Seeking Wind Energy,
Some Consider the Sea The New York Times Share Last June in a fjord in southwestern Norway, a 213-foot-tall wind turbine did something large wind turbines normally don't do: it headed out to sea. Towed by tugboats, the newly built turbine, with three 139-foot rotor blades and a 2.3-megawatt generator atop the tower, which itself was bolted to a
ballasted steel cylinder extending more than 300 feet below the waterline, made its way to a spot six miles off the coast. Once in position it was moored with cables to the seafloor, about 700 feet below.More
On Twitter and in the Workplace, It's Power to the Connectors Bloomberg Share In the world according to Twitter, giving away access to information rewards the giver by building followers. The more followers, the more information comes to the giver to distribute, which in turn builds more followers. The process cannot be commanded or controlled; followers opt in and out as they choose. The results are transparent and purely quantitative; network size is all that matters. Networks of this sort are self-organizing and democratic but without any collective interaction.
The significance of Twitter is yet to be determined; it is a simple, impersonal and transient application of technology. But very real network effects are a new source of power in and around organizations.More
COUNCIL PROGRAMMING Focus on issues and best practices unique to managing certain types of facilities—sessions are geared toward industry-specific facility management.
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMING Essential leadership training for IFMA's chapter, council and community officers.
IFMA INSTRUCTOR-LED COURSES
Earn
valuable CEUs and CFM® maintenance points at the IFMA courses offered in conjunction with the event.
FACILITY FUSION EXPO SHOW Save money and increase profits with the latest products and services for the built environment.
And in honor of IFMA's 30th Anniversary, Facility Fusion attendees will have the opportunity to receive a 30%
discount! Register for the full event program (3-day) before Jan. 13, 2010 to obtain 30% off the regular rate.
China's Wealth Fund to Invest in Domestic Renewable Energy The Wall Street Journal Share Sovereign-wealth fund China Investment Corp. aims to tap increasing demand for clean energy in the country by investing up to US$1.21 billion in two companies in the renewable energy sector, people familiar with the matter say. The transactions are among the US$300 billion sovereign wealth fund's first equity investments in a domestic power producer, and underscore China's support for renewable energy.More
Most Smokers Worldwide Support Workplace Bans: Poll Reuters Share Even smokers support bans to prohibit lighting up in the workplace, according to a new survey.
The international poll of nearly 5,000 people by research institute RTI International and
Harris Interactive showed that nearly three-quarters of workers who smoke and 87 percent of employers support a smoke-free work environment.More
Chrome Hotel's Swiss Cheese Façade Saves Energy Inhabitat Share Sanjay Puri Architect's new Chrome
Hotel features a fresh façade punctuated with holes that allow natural light to stream in while keeping air-conditioning costs to a minimum. The opaque windows were purposefully set throughout the swiss cheese façade to allow ambient natural light to enter, and they also create an incredibly cool effect at night when backlit by LED lights.More
How Countries Can Integrate Wind Power Smoothly Into Power Systems Science Daily Share Some countries already get a substantial share of their electricity consumption from wind power: Denmark 20 percent, Spain and Portugal 11 percent, Ireland 9 percent and Germany 7 percent. Power systems have to
cope with variable electricity consumption. Variable wind power will increase variations that the power system has to manage. According to a recent IEA WIND report, wind energy is rather smoothly integrated as system operators get on-line production levels and forecasted production estimates in their control rooms.More
Trump Tower Now Sixth-tallest Building in World Chicago Tribune Share Donald Trump's Chicago skyscraper just moved up one notch on the list of the world's tallest buildings. And the developer and reality TV star hasn't done a thing to his 92-story hotel and condo tower.
Why does the Trump International Hotel & Tower now stand in sixth place on the world's tallest building list? The
Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the widely recognized arbiter of height standards, announced that it has changed its criteria for measuring the height of skyscrapers.More
Greening Commercial Buildings Makes 'Solid Business Sense,' Report Says GreenandSave.com Share Cutting energy consumption stands as a lucrative opportunity for the commercial real estate market, according to a report just announced by KPMG LLC. It is possible to reduce energy use by 30 to 50 percent in commercial buildings, providing a positive return on
investments, KPMG found.More
Federal Study Points to Widespread Underreporting of Injuries on the Job Workforce Management Share A new U.S. government study adds to the growing body of evidence that employers and employees underreport workplace injuries and illnesses. The report by the Government Accountability Office, appears to give credence to a yearlong federal program initiated Oct. 1 that
scrutinizes how certain employers keep records of workers hurt on the job.More
Clean Air Saves Cash Sustainable Facilty Share For any manager of a manufacturing installation, riding close herd on utility expenses must always remain a top priority. Complicating this challenge is the need to balance comfort cooling and heating against the need for smoke removal from metal fabricating processes such as manual
and robotic welding and cutting, laser and plasma cutting, machining, grinding and polishing.More
More than 70 percent of employees say they would be more productive if their workplace was quieter. The LogiSon Acoustic Network
increases speech privacy and reduces disruptions by introducing a masking sound that makes conversations and noises more difficult, or impossible, to hear. It's a cost-effective method of improving overall acoustic comfort. More info
Peripheral Manufacturing, Inc. is pleased to announce AERO-K® a new Computer/Server Room Aerosol Fire Suppression System. On contact, the AERO-K® agent suppresses fire without depleting oxygen and is extremely effective. AERO-K® Systems retro fits into existing spaces and are easily installed using minimal space. Smoke activated AERO-K® Fire Suppression Systems are low maintenance, resulting in long term cost savings.
U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Specialists serve America's diplomatic efforts overseas, providing specialized skills and expertise. Facility Managers apply leadership and managerial skills to provide building-related services, oversee physical resources and direct asset management operations within a country. For qualifications and to apply, visit www.careers.state.gov/fm09.
U.S. citizenship is required. An equal opportunity employer.
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