Sunday, August 24, 2014

Understanding Light Bulbs - CFLs vs LEDs

Understanding Light Bulbs - CFLs vs LEDs: "or nearly 23 years.

LEDs do not “burn out” like traditional bulbs and can reduce cooling costs since they emit very little heat, and heat is what wastes energy when you’re talking about lighting. This style of bulb is very durable, as it does not have a fragile shell or filament that may shatter, as happened frequently with conventional incandescent bulbs.


CFL BULBS

CFLs, or compact fluorescent light bulbs, are the tubular- and helical-shaped bulbs that use about 75 percent less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb. They are relatively inexpensive, though not as efficient in comparison to LEDs. Their lifespan is about nine years with normal usage and they can save you up to 75 percent on energy bills.

CFLs do contain a very tiny amount of mercury, about 4 milligrams per bulb, which is never released while the bulb is in use or intact. Your local waste collection agency can advise you on proper recycling of these bulbs.

HALOGEN BULBS

Halogen bulbs are another option to consider. They look and perform much like the conventional incandescent bulbs that are being phased out. Their energy savings and longevity does not compare to CFLs or LEDs, though they are still more efficient than the traditional option."



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Is LED The Most Efficient Lighting Technology?

Is LED The Most Efficient Lighting Technology?: "Another area where LED lighting technology really shines is in cold temperatures, for example, illuminating freezer storage areas. In sub-zero temperatures, fluorescent fixtures take a few minutes to warm up to full brightness. This means that you have to more or less turn the light on at the beginning of the work day, and leave it on until everyone goes home.

However, since LEDs come up to full brightness instantly in sub-zero temperatures, they can be fitted with occupancy sensors that only turn the light on when people are in the room. They can therefore cut their energy consumption significantly by automatically turning off when no one's around.

But of course, these are just a couple examples of factors that can affect the efficiency of any given lighting technology. The truth is, there are a whole host of other factors that could tip the scales in favor of one technology or another.

In some situations, the features of the LED-based fixtures might add enough efficiency to a system to overcome the disadvantage created by their initial cost. In other situations, fluorescent fixtures will still be the more affordable, more efficient choice.

Which brings us to our rather unsatisfying conclusion:

Efficiency Winner: It Depends
Price Winner: It Depends
ROI Winner: It Depends"



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LED vs CFL -- Which Light Bulb is More Efficient? | CleanTechnica

LED vs CFL -- Which Light Bulb is More Efficient? | CleanTechnica: "When comparing the two on paper, the efficiency of the bulbs is nearly identical, within 0.5 lumens per watt. However, with the “real world” being taken into consideration, there are certain environmental and consumer factors that make a case for both.

One factor is cost. If your primary concern is price, the CFL would be a better choice. Although the CFL has a shorter lifespan, even if you replaced the CFL three times to achieve an equivalent lifespan to the LED, you’d still have only spent $2.58 in comparison to the LED’s $45 initial purchase price.

Another factor is location. If the fixture you’re mounting the bulb in is in a place where it’s a hassle to change, that $40 difference might be worth not having to deal with it for the expected 20+ years of normal usage you’ll get out of the single LED.

The bottom line is that in a household setting, where optimal components and ideal conditions cannot be controlled,  the LED and CFL light bulb are very close competitors. The decision for one over the other should be made based on the goals of the project and you may even require a mix of technologies to meet those goals."



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Saturday, August 16, 2014

Southern California Edison will pay $24.5M for 2011 windstorm damages, other deaths

Southern California Edison will pay $24.5M for 2011 windstorm damages, other deaths

High winds caused a tree on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena to fall on a Shell Station at Colorado Boulevard and San Gabriel Boulevard in Pasadena Thursday, Decemeber 1, 2011. Wind gusts were reported to be as high as 85 mph. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Walt Mancini/SXCity) 
Southern California Edison will spend $24.5 million in a settlement with the state over two incidents in 2011 that left three members of a San Bernardino family dead and 440,168 customers without power.
California’s Public Utilities Commission on Thursday approved the settlement between SCE and CPUC’s Safety and Enforcement Division, SED.
Nearly two-thirds of the settlement amount, $15 million, is required to be deposited into the state’s general fund within 30 days. The remaining $9.5 million will be used by the utility company to begin safety improvement plans in hopes of preventing future tragedies, according to the commission.
“Funding for the entire settlement will come solely from company shareholders and will not impact customer rates,” Rosemead-based SCE said in a prepared statement. “SCE believes the settlement is in the public interest and allows it to move forward with the utility’s principal mission of providing safe, reliable and affordable electric service.”
In the settlement, SCE admitted violating the Public Utilities Code, an action that led to three San Bernardino family members being electrocuted by a downed power line in January 2011. SCE also admitted electric poles and guy wires — used to brace poles — were below required safety levels and contributed to massive San Gabriel Valley power outages in late 2011.
“Remediation measures are forward-looking and, if well-designed and properly implemented, can correct problems in order to minimize or prevent the risk that harm will recur,” said Michael R. Peevey, CPUC president and commissioner assigned to the proceeding, in a prepared statement. “Importantly, the settlements require SCE to provide the CPUC with periodic reports on the results of the new programs designed to ensure that violations identified in the settlement do not happen again. This is very important, as the safety of electric infrastructure requires a proactive, ongoing commitment.”
The death of a husband, wife and their stepson were the end result of four years of faulty engineering, the settlement report indicates.
Before sunrise on Jan. 14, 2011, Steven Vego awoke to a fire in his backyard. The 43-year-old walked outside to extinguish the blaze and was electrocuted. His wife, Sharon, 42, went to help him and was also electrocuted. Their 21-year-old stepson, Jonathan Cole, followed in his mother’s footsteps and was killed as well.
The two remaining family members, a 17-year-old girl and her younger brother, remained inside the home and were not physically injured.
In a civil case settlement, SCE paid the two Vego children and their lawyers a combined $25 million, according to Wylie Aitken, of Aitken Aitken and Cohn, which represented the children in San Bernardino Superior Court. An SCE spokeswoman said all civil claims connected to the San Bernardino incident have been resolved but declined to discuss specifics.
SED’s investigation concluded two overhead conductors on a circuit above the Vego’s north San Bernardino neighborhood came into contact or near contact, causing one phase conductor to break and fall to the ground near the Vego’s home on Acacia Avenue.
Before the tragic morning, problems occurred on the same circuit between Dec. 23, 2006, and Oct. 14, 2008, resulting in blown fuses and conductor failures, according to the 40-page report and settlement agreement.
“SCE did not properly consider the potential significance of the previous incidents in designing, constructing or maintaining the facilities near the site of the Acacia Avenue Incident,” the report states.
The $16.5 million payout from the Acacia Avenue Incident was determined by multiplying the maximum penalty — $20,000 — to the days between the Acacia Incident and the October 2008 contact — 822 days — and rounding up.
Neither SED nor SCE said the fines were excessive, according to the settlement report.
The remaining $8 million of the settlement stemmed from a windstorm in the fall of 2011.
The storm knocked down 243 electric poles, the report says, eliminating power to 440,168 customers in the San Gabriel Valley, about 9 percent of SCE’s current 4.9 million customers.
Outages lasted up to eight days, and 226,053 customers were simultaneously without power, according to the agreement between SCE and SED.
In addition to the substandard safety levels of the electric poles and their braces, SCE’s collection methods prevented SED from reconstructing all but five of the failing poles for analysis.
“In mitigation, SCE believes that the preservation of all poles, conductors, and other associated equipment would have hindered SCE’s efforts to restore power to its customers impacted by the windstorm at some locations,” the settlement report states.
In the wake of the storm, SCE provided subpar customer service, according to the report, by giving customer’s incorrect power restoration estimate times, increasing the settlement agreement by $3.5 million to it’s $24.5 million total.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Meet "McCashier" Your $15.00 Per Hour McDonald's Worker Replacement

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Meet "McCashier" Your $15.00 Per Hour McDonald's Worker Replacement: "Any readers care to check that out?

Math, Not Counting Benefits

For a location open 24 hours: The cost of human cashiers, not counting benefits, $15/hour * 24 hours * 365 days/year = $131,400
For a location open 6AM to Midnight:  $15/hour * 18 hours * 365 = $98,550.

For the machine to be cost effective, all it needs to do is cost less than $100,000 a year to buy and maintain.

By the way, it won't just be McDonald's that eliminates cashiers. Expect to see machines like that everywhere. Basic cost-accounting math demands that outcome.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com"



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Solar Provider Group | Home the team

Solar Provider Group | Home:



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In L.A., getting paid to go green - Los Angeles Times Sunstarter

In L.A., getting paid to go green - Los Angeles Times: "Jenal said that could hamstring a key objective of the solar program: familiarizing the public with alternative energy sources.

"What the LADWP did right is to see this as a way to get solar throughout a lot of different places in the city. It demystifies the whole concept," Jenal said. "From the stated goal, there is no place better than nonprofits -- places where people come to congregate, come to learn -- for them to learn about the value of sustainable energy."

Leslie of the LABC said residents and smaller organizations that can't shoulder the cost of a full solar installation can still invest as shareholders in nearby projects, and would see a return once these projects become profitable.

"We didn't want a program that would only be for a select part of the city," Leslie said. "We want to make sure that solar is diverse."

"We have sunshine over 300 days a year. The sun's free," she said, "so the better we get at harnessing it, the better off we're going to be.""



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Lyft, Uber Edge Closer to True Ridesharing

Lyft, Uber Edge Closer to True Ridesharing: "The primary benefit of the carpooling function is that users are guaranteed cheaper rides even if they aren’t matched anyone to share the ride. However, drivers still receive the same amount of each group fare as they do on solo trips. For example, a trip to the airport that normally costs $40 could cost $25 or even less, depending on how many riders are sharing with you. Lyft says most Lyft Line trips can cost up to 60 percent less than regular rides.

Another upshot to the carpooling service is that it could service people who don’t live near existing public transportation lines. In fact, Lyft says its carpooling function is creating a new category of transportation — personal transit. The company said in a blog post:

“Personal transit is about access for everyone. We believe that modern cities should offer reliable, affordable transportation wherever you live. We want to bring the best parts of Lyft — on-demand service, door-to-door trips, and community — to daily travel.”

Lyft and Uber have been locked in an epic battle for ridesharing … or should I say, TNC … supremacy. Lyft’s closing of a $250 million Series D round in April finally leveled the playing field against Uber’s Google-backed endowment. For now, the incessant competition seems to be benefiting consumers with ever-more exciting innovations. Stay tuned for what else awaits further down the road."



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Saturday, August 9, 2014

Blowback! U.S. trained Islamists who joined ISIS (jIST LIKE BEFORE)

Blowback! U.S. trained Islamists who joined ISIS: "WND reported last week that, according to Jordanian and Syrian regime sources, Saudi Arabia has been arming the ISIS and that the Saudis are a driving force in supporting the al-Qaida-linked group.

WND further reported that, according to a Shiite source in contact with a high official in the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Obama administration has been aware for two months that the al-Qaida-inspired group that has taken over two Iraqi cities and now is threatening Baghdad also was training fighters in Turkey.

The source told WND that at least one of the training camps of the group Iraq of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Syria, the ISIS, is in the vicinity of Incirlik Air Base near Adana, Turkey, where American personnel and equipment are located.

He called Obama “an accomplice” in the attacks that are threatening the Maliki government the U.S. helped establish through the Iraq war.

The source said that after training in Turkey, thousands of ISIS fighters went to Iraq by way of Syria to join the effort to establish an Islamic caliphate subject to strict Islamic law, or Shariah."



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IRS Section 179: An Overview - Orpical Energy

IRS Section 179: An Overview - Orpical Energy: "Source: Electing the Section 179 Deduction

While there are many energy expenses that you and your business can write off, it’s important to understand that there are also types of energy property that do not qualify for the Section 179 Deduction.  For example, solar energy which has many dedicated grants and rebates that are already in place for  installation does not qualify.

If you would like additional information regarding the IRS’s amended 179 deduction and which green energy expenses qualify, don’t hesitate to contact us."



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Monday, August 4, 2014

Working under fire at Gaza’s only commercial transit point | JPost | Israel News

Working under fire at Gaza’s only commercial transit point | JPost | Israel News: " but the host of problems caused by the conflict, including a lack of water, electricity and an inability to properly distribute the food. And that is only the start of the subsistence problems, she says, and does not even begin to address what is needed to restore normal life.

Kerem Shalom was initially designed as a secondary transit point for goods that could augment or be used instead of the larger Karni crossing at the northern edge of the strip. But after Hamas took over the territory in a bloody 2007 coup, Karni was closed for security reasons, as were a number of smaller crossings, such as Sufa and Nahal Oz. All were replaced by Kerem Shalom, which in spite of the danger of mortar and rocket fire has been deemed the safest passage point because it is far away from populated areas."



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LED Light Bulb Prices Hit New Lows as More Energy-Efficient Models Arrive

Solar Energy > Solar News > Green Energy > LED Light Bulb Prices Hit New Lows as More Energy-Efficient Models Arrive

LED Light Bulb Prices Hit New Lows as More Energy-Efficient Models Arrive

Posted on March 18 2014 by Garrett Hering

*Last Modified: June 6th, 2014
Philips LEDShopping at Home Depot this week, I was pleased to discover on Aisle 36 that both Philips and Creejust slashed several LED light bulb prices by more than 20 percent, with competing 60-watt indoor replacement bulbs — consuming only about 10 watts each — now going for under $10.

It's about time these top-rated suppliers began offering their more durable, more efficient and longer-lasting household light sources at more affordable prices. Until now, only lower watt-equivalent indoor options were available in the single digits — and these are generally lower-rated products with inferior light quality and questionable lifetime claims that my wife simply cannot tolerate.

She also doesn't like to spend more than $10 on a single soft-white light bulb either, even if it is going to last potentially decades longer than traditional bulbs and save a couple hundred dollars on energy costs over the years.

Neither, frankly, do I.

But $9.97 for the Cree 60-watt equivalent dimmable LED light bulb — my personal favorite in this class because of its light quality and similar appearance to a traditional bulb — or the uniquely shaped Philips SlimStyle 60 watt equivalent can still be a tough sell based strictly on sticker shock.

Brighter LED bulbs can cost double or triple these 60 W replacements. Cree's new 100-watt equivalent bulb — announced this week — retails at a "breakthrough price of just $19.97," according to the North Carolina-based manufacturer, which claims it is the "lowest-priced 100-watt LED replacement bulb."

My local Home Depot didn't yet have this new product in stock, which uses just 18 watts to produce a brightness of 1,600 lumens. The most comparable bulb is the Philips 100-watt equivalent, which is one of the most aesthetically pleasing LED household bulbs on the market and gives off a nice, warm light. The retail price recently was cut by $8 to $24.97. Important to note, however, is that Philips has the Energy Star rating that qualifies for rebates, while Cree does not yet have the rating.

But there is other competition on Aisle 36: Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). These cost less and save money at a faster rate than LEDs.

According to Consumer Reports, CFLs also use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, only slightly less than LEDs. CFL's also disperse light in all directions, which LEDs are not very good at. LEDs, on the other hand, are mostly dimmable, while CFLs mostly are not dimmable — which is a big factor in my household.

Other points in LEDs' favor is the fact that CFLs contain small amounts of mercury and have a much shorter lifespan, at least theoretically, than LEDs.

Lower prices for LED light bulbs would make the decision a lot easier.

But a lot of progress is being made, with prices continuing to fall steadily over the past year. According to market researchers at IHS Inc., average global LED light bulb retail pricesdropped by almost 12 percent between February 2013 and February 2014 to $23.80. That's still not cheap.

The reduced prices for 60-watt equivalent Philips and Cree LED bulbs this week to under $10 come at a good time — just a few months after the United States banned those inefficient old 40 and 60 watt incandescent light bulbs, as mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which already phased out 100-watt incandescent bulbs in 2012.

Lower prices, more choices and better products are expected to help LED's gain further market traction in coming years. IHS forecasts the global market for general lighting LEDs to grow to 3.6 billion units shipped in 2020 from 495 million units in 2013, with penetration rising from just 3 percent of all light bulbs to more than 30 percent.

Better make room on Aisle 36.

LED light photo courtesy of Philips.

Nick  I.  Quidwai

Thousand Oaks CA 91320-1821
Home 805-498-4665       Cell 805-390-2857        Email: nick.ch2rd@gmail.com

Friday, August 1, 2014

Qatari emir in Jeddah for talks with Saudi king - Al Arabiya News

Qatari emir in Jeddah for talks with Saudi king - Al Arabiya News: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE have since poured in money to support Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led the takeover and has since been elected president after outlawing and suppressing the Brotherhood.

Under his rule, Egypt has tightened its hold on the southern end of the Gaza Strip, closing tunnels to try to block supplies of weapons and prevent militants crossing.

Egyptian officials suspect Qatar encouraged Hamas to reject the ceasefire plan Cairo put forward last week. Hamas sources in Doha, however, say Qatar did not influence their decisions.

"Qatar is helping us in communicating our message, that's all it is," said a Doha-based Hamas source. He added that the group was never approached by the Egyptian authorities, and it could not agree to a deal it had never been part of."



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Saudi king calls for united stance against terrorism - Al Arabiya News

Saudi king calls for united stance against terrorism - Al Arabiya News: "“All of this occurs under the eyes and ears of the international community, including human rights organizations,” the king said, adding that “war crimes” were being committed in Gaza.

The Saudi ruler also criticized the “indifference” of the international community over disturbing events in many Muslim countries.

“This silence has no justification,” he said, warning that “this will bring forth a generation that does not believe in dialogue but in a clash of civilizations.”

“Those who fail to carry out their historic responsibilities against terrorism … will be its first victims tomorrow,’ the king warned."



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LIBYA. Mujahideen of Supporters of Sharia declare Islamic Emirate - Kavkazcenter.com

LIBYA. Mujahideen of Supporters of Sharia declare Islamic Emirate - Kavkazcenter.com: "Ansar al-Sharia is blacklisted by the United States over its alleged role in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, eastern Libya.

An official representative for the Mujahideen group told a local radio channel that Benghazi is now under its control.

“Benghazi has now become an Islamic Emirate”, said Mohammed al-Zahawi, the spokesman, to Radio Tawhid.

However, Khalifa Haftar, a puppet pro-Western army general denied the group’s claims."



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US seeks Qatari, Turkish help to free reportedly abducted IDF soldier | JPost | Israel News

US seeks Qatari, Turkish help to free reportedly abducted IDF soldier | JPost | Israel News: "Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, representing the left-flank of the the eight-person security cabinet, wrote on her Facebook page that the IDF was justifiably now operating on the ground “with the full backing of us all.”

“Hamas has paid, and will yet pay a heavy price,” Livni said. Then, in an obvious reference to the fact that the attack took place after Hamas accepted the US and UN brokered cease-fire, Livni added, “If it was not yet clear enough to everyone, now the world knows who is responsible for the destruction and blood” in Gaza."



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Israeli soldier captured, 50 Palestinians dead as cease-fire collapses | Al Jazeera America

Israeli soldier captured, 50 Palestinians dead as cease-fire collapses | Al Jazeera America: "“The enemy’s army moved its vehicle and soldiers, and advanced within the territory of the Gaza Strip in the depth of Rafah, at 6:30 a.m., and it advanced 2,400 [meters] so the Palestinian resistance repelled the infiltrating forces and engaged in clashes with them at 7 a.m. in the morning,” the group said. “The clashes continued after the time the truce came into force.”

Hamas ended its statement saying that its commitment to the cease-fire was “linked” to Israel’s commitment to it."



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