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Solar energy process technology developments to watch
Don Rosato ManufacturingSystem considerations such as reliability, overall energy production rate and competitiveness in the Levelized Cost of Energy are dominating solar energy or photovoltaic maturation as subsidized manufacturing is replaced by true grid parity.
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Should Comcast and Facebook be the gatekeepers of our content?
Liz Murphy CommunicationsComcast and Facebook may seem quite different from each other — the former is the traditional faceless corporation, and the latter is a young, fun start-up that prides itself on social interaction and innovation. In reality, they are two sides of the same coin.
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Can solar energy compete with fossil fuels?
Stefanie Heerwig Natural ResourcesAccording to the Edison Electric Institute, such utility-sized solar plants will soon appear across the United States with 232 under construction, in testing or to be granted with permits. One question, however, remains: Can solar compete with fossil fuels in terms of price?
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Why homeowners are investing in smart homes
Bambi Majumdar Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesWith 101 jobs in hand to do every day, homeowners are rushing from pillar to post. In the midst of all this chaos, there pops up the worry about home security — not just from unwanted intrusions but also from slight mistakes of their own doing. It makes sense, therefore, to take advantage of the emerging technologies and invest in a smart home.
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Preventing the hazards of aboveground storage tanks
Heather Rhoades EngineeringAboveground storage tanks are generally used in locations where installing underground tanks is not practical. Despite their many uses, ASTs can prove to be a hazard if they are not installed and maintained as required.
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Back to the future with Ford bioplastics
Don Rosato ManufacturingSustainability is a megatrend driving innovations in automotive plastics with bio-based plastics gaining increased acceptance in the automotive industry. The Ford Motor Company is at the forefront of this trend, touting numerous renewable products in its vehicles. In fact, Ford's interest in bioplastics goes all the way back to the company's early days.
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Will there still be a cable TV industry?
Mitch Weinraub CommunicationsSince cable was invented, there has been a diversity of cable companies both large and small. With the proposed purchase of Time Warner Cable by Comcast, we need to ask: Will there still be a cable TV industry after the merger?
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The truth about the ‘water-energy nexus’
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesEnvironmentalists campaigning against the accelerating development of U.S. shale will not be heartened by the latest State Department study suggesting a minimal environmental impact for the Keystone XL pipeline. But in a world of highly-politicized studies on the unpredictable consequences of hydraulic fracturing technologies, the issue of water use during production is an increasingly contentious one, particularly in arid southern states such as Texas.
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Solar energy electronic and plastic material advances
Don Rosato EngineeringMost solar cells are commonly designed to operate outdoors for 25-plus years. A variety of films and plastic coatings have been developed to allow more flexible and mobile power systems to be built. These barrier layers protect against oxygen and water and are highly resistant to damaging ultraviolet light.
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High-performing buildings require highly‑qualified engineers
Peter Rojeski, Jr. Facilities & GroundsMany buildings have been designed to be energy efficient, but without proper "tuning" they will never achieve their potential. Like high-performance race cars, a high-performing building has many delicate control points that need to be periodically monitored and adjusted in order to maintain peak operating efficiency.
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