I think 100MW is a little small today, but I am biased by living in LA and having over 2.5GW of generation within a 3 mile radius of my house. I also think 600MW is a little too big in terms of a mass-produced design. I think a happy medium is around 230MW; that is roughly the scale of a good sized substation (2,000A at 66kV). It would also scale pretty well for large industrial facilities to be able to export power in their vicinity, and is about the size of a single high voltage circuit.
You have to get them closer to neighborhoods to make it really viable. You would need about 3,500 to fully satisfy the US demand.
I've lived in Thailand for 3 years over my career. It's harder now than it used to be, but you can get legitimate work locally (although telecommuting is much easier and better paying). The last year, I made a US salary (plus a little), only needed to work 40 hours a week. Down-side was my hours were 9PM-midnight and 4AM-8AM six days a week, and I was back in the US at least once a month. (Not that bad, except it was 48-hours door-door from the island I was living on.)
Singapore offers much better pay; easiest way to find work is to get on with a US company that has a presence there (oil industry is easiest).
Hong Kong is interesting as well; worked there for a year. Be prepared for liver issues later in life though...
If you ever make it to Stockholm, compare how security screening at Arlanda works compared to LAX. Arlanda's checkpoints appear to be optimized very well-- 7 people can scan people at the rate 13-16 do at LAX. It doesn't seem too "routine," but simply refined and focused. The equipment is about the same (for the expensive stuff), but they automate the flow of the bins, provide an organized area to sort your luggage for the bins, and have a dedicated X-ray machine that is fed by two other lines for items requiring a second scan, with an automatic divert bar.
The problem with TSA is it is a make-work program. They have done a few things right-- the agents are more professional than their predecessors by some margin, as would be expected by the significant increase in salaries (yes, mostly management). But, they have gone almost 10 years and haven't proven that any of the additional expense has reduced risk.
There are plenty of things I don't like that could improve the process, like GlobalEntry and trusted traveller programs, but the bottom line is that the risk just doesnt justify up-ending our lives this much. Keep it simple, and maintain layers of security.
The U2 is sub-sonic. The SR-71 was Mach-3, and retired in '98. The drones are an order of magnitude cheaper than manned reconnaissance aircraft in terms of hours aloft, but we do considerably more hours with the availability of the drones.
Just look at how few U2's or SR-71's were ever made...
Flooded batteries require maintenance. VRLA batteries require replacement. In both cases, a battery monitoring system measuring cell impedance goes a long way, but periodic discharge will tell more.
For things like hard drives, you can have a periodic process to replace them; in OP's scenario you should even get rid of the air filters and have it sealed and nitrogen inerted, with a robot inside to change drives. Things that fail regularly are provided with supplemental redundancy initially, if economically justifiable.
When the unit is hauled off, it is simply refreshed and redeployed elsewhere.
The challenge that keeps me from making millions off of it is how you scale it down. If you can get 70 PB in a container, how do you sell/finance/license 10PB increments?
The power systems comparison is in the old days (through about '92), we would frequently do building power-down maintenance at data centers. It started out at 3-year intervals, and was stretched to 5. Hundreds of electricians and several hundred IT staff would participate. Thermal shock killed 5% of the equipment on power-up, but everybody was standing by with spares. Everything would be cleaned, torqued, repaired, and tested. The DR systems would actually be put into action.
It took about 6 months of preparation, and cost roughly $4MM per site (200,000 square feet of raised floor).
Every few years there was a 'gotcha' moment, one year someone was killed, another the facility dropped load after restart due to human error. This all despite proper procedures and preparation. Today, with better UPSs, conical washers, and 2n designs,we eliminate the issues and get by with token IR scans.
For/. Folks that deal with data centers, a bit of perspective: retrofitting a 2MW diesel generator with emissions control technologies ("Tier-4") cost about $250k per unit, compared to a raw generator cost of $600-750k. These generators will likely run less than 4,000 hours in a 20-year lifespan. That same money could be applied to 4 trucks, bulldozers, whatever that actually run 1-2,000 hours per year, and generate a 10-fold reduction in emissions.
That is effectively the justification for being able to trade credits. It can be a significantly better return on investment for the environment.
Government needs to help on visionary infrastructure projects. They can do it through direct payment, land grants, zero-interest loans, tax breaks, etc. All these solutions have the same "cost," just a different way to look at the money.
Caltrain is a great program, and electrification is a good incremental move. While I am not too up on where that effort stands, I am not sure it really falls under that visionary improvement category that would make it an immediate priority-- it isn't a 20-year or even 10-year effort. The inter-urban HSR needs longer-term planning, construction, and commitment.
More economic sense for who-- Las Vegas? When the system is built, I imagine Vegas would be willing to fund a link on its own. That is the network effect-- as it grows incremental expansion is easier to justify.
There are 12 major California airports effectively along the I-5 corridor. To handle 30-year population growth, they would need significant upgrades to runways, terminals, roadways, etc. This is estimated to cost on the order of $150B. The I-5 corridor would also need significant upgrades, likely in the $50B range.
Going HSR creates a more efficient pathway, creates more jobs today, and creates an opportunity to help other areas expand and become more economically viable than just addressing the 12 largest airports would.
Populations of Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are less than Los Angeles alone-- almost less than San Francisco metro area.
For California, the rail project could make living in godforsaken places like Fresno or Bakersfield viable for more people, reducing stress on other major metropolitan areas and encouraging economic growth.
Specific to Los Angeles, they need to expand Metro and create more local transportation hubs. This is independent of any inter-urban transportation projects. Maybe things like zip cars can form a bridge if nothing else is done in 30 years, but one doesn't stop the other.
Other languages use 1/0 for on/off in ios. Can't confirm slide vs tap behavior though, but my sister-in-law's phone did seem a little different In operation than an English iPhone.
It's an improvement. Slight, but an improvement none the less. I personally prefer the SEL 3620 and similar devices for this type of task (ethernet gateway for up to 16 serial links).
The biggest problem with most systems is that they need device-level passwords vs user-level passwords (and the default management passwords are almost always in place). If you at least set up a VPN with certificate-based authentication you have created a significant barrier to the network, without complicating response times for service technicians.
If you really want to conceal it, you hide the tailings as something else, ideally a good distance away. Inject the tailings into a flooded quarry, abandoned mine, etc. Ideally use the tailings for your cement mix somehow.
Not really. If we defer this upgrade 6 months on something that has a practical life of 24 months, we have reduced our capital spend by 25%. If it has a 36 month life, then the number is less significant but still a dent. For some of the software, in 6 months a newer version will also be out that might reduce our need for further upgrades just a little bit more.
For a large corporation it isn't a big deal; they never work within the exemption, so they structure their purchases in different ways so everything is an expense rather than a capital expenditure. For small businesses that is harder to pull off.
Encouraging position traders is what this is all about. Sure, they can screw things over too... but at least it has something to do with company fundamentals rather than a formula for making cash. I occasionally trade volatility, and the current situation encourages that, but it does no economic good. Holding real stock of publicly traded companies does economic good.
I'm a small business owner. Yesterday we decided to defer equipment purchases (some computers, phones, software) for the remainder of the year because we were already well over our accelerated depreciation limit and there was no tax reason to get the transaction done this year....So, we wait another 3-6 months to do it, and the economy has that much less money circulating and instead it just sits in our bank accounts. The expense was not business-critical, and there is no urgent business need for the upgrade.
This is a simple example of a "tax loophole" that serves to stimulate the general economy. There are millions of them. While some are abusive, the general idea is that you can directly offset an expense today against income today, and thus pay less taxes. We can complain about the complexity of the system all day, but the main reason for the complexity is to provide economic incentive to do things that might not always be consistent with the desire to maximize profit.
Realistically, an engineer in the top 25% is going to be more employable than a French Lit major in the top 25%. While both might have trouble finding a job at McDonalds today, the long term prospects still favor engineering.
The key to long-term financial success is in understanding the business side of whatever industry you are in, and having the entrepreneurial spirit.
When my first boss started working in the late 80's as an engineer, they needed a second job as a bartender to make ends meet. They were not unique in that regards; three of their peers did the same. We are in a similar spot right now... and it is a painful cycle.
I don't think you have to call it price dumping to say it is wrong. The purpose of subsidizing the purchase of solar cells is two-fold: Improve sustainable, renewable energy resources, and to stimulate a nascent industry. Buying from abroad kills the second half of the equation. The same is true when it comes to buying Chinese steel for US bridges-- there is very limited economic "ripple" from the government spending.
While I stand to loose from reform, it is quite ignorant to not see the connection. Corporatism breeds consumerism breeds financialism... or whatever a good term for it is.
If you want to break the corporations, you have to starve them. Max out your credit card and refuse to pay. Max it out on groceries, modest clothing, and gift cards so there is no recourse for the banks. Then survive off what you can, focus on barter, and remove yourself from the grid. That is about the only way you can be free....then find a compelling mechanism for change; slowly at first until you hit a critical mass with like-minded people.
While you are at it, I will sit back and watch my Apple and Google options contracts appreciate.
Slashdot Mirror
Maybe when it hits 50MWe it will be viable, but at 10MWe it is pretty hard to justify over a small turbine.
Tax distribution lines at a high rate (scaled by capacity), and pass it on to consumers. Internalize the cost of putting generation in BFE.
I think 100MW is a little small today, but I am biased by living in LA and having over 2.5GW of generation within a 3 mile radius of my house. I also think 600MW is a little too big in terms of a mass-produced design. I think a happy medium is around 230MW; that is roughly the scale of a good sized substation (2,000A at 66kV). It would also scale pretty well for large industrial facilities to be able to export power in their vicinity, and is about the size of a single high voltage circuit.
You have to get them closer to neighborhoods to make it really viable. You would need about 3,500 to fully satisfy the US demand.
I've lived in Thailand for 3 years over my career. It's harder now than it used to be, but you can get legitimate work locally (although telecommuting is much easier and better paying). The last year, I made a US salary (plus a little), only needed to work 40 hours a week. Down-side was my hours were 9PM-midnight and 4AM-8AM six days a week, and I was back in the US at least once a month. (Not that bad, except it was 48-hours door-door from the island I was living on.)
Singapore offers much better pay; easiest way to find work is to get on with a US company that has a presence there (oil industry is easiest).
Hong Kong is interesting as well; worked there for a year. Be prepared for liver issues later in life though...
If you ever make it to Stockholm, compare how security screening at Arlanda works compared to LAX. Arlanda's checkpoints appear to be optimized very well-- 7 people can scan people at the rate 13-16 do at LAX. It doesn't seem too "routine," but simply refined and focused. The equipment is about the same (for the expensive stuff), but they automate the flow of the bins, provide an organized area to sort your luggage for the bins, and have a dedicated X-ray machine that is fed by two other lines for items requiring a second scan, with an automatic divert bar.
The problem with TSA is it is a make-work program. They have done a few things right-- the agents are more professional than their predecessors by some margin, as would be expected by the significant increase in salaries (yes, mostly management). But, they have gone almost 10 years and haven't proven that any of the additional expense has reduced risk.
There are plenty of things I don't like that could improve the process, like GlobalEntry and trusted traveller programs, but the bottom line is that the risk just doesnt justify up-ending our lives this much. Keep it simple, and maintain layers of security.
The U2 is sub-sonic. The SR-71 was Mach-3, and retired in '98. The drones are an order of magnitude cheaper than manned reconnaissance aircraft in terms of hours aloft, but we do considerably more hours with the availability of the drones.
Just look at how few U2's or SR-71's were ever made...
Flooded batteries require maintenance. VRLA batteries require replacement. In both cases, a battery monitoring system measuring cell impedance goes a long way, but periodic discharge will tell more.
For things like hard drives, you can have a periodic process to replace them; in OP's scenario you should even get rid of the air filters and have it sealed and nitrogen inerted, with a robot inside to change drives. Things that fail regularly are provided with supplemental redundancy initially, if economically justifiable.
When the unit is hauled off, it is simply refreshed and redeployed elsewhere.
The challenge that keeps me from making millions off of it is how you scale it down. If you can get 70 PB in a container, how do you sell/finance/license 10PB increments?
The power systems comparison is in the old days (through about '92), we would frequently do building power-down maintenance at data centers. It started out at 3-year intervals, and was stretched to 5. Hundreds of electricians and several hundred IT staff would participate. Thermal shock killed 5% of the equipment on power-up, but everybody was standing by with spares. Everything would be cleaned, torqued, repaired, and tested. The DR systems would actually be put into action.
It took about 6 months of preparation, and cost roughly $4MM per site (200,000 square feet of raised floor).
Every few years there was a 'gotcha' moment, one year someone was killed, another the facility dropped load after restart due to human error. This all despite proper procedures and preparation. Today, with better UPSs, conical washers, and 2n designs,we eliminate the issues and get by with token IR scans.
For /. Folks that deal with data centers, a bit of perspective: retrofitting a 2MW diesel generator with emissions control technologies ("Tier-4") cost about $250k per unit, compared to a raw generator cost of $600-750k. These generators will likely run less than 4,000 hours in a 20-year lifespan. That same money could be applied to 4 trucks, bulldozers, whatever that actually run 1-2,000 hours per year, and generate a 10-fold reduction in emissions.
That is effectively the justification for being able to trade credits. It can be a significantly better return on investment for the environment.
Government needs to help on visionary infrastructure projects. They can do it through direct payment, land grants, zero-interest loans, tax breaks, etc. All these solutions have the same "cost," just a different way to look at the money.
Caltrain is a great program, and electrification is a good incremental move. While I am not too up on where that effort stands, I am not sure it really falls under that visionary improvement category that would make it an immediate priority-- it isn't a 20-year or even 10-year effort. The inter-urban HSR needs longer-term planning, construction, and commitment.
More economic sense for who-- Las Vegas? When the system is built, I imagine Vegas would be willing to fund a link on its own. That is the network effect-- as it grows incremental expansion is easier to justify.
There are 12 major California airports effectively along the I-5 corridor. To handle 30-year population growth, they would need significant upgrades to runways, terminals, roadways, etc. This is estimated to cost on the order of $150B. The I-5 corridor would also need significant upgrades, likely in the $50B range.
Going HSR creates a more efficient pathway, creates more jobs today, and creates an opportunity to help other areas expand and become more economically viable than just addressing the 12 largest airports would.
Populations of Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are less than Los Angeles alone-- almost less than San Francisco metro area.
For California, the rail project could make living in godforsaken places like Fresno or Bakersfield viable for more people, reducing stress on other major metropolitan areas and encouraging economic growth.
Specific to Los Angeles, they need to expand Metro and create more local transportation hubs. This is independent of any inter-urban transportation projects. Maybe things like zip cars can form a bridge if nothing else is done in 30 years, but one doesn't stop the other.
Other languages use 1/0 for on/off in ios. Can't confirm slide vs tap behavior though, but my sister-in-law's phone did seem a little different In operation than an English iPhone.
It's an improvement. Slight, but an improvement none the less. I personally prefer the SEL 3620 and similar devices for this type of task (ethernet gateway for up to 16 serial links).
The biggest problem with most systems is that they need device-level passwords vs user-level passwords (and the default management passwords are almost always in place). If you at least set up a VPN with certificate-based authentication you have created a significant barrier to the network, without complicating response times for service technicians.
If you really want to conceal it, you hide the tailings as something else, ideally a good distance away. Inject the tailings into a flooded quarry, abandoned mine, etc. Ideally use the tailings for your cement mix somehow.
Or, mix the project with a legitamate one...
Not really. If we defer this upgrade 6 months on something that has a practical life of 24 months, we have reduced our capital spend by 25%. If it has a 36 month life, then the number is less significant but still a dent. For some of the software, in 6 months a newer version will also be out that might reduce our need for further upgrades just a little bit more.
For a large corporation it isn't a big deal; they never work within the exemption, so they structure their purchases in different ways so everything is an expense rather than a capital expenditure. For small businesses that is harder to pull off.
My first read was why the hell is Carl Icahn getting into .xxx domain markets... doesn't he have anything better to do with his time?
Encouraging position traders is what this is all about. Sure, they can screw things over too... but at least it has something to do with company fundamentals rather than a formula for making cash. I occasionally trade volatility, and the current situation encourages that, but it does no economic good. Holding real stock of publicly traded companies does economic good.
I'm a small business owner. Yesterday we decided to defer equipment purchases (some computers, phones, software) for the remainder of the year because we were already well over our accelerated depreciation limit and there was no tax reason to get the transaction done this year. ...So, we wait another 3-6 months to do it, and the economy has that much less money circulating and instead it just sits in our bank accounts. The expense was not business-critical, and there is no urgent business need for the upgrade.
This is a simple example of a "tax loophole" that serves to stimulate the general economy. There are millions of them. While some are abusive, the general idea is that you can directly offset an expense today against income today, and thus pay less taxes. We can complain about the complexity of the system all day, but the main reason for the complexity is to provide economic incentive to do things that might not always be consistent with the desire to maximize profit.
Realistically, an engineer in the top 25% is going to be more employable than a French Lit major in the top 25%. While both might have trouble finding a job at McDonalds today, the long term prospects still favor engineering.
The key to long-term financial success is in understanding the business side of whatever industry you are in, and having the entrepreneurial spirit.
When my first boss started working in the late 80's as an engineer, they needed a second job as a bartender to make ends meet. They were not unique in that regards; three of their peers did the same. We are in a similar spot right now... and it is a painful cycle.
I don't think you have to call it price dumping to say it is wrong. The purpose of subsidizing the purchase of solar cells is two-fold: Improve sustainable, renewable energy resources, and to stimulate a nascent industry. Buying from abroad kills the second half of the equation. The same is true when it comes to buying Chinese steel for US bridges-- there is very limited economic "ripple" from the government spending.
Well... It is a sewage treatment plant in Los Angeles... Complete with a special surf spot known as "shit pipe".
While I stand to loose from reform, it is quite ignorant to not see the connection. Corporatism breeds consumerism breeds financialism... or whatever a good term for it is.
If you want to break the corporations, you have to starve them. Max out your credit card and refuse to pay. Max it out on groceries, modest clothing, and gift cards so there is no recourse for the banks. Then survive off what you can, focus on barter, and remove yourself from the grid. That is about the only way you can be free. ...then find a compelling mechanism for change; slowly at first until you hit a critical mass with like-minded people.
While you are at it, I will sit back and watch my Apple and Google options contracts appreciate.