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AEIC SOLUTIONS (AEIC)
provides one-stop Technical & Engineering Solutions and Services on
Automation, Electrical, Integration and Control in the field of Process
Industries and Commercial Buildings, especially on Energy Conservation &
Saving, Electrical Design & Engineering, and Building Automation and CCTV &
Security System to the region.
AEIC provides useful information
what you need. Any information input or feedback, please send to:
INFORMATION
JOBS
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INFORMATION
ELECTRICITY
SAVING TIP
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Keep
the room's light low when watching television. This
saves electricity and also cuts annoying glare from
your TV screen. |
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Switch
off the TV set when no one is watching. |
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Switch lights off when you leave the room. |
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Use
fluorescent or energy-efficient lamp, and
dimmers whenever possible. |
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Use
a single high-wattage lamp rather than several
low-wattage ones. |
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Clean lamps and fixtures regularly. |
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If
you want to use a lampshade, use one that allows
light to shine through. |
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Switch
off the vacuum cleaner when the motor becomes too
hot, or when there is a change in the sound of the
motor. Something might be blocking the hose. |
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Empty
or replace the dust bag frequently. |
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Use a
broom when possible. |
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Choose
the correct size of air-conditioner for your room.
If you are cooling more rooms, install a split unit,
it's more energy efficient. |
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Clean
the air filter regularly. |
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Set the
thermostat at an ideal 25 C. |
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Set the
ventilation control to 'close' to recycle the air in
the room. |
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Keep
your house cool by using awnings, blinds and solar
reflecting film on the windows. |
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Choose
the right size for your family's needs. |
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Check
the gaskets and hinges for air leakage. |
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Make
sure the front legs of the fridge are slightly
higher than the rear ones so that the door closes
automatically when released. |
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Adjust
the thermostat to the recommended setting. |
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Allow
hot food to cool and cover all food and liquids. |
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Don't
overload the refrigerator. Allow air to circulate
freely in the compartments. |
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Clear
the fridge and switch it off if you're going away
for holidays and leave the door slightly opened. |
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Turn
electric hotplates off before food is fully cooked,
as the remaining heat can complete the cooking. |
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Use
minimum heat for simmering once food has boiled. |
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Thaw
frozen food in the open air, rather than in a
microwave or conventional oven. |
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When
boiling water, boil only as much as you need. |
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Put a
lid on it. Covered food cooks faster. |
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Check
leaks in the oven door and repair if needed. |
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Pressure cookers consume less energy and cook much
faster. |
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The
right pot for the job is more efficient - use flat
bottom pots. |
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Check
your food through the oven glass. |
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Use an
instantaneous water heater, rather than one with a
storage tank. |
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If you
are getting a storage water heater, a capacity of
23-27 litres is suitable for a family of four to six
persons. |
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If you
have a storage water heater, switch it on for about
20 minutes before taking a bath, then switch it off
after use. |
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Choose
the correct wash cycle. Wash only when you have full
loads. |
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Avoid
using the hot water cycle if it's not necessary. |
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Do not
overload. |
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Use the
required amount of detergent. |
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Plan
your ironing, starting with items which need lower
temperatures and avoid heating and re-heating the
iron. |
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Setting
the correct temeperature for the type of fabric
saves energy. |
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Turn it
off when you're done. And don't let it heat for too
long. |
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Source from: http://services.spservices.sg/ |
WATER
SAVING TIP
The world energy challenge
>> What lies
behind today’s challenges?
>> Oil shocks in the 1970s
>> What comes next?
>> Gas as the bridging fuel
>> Nuclear and
hydroelectric energies: a recent debate
>> Clean energies cannot yet meet energy needs
>> What is needed?
>> Glossary
World
Class offers a simple overview of today’s opinions on energy challenges,
derived from various sources.
Our
children and their children will be using different energy sources from
those we use today – solar energy and wind power are already familiar and
there will be other options as technologies develop and become commercial.
But they are tomorrow’s solutions. Today it is energy from oil and gas that
still meets the fundamental needs of societies and will do so until
renewable energies can take over the fossil fuel role (oil, gas and coal).
We all have a responsibility to be part of the solution to the world’s
energy challenges, not part of the problem. Businesses working responsibly
in competitive markets drive innovation and improvement in energy use. That
may mean reducing greenhouse gas emissions and costs through eco-efficiency
– using technology and innovation to find ways of doing more with less in
terms of energy and materials. It may mean investing in new and renewable
energy options such as solar, wind power and hydrogen as well as creating
lower carbon products and services through new technology.
A recent scenario published by a major energy company suggests that a
fourfold or even greater efficiency in energy use is possible. At least a
doubling of efficiency could be achieved simply by a more widespread use of
existing and anticipated technologies. That could make a difference of one
third in energy demand in 2050.
What lies behind today’s challenges?
At the beginning of the 20th century, oil played only a tiny part in the
energy equation, but gained in importance as production techniques improved
and prices fell. As the emerging oil industry learned how to produce it, the
average price of oil declined at a rate of 8% per annum over 20 years. That
is a repeating pattern: discovery followed by technical innovation, greater
efficiency resulting in lower costs, and lower prices bringing increased
demand.
It was after the Second World War that the role of oil began to grow rapidly
and play a significant part in the energy equation. From the 1950s until the
early 70s it was fuelling and helping to drive the rapid growth in world GDP
which raised living standards for many. From the 1950s until the early
1970s, Europe saw its longest ever period of sustained growth.
As new needs appeared and economic development progressed, energy sources
became more diversified to meet growing demand. Coal, oil, gas,
hydroelectric and nuclear energy all played a part in the energy market as
the century progressed.
Oil shocks in the 1970s
Then, in the early 1970s, the picture changed dramatically with what
at the time was called the oil crisis. The world had grown increasingly
dependent on oil. Consuming governments had found it a useful source of tax
revenue. Governments of oil producing countries whose onshore fields could
be developed at low cost saw a huge difference between what they got from
the oil companies and the price charged to the end user. In 1973, many
responded to calls from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting countries
(OPEC) by dramatically raising crude oil prices.
Demand for oil dropped in 1974, and most major industrialized countries
suffered an economic slowdown. In the following years, the governments of
many oil producing countries took a larger part in crude oil production.
Events in Iran in 1978/79 and related oil supply constraints reemphasized
the need to develop alternative energy sources and provided the economic
stimulus to do so.
That was the time when consumption of natural gas in Europe more than
doubled, and by the end of the decade it was supplying almost 50% of
Europe’s energy consumption. At the same time, the oil price increases
encouraged oil companies to develop resources at the upper end of the cost
curve (as in the deep waters of the North Sea and offshore Norway).
In the mid 1980s, as supply increased competitive reactions in the market
the picture changed dramatically once again. Oil prices collapsed, and where
at one point they had been approaching $40 a barrel, they fell to $12. The
economics of investment in energy development changed – and stimulated
innovation and new technological solutions to bring costs down. This
reduction in factor costs of energy was one of the many economic, political
and social elements that drove the cyclical boom of the mid-1980s.
What comes next?
Oil, and the other fossil fuels on which the world has depended, are finite
resources. How can the world deliver all the energy needed for development
over the next 50 years without pollution levels that damage health, spoil
local environments and damage natural systems?
By 2050 it is likely that world energy demand will at least have doubled.
Developing countries will need five times more. Fossil fuels will remain
important but energy companies are already working to minimize the
environmental and social impacts of extracting and delivering fossil fuels
as well as developing alternatives. Governments, policy makers, industries
and communities all need to recognize that making more efficient use of
energy is an important factor in the energy resource equation.
In the developed world, we are increasingly seeing the concept of
dematerialization, where human needs are met through technologies and
systems demanding a much lower energy input. With data highways and virtual
reality, we are moving information and services rather than goods and
people. Technological developments mean that manufacturing processes use
much less energy, and the same is true of many end products (cars and
computers, to take just two examples). At the same time, people are
reluctant to give up high levels of home heating, air conditioning, gas
guzzling cars, stop using cheap air flights to far away places and so on.
Gas as the bridging fuel
Natural gas is seen as an important bridge to a cleaner, lower-carbon energy
future. It is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. In the next 20 years it is
estimated that demand for electricity will nearly double. It is unlikely
that alternative and renewable energy sources will be available to meet more
than a small proportion of that growing demand. A combined-cycle gas fired
power plant generates as little as half the carbon emissions of a modern
coal-fired plant. This is particularly important in the context of China’s
growing energy needs since China has traditionally depended on its coal
reserves for power generation. This is part of the necessary shift towards
low emission and low carbon energy. Of course, natural gas is not
emission-free. But energy choices are ultimately social choices which may be
based on economic and employment needs, or environmental concerns and fears
about energy security and dependence as well as atmospheric pollution and
climate change.
Nuclear
and hydroelectric energies: a recent debate
The hostility to nuclear energy in many countries is an illustration of
this, as is opposition to large-scale hydroelectric projects.
Between 1970 and 1990, there was steady growth in nuclear energy use.
Firstly because of a strong increase in demand for electricity and the
determination of those countries without fossil fuel resources, like France
or Japan, to be energy-independent. Secondly because it was price
competitive compared to expensive oil resources.
In thirty years, this new energy source has been able to meet one third of
electricity demand in the European Union. Nuclear energy stocks in the
United States are on a level with those of Western Europe. In Asia, the
development of nuclear energy is ongoing, particularly in those
industrialized countries experiencing sustained economic growth and which,
like certain countries in Western Europe, lack primary energy resources. In
the year 2000, nuclear energy provided around 17% of the world’s
electricity. The “for or against nuclear” debate concentrates on one side on
the dangers linked to the radioactivity present in the waste that remains at
the end of the nuclear energy production cycle. Many countries have decided
to bury their nuclear waste in very stable and almost impermeable geological
strata for a number of years. Radioactivity is invisible and large
quantities can induce long-term effects so the permanent nature of this
waste is one of the worries of our time. On the other hand, as nuclear
energy does not release CO2 it can be seen as an alternative in facing the
problem of greenhouse gases.
Although the debate is less heated, arguments surrounding the use of water
as an energy source are also vigorous. Many countries have chosen to harness
part of the water from major rivers in order to produce electricity.
Recently, some ecologists have denounced the impact of dams on the health of
the water flows and the risks of pollution affecting flora and fauna. By
controlling water levels upstream and diverting certain flows into
reservoirs, unnatural fluctuations are created downstream which result in a
lowering of water tables and can bring reduced water levels in the rivers or
just the opposite, as when floods have destroyed areas of habitation,
particularly in Asia. In ecological terms however, hydroelectricity has many
advantages at a time when considerable efforts are being made to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
Clean
energies cannot yet meet energy needs
Today, there are various energy sources that we call ‘clean’ or ‘renewable’.
These will certainly play an increasingly important part in meeting the call
for low or no-carbon energy but it will take some ten to twenty years before
they can compete effectively and make a real difference to the energy
equation. Energy companies are developing wind power technologies and the
real cost of electricity from wind turbines, for example, fell by 10% over
15 years. But not everyone appreciates a wind farm on their doorstep or even
on the horizon out at sea. In addition, because it is an intermittent source
– depending on whether the wind blows or not – governments need to ensure
that back-up supplies are available to make sure the electricity grid is
reliable at all times. The alternative energies with the potential for
large-scale use in the coming decades are solar power, fuel cells and bio
fuels for transport.
What is needed?
At present, the cost of solar energy is at least ten times greater than
electricity from fossil fuels or nuclear. This could be reduced, if
sufficient investment and effort goes into developing innovative
technologies. There should also be investment in new technologies to capture
the greenhouse gases from fossil fuels more cheaply and efficiently. The use
of alternative energies would demand new distribution infrastructures,
regulations and markets. The world should be preparing for that. Governments
are aware that they are publicly accountable for the energy choices they
make. The Rio Conference and the Kyoto Protocol intended to introduce a
global, systematic approach of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This has
still not gained broad acceptance for various political and economic reasons
and the issue to reduce the gap between the need to protect our environment
and the perceived need to sustain economic growth has become one of the
world’s major challenges.
The energy future poses great challenges if the developed countries want to
maintain the living standards they enjoy today while the emerging markets
meet their own urgent needs for the progress that energy can enable.
Assessments of how the long-term energy future may develop vary according to
the source. Some believe that energy needs may be met in an evolutionary
progression through natural gas to renewable sources, with renewable
possibilities meeting as much as 50% of energy needs around the middle of
the century. Others see technological shocks changing the picture. This
might bring a switch to hydrogen (people are already assessing the potential
for a hydrogen economy). Or technology may make possible the commercial
development of another unexpected (or currently unknown) source.
The present high price of oil may – as we saw in the 1970s – be just the
spur the world needs to make the investments needed to support a cleaner,
more secure energy future. Clearly the most important thing is the ability
to continue producing and delivering the energy needed to raise living
standards everywhere. Today’s situation should also be a spur to each of us
to contribute as best we can to making the most efficient use of energy in
all aspects of our life and work. It makes economic and social sense – for
individuals, for companies, for countries and for our children’s future.
Glossary
Abatement
Term normally used to indicate treatment systems to reduce the emission into
the atmosphere of atmospheric pollutants. Typical abatement systems are:
scrubbers, cyclones, bag filters, electro filters, activated carbons beds.
Cogeneration
The use of steam or heat to generate electricity and to process materials.
The most common example is in the standard thermal production of
electricity: after the high-pressure steam has been routed through a turbine
to generate electricity it is used again in some industrial process. The
major advantage of cogeneration is that it maximizes the use of thermal
energy generated through the combustion of fuels.
Fuel
Cells
A device for converting chemical (Hydrogen) energy into electrical energy.
MW(MegaWatt)
is power and can be of different nature:
MWel is electrical power
MWth is thermal power.
Photovoltaic cells
A device that can transform solar energy into electricity.
Renewable
energy
A source
of energy that is replenished by natural phenomena, such as firewood or the
water held behind by a dam used for hydroelectrical purposes. Conversely,
fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy.
Source from:
www.st.com
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