Solar Power Technology Gains Momentum

Not long ago, it was announced that search engine giant Google had committed major investments in solar technology. Since then, more and more companies have become aware of this biofriendly renewable energy source and are embarking on solar projects. General Motors, for example, has decided to build the world`s largest rooftop solar power source at their Zaragoza, Spain, automotive assembly plant. The 2 million square feet roof surface will comprise about 85,000 solar panels and will generate circa 12 megawatts, which is enough power for 4,575 Spanish homes. In the United States GM has two large solar installations already in place. Both are in California, at Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana, providing 1 megawatt of power each.

Now, significantly larger solar power plants are on the drawing boards. In India, at Haldia, West Bengal, a 250 MW solar facility has been planned and is expected to become operational by 2011. Meanwhile, BrightSource Energy plans to build a 500 MW solar plant in the Mojave Desert in California, which is claimed to be the world`s largest. This plant is similar to a solar plant near Seville, Spain, but on a much larger scale. More than 1,600 large mirrors will concentrate the sun`s rays and direct the beams at a boiler atop a 60-meter tall tower. The sun`s energy will heat the water inside the boiler and create superheated steam of over 1000� F. The steam is routed to steam turbines that generate the electrical power. BrightSource claims that this installation will provide power at a much lower cost than other solar installations.

The Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) company has signed an agreement to buy up to 900 megawatts of solar power from BrightSource, but it does not stop there. It is also purchasing another 800 MW from two other companies, Optisolar and Sunpower.

In an even larger project, BrightSource plans to build three solar power stations in Nevada, northeast of Las Vegas, with a total capacity of 1,200 megawatts. With this and other projects, BrightSource will provide enough solar electricity to power over 3.2 million homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking a million cars off the road.

To top it all off, the Clinton Foundation is planning a gigantic 5,000 megawatt solar project that is to be built as part of what is called the Integrated Solar City in the Gujarat state of India, at an estimated cost of almost $12 billion.

Solar power is an excellent source of clean energy, especially in parts of the world where sunshine is abundant. With the current concerns about global warming, it can`t hurt to trap some of the sun`s heat for the world`s energy needs. This will also lessen the demand for power stations operating on fossil fuels, with the result of less pollution, fewer greenhouse gases and cleaner air. Another advantage is that these solar power plants can be placed in deserts, where there is plenty of sunshine, which puts those barren areas to good use.

Another approach to achieving a cleaner, more biofriendly environment is by using fuel more effectively. One company that is contributing to this cause is Biofriendly Corporation, which has developed the Green Plus� liquid fuel catalyst that provides a cleaner, more linear fuel burn in internal combustion engines, resulting in fewer harmful emissions, increased torque and better fuel economy.

For more information about Green Plus visit the Biofriendly website at click

Graph Solar Power Technology Gains Momentum

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Student in the UK

The UK is a beautiful country full of many charms, kind and polite people and a rich heritage and culture. But life in the UK can throw-up many surprises for the overseas student! So if you are considering studying in the UK this list is just for you.

First some definitions:

'UK' means United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and is made-up of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
Britain is the main island composed of England, Scotland and Wales.

1. British people like to form orderly queues.

Believe it or not, Anthropologists have documented the fact that practically any group of British people will naturally form an orderly (and patient) queue. Beware that you will certainly feel the wrath of the queue if you try to push-in. Strangely, although the people in the queue may be seethe with indignant rage at a queue jumper, it is unlikely that any of them will let you know how angry they are.

2. The Understatement and Daily Humour

This situation contains a very important truth about British people – they do not like to make a fuss. Therefore overseas students should not assume that if someone is not complaining they don't mind what is happening – often that is far from the truth. Furthermore, English people are well known to have a somewhat dry and ironic sense of humour. Indeed, much conversation has an undercurrent of humour


3 British people value punctuality

Never be late for an appointment, especially a dinner invitation. Brits are very fond of punctuality and will take it as a personal insult should you arrive late. If you are going to be late it is vital that you telephone your hosts and explain the problem, as soon as possible.

4. Drive with care

Like one thirds of the nations of this world, cars in the UK drive on the left side of the road so always be mindful of that, especially when crossing the road – always look right first! UK drivers tend to be very polite. In many countries, a driver who flashes his headlamps means 'get out of my way' – in the UK it means the opposite and is used to signal to an on-coming driver that you are allowing him to pass. Britain is a relatively small island and the cities tend to be buys, therefore driving laws are tough and strictly enforced particularly drink driving (which is a criminal offence).

5. The Weather

The weather in the UK is very changeable and it has been said that the UK can have four seasons in a single day. Many overseas students will have heard that it rains a lot in the UK. This is unfortunately true, and there can be quite a lot of wind, especially in Northern towns such as Manchester, so remember to bring warm and waterproof clothing. However, the sun does follow the rain and the UK weather is very much liked for it's variety.


6. Security and Personal Safety


The UK is relatively safe but some simple rules can help keep you safe. Always lock all doors and windows. Collect money during day light hours. Women should try to travel with others. Taxis are often the best form and safest of transport, but always use a company that is well known.

Summary

Many overseas students enjoy their time in the UK so much that many of them choose to live there for life! It is a civilized country with a very long tradition of welcoming people from all over the world. Try the UK – you are sure to enjoy it greatly.


For a full list of facts, figures and very helpful advice about student life in the UK, visit the 'Living in the UK' page on the MMU site here: click

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Ways to Succeed in school

 The best way to succeed in school is to work hard, yet without proper learning strategies, you will most likely fail to attain the grades you deserve. Have you ever thought about how to learn to gain better grades at school? A new e-book is available at link that deals with the subject of holistic learning. Holistic learning is a process of learning ideas, theories and other course material in such a manner that requires less rote memorization and more implementation of mind application.

The natural way of learning things are to divide a process in smaller parts and to understand each part thoroughly and then to make interlinking between what you have learn t in parts. Learning is quite different than studying or memorizing things. When you learn something, it gets embedded in your mind to long last. You can recall and use the knowledge you learn t anytime and in any situation. On the other hand, when you study some topic to memorize it, you try to enforce it on your mind. Such memory doesn't last long and that is why many students suffer the situation of forgetfulness during the examination hours.

The general idea is to avoid rote memorization of things and to stress more on understanding the ideas behind a subject. Once you start understanding the basics of a subject, it becomes easy to memorize it within minutes. Thus, it is possible to learn more study less and gain better grades by adapting to the holistic manner of learning.

The very first requirement to learn and get better grades is to have proper learning strategies. You should try to create your interest in your subject course or study material. This is possible by trying to divide whole subject in smaller parts and try to understand each part thoroughly and clearly. When you will start, you may find it a little hard to change your manner of learning things. But gradually, you will find that your speed to understand and learn the various concepts, ideas and theories of your course subject is increasing.

There is an on line course available to help you in excelling at your school studies with the help of proper holistic learning studies. The course is meant to make you understand the difference between learning and merely memorizing things without understanding them. The on line course claims to increase the ability of your learning. The approach of the on line course available at link is logical and it has full potential to help you to get better grades at school.

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