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EU €15bn Climate Aid Plan
09 September 2009
The European Union is to offer €15bn a year to help poor countries cope with the effects of climate change, it has been revealed.
The sum will be seen as modest by poorer countries who would like to see more investment and support to help adapt to climate change targets, which will be thrashed out at the Copenhagen conference in December.
The European Commission figures emerged as European ministers raised concerns about climate talks progress, writes the Financial Times.
David Miliband, UK foreign secretary, warned there was a “real danger” that the Copenhagen talks would “not reach a positive outcome”.
Connie Hedegaard, the Danish minister hosting the Copenhagen conference, said in Aberdeen that the negotiations were “definitely moving too slow”, writes the paper.
Hedegaard said that although there had been some significant political progress, such as the commitment by Japan's new government to cut emissions by 25% from 1990 levels by 2020, it was not being matched in the formal negotiations.
The Commission’s proposal, overseen by the European environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, aims to break an impasse between developed and developing countries.
According to the Commission the total climate change needs of developing countries totals about €100bn per year by 2020. Up to half of that would be covered by governments, according to the proposal, with EU member states covering up to 30%, or €15bn, and the US contributing up to 24%, or €12bn.
The EU hopes the other half would be covered by the private sector
Industry’s Highest Power, Integrated PoE-PD Controllers from ON Semiconductor Meet Upcoming IEEE PoE+ Standard
Two integrated PoE-PD / DC-DC converter controllers pass latest University of New Hampshire PoE+ tests to support high power communications, industrial and consumer applications
PHOENIX — ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq:ONNN), a leading global supplier of high performance, energy efficient, silicon solutions, has announced that its NCP1081 and NCP1083 integrated Power-over-Ethernet Powered Device (PoE-PD) / DC-DC converter controllers have been verified to meet the upcoming IEEE802.3at standard for high power communications applications. Both devices have not only passed the IEEE 802.3af standard tests but have also been verified by the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) for the recent draft IEEE 802.3at (D3.1) standard - which includes a test of the two event physical layer classification. The UNH tests confirm that these devices can enable PoE+ compliant platforms on the market, and are in line with the evolving high power requirements of the WLAN access point, WIMAX, industrial and IP camera markets.
“Future changes to the IEEE802.3at standard that could result in PoE-PD silicon changes are not anticipated,” said Koen Geirnaert, ON Semiconductor’s PoE-PD product marketing manager. “As such, the NCP1081 and NCP1083 are expected to be in line with the final IEEE802.3at standard. These devices will enable the industry’s first movers to deliver standard PoE+ based platforms to the market.”
Device Features
ON Semiconductor’s portfolio of integrated PoE-PD products contains four devices. The NCP1081 and NCP1083 provide power levels up to 25.5 watts (W) for applications in line with the draft IEEE 802.3at (D3.1) standard and up to 40 W for proprietary high power PoE applications. The NCP1080 and NCP1082 offer IEEE802.3af compliant power levels. The NCP1082 and NCP1083 are also capable of providing power via an auxiliary parallel supply.
The NCP1080/1/2/3 are pin-compatible and offered in a TSSOP-EP 20 pin package. This feature allows the customer to easily mix-and-match different PoE capabilities on different platforms.
The PoE-PD portfolio utilizes ON Semiconductor’s automotive qualified, high-voltage SmartPower process to provide superior cable electrostatic discharge (CESD) and surge protection levels compared to other integrated PoE-PD /DC-DC converter controllers. Low on-resistance (Ron) and extended temperature range from -40°C to 85°C with full operation up to 150°C junction temperature allows these PoE-PD controllers to achieve record power levels while operating in harsh environments.
Astronics’ Electronic Power Distribution System Selected for Bombardier’s Learjet 85 Business Jet
EAST AURORA, N.Y. — Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO) announced that its new generation COREPOWER® Electronic Power Distribution System (EPDS) was selected for Bombardier’s (TSX: BBD) new Learjet 85 business jet.
With the use of its Arc-Fault electronic circuit breaker technology, the Astronics COREPOWER® EPDS allows for significant weight savings, increased flexibility and a higher level of aircraft wiring safety. Astronics EPDS complements the Learjet 85 business jet all-composite structure designed for type certification under US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) FAR Part 25.
Peter J. Gundermann, President and Chief Executive Officer of Astronics, commented, “We invest significant resources each year to develop innovative, technologically advanced products that meet the unique needs of our customers. Our EPDS is the first FAA-approved system of its kind. We believe its capabilities to improve safety and reduce aircraft weight and pilot workload will appeal to a broad range of business jet manufacturers.”
The COREPOWER® EPDS integrates seamlessly with the aircraft’s avionics, reducing pilot workload with the automation of functions such as engine start-up and electrical load management. The EPDS also allows for the integration of other systems, such as windshield heat, reducing the cost and complexity of the aircraft. COREPOWER’s EPDS electronic circuit breaker technology eliminates the need for circuit breaker panels, relays and switches and reduces the complexity of aircraft wiring, resulting in increased aircraft reliability and significantly reducing aircraft weight.
Renewable sector offers careers in tough times
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLLUMBIA Every day, Gwendal Castellan loads 36 kilograms of gear onto his electric bicycle and heads off to conduct energy assessments on homes.
The 32-year-old Castellan signed on with City Green Solutions eight months ago as a certified energy advisor. He visits all kinds of Metro Vancouver homes, giving advice on everything from the financial advantages of solar panels to the efficiencies of ground-source heat pumps, which are powered by electricity.
Castellan is part of a sector that’s bucking the trend of the economic downturn. It’s expected to have plenty of work in the coming years.
“This [the electricity and renewable energy sector] is an industry [in which] I think there will be long-term growth regardless of what the economy does,” Castellan said in an interview. “Despite the downturn, it continues to grow moderately. There’s a big shift towards [more] electricity in the home. And this is something I’m passionate about.”
Castellan, whose employer is a Victoria-based non-profit society that does home energy assessments throughout the province, said his job doesn’t involve installing anything.
Rather, he measures homes and sets up models to do heat-loss calculations.
“And since I was hired, City Green has gone through another round of hiring.”
Blair Lekstrom, provincial minister of energy, mines and petroleum resources, recently announced with the Electricity Sector Council the launch of Bright Futures BC, a skilled-labour career-awareness program for the electricity industry.
Lekstrom said in an interview the electricity and renewable energy sector needs skilled workers to ensure continued growth.
“We think the future’s bright,” Lekstrom said. “The trades are every bit as important as getting a university degree. Conservation is one part of the reason, [and] demand for electricity is going to grow. And [the grid] has to be maintained. There’s an aging workforce. We see a real need and focus to bring new people along.”
According to the ministry of energy, mines and petroleum resources, one-third of the skilled workers in B.C. will be ready to retire in the next decade. It is estimated that in 2009, 57 per cent of province’s power-systems operators will retire, with an additional 21 per cent retiring by 2012.
Estimated retirement rates for civil engineering technicians are 11 per cent in 2009 and 15 per cent in 2012, and for civil engineers, they are 13 per cent and eight per cent, respectively.
A ministry release also stated that B.C. has a wealth of post-secondary training — including apprenticeship technical training programs — to prepare youths for a career in the electrician and electrical engineering fields.
“Between now and 2014, the equivalent of about one-third of the workforce is on its way out the door,” Catherine Cottingham, executive director and CEO of the Electricity Sector Council (an independent organization funded by the government of Canada), said in an interview. “There are all kinds of opportunities.”
Cottingham said there is already a shortage of power-line workers. “There’s been a shortage in B.C. for two years. And it’s a very well paid job.”
Other trades in the industry with a bright future, she said, are systems operators, energy auditors, electricians and installers of solar panels.
She said there will also be a lot of infrastructure work needed in the coming years — and people are needed to do it.
But it’s not just the electricity and renewable energy sector that will need a lot of new workers in the coming years.
With the recession increasingly bearing down on the economy, large numbers of workers are starting to feel its effects.
But some sectors are expected not only to survive, but to thrive in the future, with plenty of growth and more than enough work to go around.
Research and Markets: 2009 U.S. Electric Power Distribution Industry Report
On Wednesday April 29, 2009, 11:00 am EDT
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/729210/2009_u_s_electric) has announced the addition of the "2009 U.S. Electric Power Distribution Industry Report" report to their offering.
The U.S Electric Power Distribution Industry report, published annually, contains timely and accurate industry statistics, forecasts and demographics. The report features 2009 current and 2010 forecast estimates on the size of the industry (sales, establishments, employment) nationally and for all 50 U.S. States and over 900 metro areas. The report also includes industry definition, 5-year historical trends on industry sales, establishments and employment, a breakdown of establishments, sales and employment by employee size of establishment (9 categories), and estimates on up to 10 sub-industries, including electric power distribution.
Industry Definition and Related Industries
NAICS 221122: Electric Power Distribution. This industry comprises electric power establishments primarily engaged in either (1) operating electric power distribution systems (i.e., consisting of lines, poles, meters, and wiring) or (2) operating as electric power brokers or agents that arrange the sale of electricity via power distribution systems operated by others.
Related Industries:
Hydroelectric Power Generation
Nuclear Power Generation
Fossil Fuel Generation
U.S. Census Categories NAICS 221122 - Electric Power Distribution is 66% comparable to SIC 4911 - Electric Services
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