Brown, the Suffolk law professor.
“It’s definitely been a learning experience, dealing with actual clients on a daily basis,” said Dan Duval, 28, a student member of the IP Clinic who plans to graduate this May.
One of the IP Clinic’s clients is Remy Carpinito, 21, a Suffolk University senior who recently launched Smart Campus LLC, a developer of a social media platform for students and faculty members to communicate and collaborate on their studies and research.
The IP Clinic helped Carpinito trademark his company’s name and a product brand name, and draft an employment contract with a Silicon Valley software developer who’s getting equity in the company. The clinic also referred Carpinito’s company to a local lawyer to assist in ongoing negotiations with potential investors.
“It’s been such a huge help,” said Carpinito. “I didn’t know how to handle a lot of these things. You get to just call them up at the clinic, and they respond quickly with answers to your questions.”
If Carpinito’s Smart Campus LLC is an example of how the IP Clinic helps firms avert showdowns, Li-Wei Chih’s trademark dispute with Monster Beverage is an example of how it can jump into the middle of legal fight.
2013年3月14日 星期四
Energy among economic opportunities
GE has a gas turbine manufacturing facility in the Upstate, and he credited the area for snagging another international manufacturer, the Boeing Co., in the Lowcountry.
“The 787 Dreamliner is an awesome airplane,” Immelt said. “It is going to be successful in the marketplace. This baby is going to really sell, and you’re going to be glad you’ve got it in your backyard.” Immelt said the Lowcountry should build around the aerospace, health care and energy clusters.
“In some way, shape or form, South Carolina has a presence in each one of those industries,” Immelt said, referring to Boeing and the Medical University of South Carolina. Also, Clemson University is establishing a wind turbine testing facility in North Charleston, which will have some of the largest testing rigs in the world. “Aviation has got tremendous momentum globally. There’s going to be a revolution in energy, whether it’s renewables or gas.”
He said the U.S. economy is generally getting better, and the most important economic figure is Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve.
“I think that the leadership by the Fed has been the most important aspect of this recovery,” Immelt said. “The Fed probably today supersedes what’s going on with legislation.”
GE also sees international economies rebounding, though Europe is still struggling “somewhere between bad and terrible,” Immelt said.
About 5% of the world’s population lives in the U.S., he continued, while 85% lives in economies that are growing more than 6%.“There’s a ton of growth out there,” Immelt said. “You just have to go chase it.”
GE is monitoring trends in natural gas, advanced manufacturing, localization and the “industrial Internet,” four trends he said offers opportunities for growth.
The world is seeing a revolution in energy and natural gas, Immelt said, during the next decade, and North America could become self-sufficient if Mexico, the U.S. and Canada cooperate. Immelt said Mexico and Canada have oil reserves while the U.S. has natural gas. If the region finds way to share and distribute energy, those countries could become energy independent.
“I’ve traveled the world,” Immelt said. “I’ve seen a lot of things. This can happen. We have natural resources today that we didn’t think about. A decade ago, no one would come into my office and talk about shale gas.”
Advanced manufacturing jobs are coming back to the country, he said, as companies learn they can build products anywhere. GE refrigerators take about two hours of labor, Immelt said, and if the company pays those workers somewhere in the teens per hour, they can compete with Mexico and other international countries. Labor is getting more competitive, he added.
“What you’re finding out is companies are really able to make things where they choose,” Immelt said. “And the desire is to be close to markets. That’s going to be good for the United States.”
Job relocations are driving Immelt’s third trend: localization. Companies aren’t chasing the lowest cost of labor anymore but are putting facilities near markets.
GE and other companies are opening more sites with fewer employees. Immelt said GE’s biggest orders from its Greenville facility are from Nigeria. In Greenville, the company makes gas turbines, all of which are exported, and since some of the largest orders are from Nigeria, the company performs 70% of the work in Greenville and the remaining 30% in Nigeria.
“The 787 Dreamliner is an awesome airplane,” Immelt said. “It is going to be successful in the marketplace. This baby is going to really sell, and you’re going to be glad you’ve got it in your backyard.” Immelt said the Lowcountry should build around the aerospace, health care and energy clusters.
“In some way, shape or form, South Carolina has a presence in each one of those industries,” Immelt said, referring to Boeing and the Medical University of South Carolina. Also, Clemson University is establishing a wind turbine testing facility in North Charleston, which will have some of the largest testing rigs in the world. “Aviation has got tremendous momentum globally. There’s going to be a revolution in energy, whether it’s renewables or gas.”
He said the U.S. economy is generally getting better, and the most important economic figure is Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve.
“I think that the leadership by the Fed has been the most important aspect of this recovery,” Immelt said. “The Fed probably today supersedes what’s going on with legislation.”
GE also sees international economies rebounding, though Europe is still struggling “somewhere between bad and terrible,” Immelt said.
About 5% of the world’s population lives in the U.S., he continued, while 85% lives in economies that are growing more than 6%.“There’s a ton of growth out there,” Immelt said. “You just have to go chase it.”
GE is monitoring trends in natural gas, advanced manufacturing, localization and the “industrial Internet,” four trends he said offers opportunities for growth.
The world is seeing a revolution in energy and natural gas, Immelt said, during the next decade, and North America could become self-sufficient if Mexico, the U.S. and Canada cooperate. Immelt said Mexico and Canada have oil reserves while the U.S. has natural gas. If the region finds way to share and distribute energy, those countries could become energy independent.
“I’ve traveled the world,” Immelt said. “I’ve seen a lot of things. This can happen. We have natural resources today that we didn’t think about. A decade ago, no one would come into my office and talk about shale gas.”
Advanced manufacturing jobs are coming back to the country, he said, as companies learn they can build products anywhere. GE refrigerators take about two hours of labor, Immelt said, and if the company pays those workers somewhere in the teens per hour, they can compete with Mexico and other international countries. Labor is getting more competitive, he added.
“What you’re finding out is companies are really able to make things where they choose,” Immelt said. “And the desire is to be close to markets. That’s going to be good for the United States.”
Job relocations are driving Immelt’s third trend: localization. Companies aren’t chasing the lowest cost of labor anymore but are putting facilities near markets.
GE and other companies are opening more sites with fewer employees. Immelt said GE’s biggest orders from its Greenville facility are from Nigeria. In Greenville, the company makes gas turbines, all of which are exported, and since some of the largest orders are from Nigeria, the company performs 70% of the work in Greenville and the remaining 30% in Nigeria.
2013年3月13日 星期三
Personalisation for the masses
Fabsie is a new platform that could revolutionise the way we design and manufacture furniture. Here is how it works: a designer uploads a CAD file of one of their wooden furniture designs, say a chair; it is reviewed by a team of designers at Fabsie and, if they like it, it’s advertised on their site; when a customer wants to buy the chair, Fabsie will send the CAD file to a CNC (3D cutting) machine workshop near to their home where it is downloaded and the parts cut out of plywood; the customer can then collect the parts (or have it delivered) and assemble the piece of furniture at home.
Customers also have the ability to customize the design, making a bespoke product that won’t cost the earth. Designer and co-founder of Fabise, James McBennett, says, “It really democratizes the bespoke.” So, for example, if you want to buy bookshelves that fit exactly within the parameters of your living room, you can simply email the measurements, which can then be incorporated into the CAD file before it is sent to the CNC machine. As McBennett says, “It is something that all those old industrial manufacturing companies just can’t do.”
He continues, “We’ve had requests from people saying, ‘can we make it taller for somebody who is 6ft 5”’ or, ‘can we make it smaller for our kids,’ by parents who want their children to improve their posture and we can switch those dimensions easily so the stool can fit perfectly in people’s homes.”
McBennett himself has designed Fabsie’s first piece of furniture – a rocking stool made up of three parts, which can be assembled in less than ten seconds. They are looking to raise money for Fabsie by crowdfunding on Kickstarter, where, if you pledge a certain amount, they will send you a stool with your name or company logo carved into it.
What makes this business plan possible is the growing availability of CNC routers. McBennett says, “CNC machines are nothing new but the sharp drop in price for a machine is completely radically new.”
Not only does that mean there will be a rise in the number of CNC workshops but also, in the not too distant future, the customer might own a domestic version of the machine. This way people could download the CAD file and cut their own furniture at home.
CNC, which stands for computer numerical control, is a system that allows for precise, automated cutting and drilling in three dimensions. It is very similar to 3D printing in this way but, unlike the latter which is still at a specialist or hobbyist stage, CNC machines have been used in the manufacturing process since the 1970s. In fact, most people will have come into contact with a product that has been created using one of these machines – if you own an Apple Macbook, for example, the unibody aluminium casing was created using one of these routers.
It is the availability of these machines and the ease with which designs can be personalised with the arrival of a platform such as Fabsie that will transform the way we manufacture. McBennett notes, “Mass production was the innovation of the twentieth century; mass personalisation is the innovation of the twenty-first century.”
Interestingly, McBennett believes that it is 3D cutting and not 3D printing that is going to change the manufacturing landscape. Currently, 3D cutters are way ahead of the printers in terms of what they can do. McBennett says, “It can take a couple of hours to make a small earring on a 3D printer, whereas on a CNC machine you can make a dining room table in a couple of minutes.”
Customers also have the ability to customize the design, making a bespoke product that won’t cost the earth. Designer and co-founder of Fabise, James McBennett, says, “It really democratizes the bespoke.” So, for example, if you want to buy bookshelves that fit exactly within the parameters of your living room, you can simply email the measurements, which can then be incorporated into the CAD file before it is sent to the CNC machine. As McBennett says, “It is something that all those old industrial manufacturing companies just can’t do.”
He continues, “We’ve had requests from people saying, ‘can we make it taller for somebody who is 6ft 5”’ or, ‘can we make it smaller for our kids,’ by parents who want their children to improve their posture and we can switch those dimensions easily so the stool can fit perfectly in people’s homes.”
McBennett himself has designed Fabsie’s first piece of furniture – a rocking stool made up of three parts, which can be assembled in less than ten seconds. They are looking to raise money for Fabsie by crowdfunding on Kickstarter, where, if you pledge a certain amount, they will send you a stool with your name or company logo carved into it.
What makes this business plan possible is the growing availability of CNC routers. McBennett says, “CNC machines are nothing new but the sharp drop in price for a machine is completely radically new.”
Not only does that mean there will be a rise in the number of CNC workshops but also, in the not too distant future, the customer might own a domestic version of the machine. This way people could download the CAD file and cut their own furniture at home.
CNC, which stands for computer numerical control, is a system that allows for precise, automated cutting and drilling in three dimensions. It is very similar to 3D printing in this way but, unlike the latter which is still at a specialist or hobbyist stage, CNC machines have been used in the manufacturing process since the 1970s. In fact, most people will have come into contact with a product that has been created using one of these machines – if you own an Apple Macbook, for example, the unibody aluminium casing was created using one of these routers.
It is the availability of these machines and the ease with which designs can be personalised with the arrival of a platform such as Fabsie that will transform the way we manufacture. McBennett notes, “Mass production was the innovation of the twentieth century; mass personalisation is the innovation of the twenty-first century.”
Interestingly, McBennett believes that it is 3D cutting and not 3D printing that is going to change the manufacturing landscape. Currently, 3D cutters are way ahead of the printers in terms of what they can do. McBennett says, “It can take a couple of hours to make a small earring on a 3D printer, whereas on a CNC machine you can make a dining room table in a couple of minutes.”
South Bend building foundation for more tech firms
City leaders' vision for Ignition Park might not be obvious to passers-by on Sample Street, where two towering dirt piles sit along the northern edge of the state-certified technology park.
But those who turn south on Franklin Street or Prairie Avenue will gain a better idea of how the future might look on the former Studebaker manufacturing site.
The streetlights that line Ignition Circle don't draw any power from the electrical grid. Instead, they're equipped with small wind turbines and solar panels.
Data Realty is up and running in its sleek, new $15 million building. The data-storage company announced in early 2011 that it would move to a five-acre site in the tech park, and it did so in November.
Jitin Kain, director of planning for the South Bend Department of Community Investment, said there have been "a few general inquiries" from other companies about the availability of land at Ignition Park. He said the city is finalizing a strategy for the tech park's management, which will help in recruiting additional businesses.
A plat of the tech park shows 16 lots that vary in size from 2.83 acres to 5.93 acres. Kain said the city is asking buyers for $26,250 per acre.
Kain said city officials are also putting together a request for proposals from private developers to construct a multi-tenant building at Ignition Park. Such a structure could house several early-phase companies, which might be ready to move out of the incubator Innovation Park at Notre Dame but not ready to individually finance a new building.
"The city is not a developer, so we would not build the multitenant building," Kain wrote in an e-mail. "We have identified the need for a multitenant building and will look to the private sector to build it."
Kain said officials are also finalizing a plan for grading the entire 84-acre park. The soil piled up in the northern part of the site will be used for that purpose.
The South Bend Redevelopment Commission, the entity that owns the Ignition Park property, recently approved a contract with Selge Construction to do the grading work. Kain said it should be done within a month.
The commission has also authorized the city to acquire additional parcels, totaling roughly 12 acres, between Indiana Avenue and Ignition Park's southern boundary. Kain said the city's long-term goal for the park to cover 140 acres will be evaluated for feasibility over time.
South Bend officials launched their effort to develop Ignition Park on the former Studebaker land in 2008 after the Semiconductor Research Corp.'s Nanoelectronics Research Initiative selected the University of Notre Dame as one of its national research centers.
They saw an opportunity to leverage the region's broadband infrastructure and the Studebaker corridor's power capacity -- a positive legacy left from the defunct automaker -- to turn blighted industrial land into a base for technology firms. City officials have put a significant down payment toward that effort.
Kain said acquisition, demolition and environmental remediation on the Studebaker and nearby Oliver Plow sites cost about $30 million. That funding came from a combination of local, state and federal sources.
The city spent another $2.5 million for new roads, utilities and other design and infrastructure work in Ignition Park's first phase, he said. Officials are investigating costs for the next phase.
But those who turn south on Franklin Street or Prairie Avenue will gain a better idea of how the future might look on the former Studebaker manufacturing site.
The streetlights that line Ignition Circle don't draw any power from the electrical grid. Instead, they're equipped with small wind turbines and solar panels.
Data Realty is up and running in its sleek, new $15 million building. The data-storage company announced in early 2011 that it would move to a five-acre site in the tech park, and it did so in November.
Jitin Kain, director of planning for the South Bend Department of Community Investment, said there have been "a few general inquiries" from other companies about the availability of land at Ignition Park. He said the city is finalizing a strategy for the tech park's management, which will help in recruiting additional businesses.
A plat of the tech park shows 16 lots that vary in size from 2.83 acres to 5.93 acres. Kain said the city is asking buyers for $26,250 per acre.
Kain said city officials are also putting together a request for proposals from private developers to construct a multi-tenant building at Ignition Park. Such a structure could house several early-phase companies, which might be ready to move out of the incubator Innovation Park at Notre Dame but not ready to individually finance a new building.
"The city is not a developer, so we would not build the multitenant building," Kain wrote in an e-mail. "We have identified the need for a multitenant building and will look to the private sector to build it."
Kain said officials are also finalizing a plan for grading the entire 84-acre park. The soil piled up in the northern part of the site will be used for that purpose.
The South Bend Redevelopment Commission, the entity that owns the Ignition Park property, recently approved a contract with Selge Construction to do the grading work. Kain said it should be done within a month.
The commission has also authorized the city to acquire additional parcels, totaling roughly 12 acres, between Indiana Avenue and Ignition Park's southern boundary. Kain said the city's long-term goal for the park to cover 140 acres will be evaluated for feasibility over time.
South Bend officials launched their effort to develop Ignition Park on the former Studebaker land in 2008 after the Semiconductor Research Corp.'s Nanoelectronics Research Initiative selected the University of Notre Dame as one of its national research centers.
They saw an opportunity to leverage the region's broadband infrastructure and the Studebaker corridor's power capacity -- a positive legacy left from the defunct automaker -- to turn blighted industrial land into a base for technology firms. City officials have put a significant down payment toward that effort.
Kain said acquisition, demolition and environmental remediation on the Studebaker and nearby Oliver Plow sites cost about $30 million. That funding came from a combination of local, state and federal sources.
The city spent another $2.5 million for new roads, utilities and other design and infrastructure work in Ignition Park's first phase, he said. Officials are investigating costs for the next phase.
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