The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI)will sponsor a webinar, GeosyntheticReinforced MSE Walls; Overview, Failures and Items for Improvement on Dec. 11, from11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST. Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) member companies and their employees receive discountedrates on all GSI webinar and short course registrations.

Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE)walls represent a grade separation structure which functions at a slope betweenunreinforced soil to classical (i.e., vertical) concrete walls. The soil massitself is layered with geogrids or geotextiles such that a coherent stable massis formed. The facing is usually either vegetated or masonry block, including manyaesthetic variations. MSE walls have reached to 25 meters in height, supported railroadsand heavy surcharge loads, buildings of moderate bearing capacity and can readilyfunction adjacent to water courses and seismic conditions.

Furthermore, they are shown by arecent survey to be the least costly of any other type of retaining wall by 20to 50%.

Design of such MSE walls is wellwithin the state-of-the-practice and is usually addressed using a computer code.The six essential elements of design being the following; each of which are numericallyaddressed.

Internal Stability

External Stability

Unfortunately, there have been failures consisting of eitherexcessive deformation or actual collapses. The presenter has been collecting suchfailures since 2000, and the worldwide database includes more than 300. They willbe analyzed to learn where ongoing concerns exist. In this regard, five areas appearto be fundamental insofar as remedies are concerned. They will be described accordingly.

Summarizing comments and conclusionswill be offered accordingly.

Participants will learn aboutthis new class of retaining walls (and steep slopes), cost comparison to other walltypes, elements of design and where problems have existed in the past. Thesepast problems have been classified into groups, which give clear insight intothe mechanisms involved. Five aspects of design and/or construction will beoffered which, if followed, would minimize such failures from occurring in thefuture.

The webinar is intended for ownersof sites needing grade separation in both the public and private sectors; federal,state, and regional geotechnical, transportation and environmental engineers; engineersfrom municipal districts and townships; private and municipal land developers, architecturaland landscape designers; general civil consulting engineers; hardscapedesigners; testing laboratories servicing these organizations; manufacturers andrepresentatives of geosynthetic and masonry block materials; ground modificationcontractors; academic and research groups; and others desiring technically relatedinformation on this important aspect of our constructed infrastructure.

The webinars instructor, Dr. RobertM. Koerner, is professor emeritus of civil engineering at Drexel University,and founder and director emeritus of the Geosynthetic Institute.

Webinars cost $200.00 for GSI andGMA members, and $250.00 for nonmembers. Successful completion of amultiple-choice test after the webinar carries 1.5 professional development hours(PDH).

For more information or to register, visit http://www.geosynthetic-institute.org/webinar.htm.

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GSI to host webinar on geosynthetic reinforced MSE walls - Geosynthetics magazine

WOODBURY, N.J., Dec. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --The crackle and flicker coming from a fire pit is one of the iconic sounds and sights of fall nights. Fall is the best time to enjoy a warm fire outdoors the air is crisp and the heat from the fire is cozy and comforting. People have been having outdoor fires for millennia, but not all of them are done efficiently or safely. Here are a few secrets to getting the most out of an outdoor fire pit.

Getting started

The driest wood and tinder are necessary for a quick-lighting fire. Tinder can be small twigs, strips of birch bark, pine straw, or, strangely enough, broken pieces of potato chips or cheese-based snacks like Doritos or Cheetos. Newspaper does not make good tinder because it flames out too quickly and it sends lit embers into the air.

Place tinder in the clean fire pit. Put the smallest bits in first and pile upwards according to size, with the largest pieces on top. Kindling is the wood that is bigger than tinder but not as large or as long. Dry twigs and branches less than one inch in diameter make good kindling. If the kindling snaps easily underfoot, then it is ready for burning.

The best dry logs are hard, show their rings and cracks on the edges, and have no signs of mold or fungus growing on them. Layer dry wood on top of kindling in a crosshatch pattern. While triangle structures for fires are popular, a crosshatch pattern will burn the wood more thoroughly. Also, for fire pits, the lower height of the crosshatch pile will be safer than the taller pyramid shape. Be sure not to build too high a stack.

Lighting

Simple is best. Matches are the way to go. Long-armed matchsticks are convenient and keep hands away from flames. Holding the match in the tinder or dropping it in should be enough to ignite it. Smoke will rise if the tinder lights. Gently fan the embers. If the wood is piled on too tightly, the tinder may not get enough oxygen to burn. Re-light the tinder in three places and fan gently until the kindling begins to burn.

Safety

As with indoor fireplaces, there are screens that help retain embers and sparks that may pop from the fire. Also keep the wood supply a safe distance away from the flames and seating at 3 feet away or more. Fire pits themselves should be at least 10 to 20 feet away from any structure, including the home.

Having an active hose or buckets of water nearby is essential for outdoor fires because some embers may escape. With the many dried fallen leaves around this season, caution is paramount. Some homeowners douse the fallen leaves before having a fire pit night for an added measure of safety. Be sure the fire is completely out before turning in for the night. The hose or bucket of water can be used for this purpose.

Treats

Anything goes. S'mores are classic. Hot dogs, kebabs or other food items that can be cooked quickly over a flame make for great fire pit meals. Avoid paper plates and cups. Stoneware or heavy duty plastic dinnerware and cloth napkins are less likely to be caught in the flames than paper accessories. Set up a table with condiments and drinks in an open area at least 10 feet away from the flames to allow guests to prepare their food.

Enjoy

Enjoying a fall evening outside with s'mores, warm drinks and stories shared among friends and family can be as easy as starting up a fire in the fire pit. Nothing draws out neighbors like seeing those inviting, flickering flames or smelling the unique and wonderful aroma of a campfire. Outdoor fire pits are a classic way to gather friends and family and share a cozy evening together.

About EP Henry EP Henry is the oldest American family-owned and -operated manufacturer of unit concrete products in North America. Based in Woodbury, New Jersey, EP Henry manufactures a wide range of Hardscaping paving stone and retaining wall products. EP Henry also offers beautiful patio pavers, outdoor kitchen kits, garden wall solutions and more to homeowners throughout the Mid-Atlantic states. For more information on EP Henry Hardscaping products, visit EPHenry.com or call 800-44-HENRY (800-444-3679).

SOURCE EP Henry

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Using an outdoor fire pit the right way leads to cozy nights with family and friends, by EP Henry - Benzinga

A New York developer hoping to build a mixed-use project on the Connecticut River in Hartford has proposed a more modest version of his plan to woo the interest of city officials.

Developer George Bryant, president of Aqua Ark LLC, said his firm has compiled a dozen proposals for potential development on city-owned land near Mortensen Riverfront Plaza.

Aqua Arks initial $40-million proposal aims to build two structures on land-based floating technology to house several retail and restaurant vendors and event or hotel space.

Bryant on Wednesday said his startup is also pitching a scaled-down, $9-million development that would include a single-story amphibious promenade that would also be able to float on the water during flood conditions.

Bryant aired his various plans at the citys planning, economic development and housing committee meeting Tuesday night.

The smaller, single-level development includes a series of kiosks for food and retail vendors and a separate restaurant that would feature indoor and outdoor seating.

Germany-based Clement and Westport engineering firm Collective Design Associates are supporting Aqua Ark, with design plans.

We just want to make sure we are putting something forward that is fine-tuned to what the city thinks will work best there, Bryant said. We dont want to develop something that is oversized or undersized.

Aqua Arks scaled-down proposal includes a series of kiosks for retail and food vendors.

The waterfront redevelopment builds off Hartford City Councilman John Gales resolution last year that encouraged development along the Connecticut River. But the resolution has been met with criticism from environmental advocates, including Robert Klee, former commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Bryant said his firm is willing to address any environmental issues the proposals may pose to existing levees and other underground barriers protecting the city from river flooding.

Riverfront Recapture, the not-for-profit organization managing Hartford and East Hartford's riverfront parks and Riverwalk trail system, has identified at least one potential issue the proposal poses to a retaining wall.

We may have to remediate that, said Bryant, who does not yet have any meetings scheduled with the nonprofit or the city.

Aqua Arkhas not completed a project in the U.S., but it has completed several floating developments in Europe and the Middle East.

The firm, which is working on a proposal for a floating development in the Bronx, pitched a similar waterfront project in Bridgeport in recent years, but city officials denied it.

Bryant has not discussed his vision for waterfront development in Hartford with DEEP or the Army Corps. of Engineers, which would both need to grant permits for the project before it moves forward.

The city and Riverfront Recapture would also need to award Aqua Ark various land use and development agreements for the development.

Bryant said hes optimistic city officials will support at least one his riverfront proposals.

We believe we have interest, he said. Members of the city council at the meeting last night appeared to be supportive from my side.

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Developer gauging support for several mixed-use proposals on CT River in Hartford - Hartford Business

San Francisco has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about human feces since 2011.

San Francisco has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about human feces since 2011.

Photo: San Francisco Dept. Of Public Works

San Francisco has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about human feces since 2011.

San Francisco has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about human feces since 2011.

San Francisco plans to power-wash the poop out of the Tenderloin

The Tenderloin should soon see fewer piles of feces waiting to befoul the shoes of hapless pedestrians.

San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney is announcing a plan Tuesday that will power-wash the sidewalks on every block of the city's most poop-plagued neighborhood once a week instead of the current rate of once a month.

Haney's district was allocated $260,000 for cleaning under this year's budget.

Some 25,000 reports of human waste were logged through the city's 311 services this year through October. The number of complaints across the city for all of 2018 was 28,084.

In parts of the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods, it's not uncommon to see people openly defecating.

As Supervisor, I've been committed to fighting for deep regular sidewalk power washing across D6. Today, alongside the @TLCBD, we are finally announcing pressure washing of every TL block once a week. TL and SOMA residents deserve clean and healthy streets and sidewalks. https://t.co/GseUJstqrm

The city's "Poop Patrol," a five-person team tasked with removing excrement, will be handling the power-washing duties. At Haney's press conference Tuesday, a new portable pressure-washing system was to be showcased.

Based on the San Francisco Chronicle's estimate that each Poop Patrol employee earned a $184,000 in pay, perquisites and pension benefits, Forbes calculated that each human waste case cost taxpayers $32.75 in 2018.

Responses to Haney's plan on Twitter were mixed, with one calling the action a "band aid that doesn't stop the real problem" and others noting that the plan will flush raw sewage into the bay via storm drains.

Haney has also called for the city's Pit Stop public bathrooms to remain open 24 hours a day. A pilot program launched in August staffed 3 of city's 25 mobile public bathrooms around the clock, with the bulk of the funding coming from Haney's district budget.

straight to the bay, well played.

sanctuary for some, hell for others. pic.twitter.com/D2BVJLGd9R

---

Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate

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San Francisco plans to power-wash the poop out of the Tenderloin - SF Gate

In December 2018, Hitachi Ltd. announced an agreement to buy ABBs Power Grids business for US$6.4 billion. On the Hitachi side, the move was seen as a grid grab that would enable the Japanese conglomerate to compete head-to-head with the likes of General Electric and Siemens AG in the electric sector. Not more than a few months later, General Electric began selling off many of its power businesses, while Siemens spun its gas and power businesses off into an as-yet-to-be-named entity with the placeholder name of NewCo.

What might be behind some of these power play spin-offs? And, are there more to come?

Behind the Spin-Offs

The first factor seems to be activist investors pushing for simplified pure-play companies. For ABB, that meant dropping its lower-margins grid business to focus on robotics and factory automation. In addition to carrying ABBs lowest return on assets in 2018, the companys grids business saw its third consecutive quarterly slide in the third quarter of 2018.

On the other hand, Hitachi has almost 800 separate businesses, spanning from construction machinery to health care and nuclear power. The company has stated it wants to streamline and focus on four core areas going forwardone of which is power and energy, thus the reason for ABBs Power Grids business.

Hitachi may have other things in mind, as well. For instance, by getting a piece of the power grid, the company may be able to help drive a global shift away from coal and toward renewable energy. The company also may be lining up grid services as a platform on which to deploy and connect its equipment to the massive internet of things (IoT) market, connecting sensors and devices through the internet for building controls in homes and businesses that can marry the opportunity of smart devices and smart buildings with the smart electric grid Hitachi will now help to build.

We believe that both companies will complement each other, said Anders Sjoelin, lead division manager, ABB Power Grids North America. Together, they cover the global energy value chain from generation to transmission and distribution. In addition, Hitachi sees areas like the integration of renewables into the power grid, smart mobility and cities as strategic pillars where ABB Power Grids can contribute significantly with its leading technology solutions.

The Siemens spin-off is of a slightly different nature, but perhaps has a similar goal. In May 2019, the German-based industrial giant announced the spin-off of its Gas & Power (GP) businesses as part of its Vision 2020+ strategy to focus its core competencies on digital industries and smart infrastructure. To be formed out of what was Siemens GP, the new company will be an independent one in which Siemens projects to have 30 billion Euros in orders and 80,000 employees based on former GP staff and the transfer of the Siemens renewable energy business, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE).

With Vision 2020+, were further sharpening Siemens focus and making our businesses faster and more flexible, said Joe Kaeser, president and CEO of Siemens, in a conference call with reporters announcing the move. These changes are laying the foundation for sustainable economic success in growth markets that will be attractive over the long term. Were also creating solid perspectives for those businesses that have to prove themselves in the structural transformation now underway and address new growth fields.

Kaeser added the new company will be well-positioned to offer a wide range of services in the electric industry, from power generation through gas-fired turbines and wind turbines to oil and gas services and high-voltage transmission. The success of Siemens businesses of the next generation will be determined by new factors, said Kaeser. Breadth, size and a one-size-fits-all approach will be replaced by focus, speed and adaptability.

Meanwhile, Lisa Davis, who has been CEO of Siemens GP for the last five years, will take over the reins of NewCo. She touts the new companys independence from Siemens as well as the opportunity to offer a wide range of power services in its new incarnation. Being independent will enable us to more effectively leverage our position of strength to further support our customers in rapidly changing energy markets, Davis said. Global electrification continues to be vital to economic and environmental progress around the world and, as the only company with a leading portfolio along the entire energy value chainin both conventional and renewable energywe are uniquely able to help both public- and private-sector customers benefit from these developments.

For Siemens, the companys Digital Industries and Smart Infrastructure operating companies will comprise its future industrial core, to be supplemented by company-wide technology and service units such as Siemens Healthineers and Siemens Mobility. Plans call for NewCo to be completely spun off with its own stock exchange listing in September 2020.

General Electric also is in the game of selling off power divisions. In March 2019, the company unveiled a $3.25 billion deal to sell its distributed power business, focused on the building of smaller gas-fired turbines used in backup, remote or cogeneration power opportunities. The sale to private equity firm Advent International includes the companys Jenbacher and Waukesha brands as well as manufacturing plants in the U.S., Canada and Austria.

GEs rationale apparently is different from that of ABB or Siemens, however. The company must shrink itself to pay down significant debt, a result of years of troubled acquisitions. Earlier this year, GE was kicked out of the Dow Industrial Average after more than a century on the prestigious company stock listing. For GE, the distributed power business is just the latest in a line of businesses being spun off, including both its fabled light bulb unit and GE Transportation, the companys 111-year-old railroad division.

The power business was not helping GE, as the company saw declines in revenue in recent quarters as power plants started moving more toward renewable energy to replace fossil fuels, especially coal.

Underlying Currents

Though GEs move differs from the moves of Hitachi-ABB and Siemens, all three signify changing times in the power and utilities sector, something that is more likely to continue than abate in the near term. These are definitely changing times for utility and energy companies, said Scott Smith, U.S. power utilities leader for Deloitte, before adding, It is going to continue. Decarbonization of power, energy efficiency, renewables, the customer experience being different [power companies and utilities] are going to have to adapt quickly, and I think they are.

In his 2019 U.S. Power and Utilities Industry Outlook, Smith wrote about what he calls the new normal for the sector, which features a period of transformation and profound change driven by technological and competitive forces, as well as changing customer expectations.

This is partly generational; younger users have become very comfortable with apps, social media, and always-on connectivity, Smith stated. And, its also partly a spin-off from the increasing ubiquity of e-commerce in all spheres, for products, services and entertainment. These developments are coming from all directions, not just the big-tech giants that are household names. Were seeing evidence of this new normal in electricity customer preferencesthe desire for choice, in rate plans, in sources of delivered electricity, and in options to tap into behind-the-meter or localized sources of generation, or to integrate electricity with other home services. Commercial and industrial customers are looking to combine more cost and utilization control with opportunities to self-generate and while setting themselves and their suppliers ambitious targets to reduce emissions from their energy use.

On the generation side, Smith argued, three dominant trends have been in place for years and look to continue:

Smith pointed to decarbonization as the driver but added these trends also have created opportunities for both new technologies and new business models in the sector.

On the new technologies side, Smith noted utilities are developing apps to give customers greater control over energy usage, even managing heating and cooling, lighting and window blinds from smartphones. Some utilities are entering the IoT market by offering smart appliances, such as washing machines, thermostats and hot water heaters. Wireless meters and sensors enable users to monitor energy use in real time, receive alerts if bills deviate too far from the norm, get outage alerts, and even get estimates of crew arrival times in the case of storms or widespread power failure.

Customer retention is no longer just a question of reliability and cost, Smith said of this new normal in the power and utilities sector. It is now a question of providing options, being connected, and allowing customers more control over their energy use.

When it comes to technology, utilities and power generators exist in an ecosystem ripe with opportunity, Smith contends. We could point to sources of generation, with the cost performance and scalability of wind and solar continuing to improve year over year at a rapid pace; to grid operations, where smart-grid technologies provide real-time information into all aspects of grid status (not just electron flows) and where batteries are now able to provide multiple services, such as load shifting, frequency regulation and localized reserves; to distributed or localized sources of energy for which utilities can partner with customers or communities to install and operate power systems customized for specific needs, Smith wrote in his report.

Smith summed it up that all this combined is opening the door for new business models for utilities as well as market structures allowing for the entry of new, nontraditional players. He specifically cited the rise of behind-the-meter generation, community energy projects and new options for households, such as rooftop solar coupled with battery storage. Utilities have a tremendous opportunity to develop new profitable businesses around offering services related to these developmentsfrom installation, maintenance, and reliability services to tracking and load balancing with on-grid resources, Smith wrote.

Smith sees the sector evolving into an entire energy tech ecosystem that could include traditional utilities, large device makers, tech companies, infrastructure players, and small- to medium-sized venture-backed energy technology companies and a host of other business models.

Smith proclaims himself not surprised at all by news of power and utility sector spin-offs and realignments. In fact, he predicts that, too, is part of the new normal for the sector.

By definition, the future is uncertain, so we know there will be surprises along the way, Smith wrote in his market report. The electric power business has proved increasingly resilient to some kinds of surprises, like hurricanes or snowstorms. Other kinds of surprises, from technology and new competition to customer expectations, may require more deep-seated cultural change. This promises to be an interesting year.

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Power Business Spin-Offs: Is This the New Normal? - Transmission & Distribution World

Cities, belching pollution, clogged with traffic and stuffed full of the buildings that are responsible for nearly 40 per cent of energy-related CO2 emissions, always appear as the villains of the sustainability narrative. They consume more than 75 per cent of all natural resources; they produce more than 50 per cent of global waste. They are monsters. Yet they are also, perhaps paradoxically, the most efficient and, potentially, the most sustainable way to live.

Cities can be compact and reliant on efficient public transport rather than cars; they can be walkable and cyclable; and, thanks to the proximity they foster between people and services, they can achieve impressive efficiencies in energy use. Even cities with harsh climates such as Oslo or Helsinki can develop communal heating systems as a byproduct of power generation that are clean and efficient compared with, say, the individual gas boilers that are the norm in the UK.

If the circular economy is about moving beyond a take-make-waste model of consumption, buildings can be a conspicuous case in point. Just look at two recent French housing projects, Tour Bois-le-Prtre in Paris and Cit du Grand Parc in Bordeaux, designed by architects Lacaton & Vassal and Frdric Druot. Both go radically against the conventional practice of demolishing old, nominally inefficient housing to build anew in more fashionable forms. Instead, they have managed to preserve existing social housing infrastructure and to keep tenants in place while transforming their slab blocks with a new outer layer of structure.

Boasting new terraces and winter gardens, formerly tired apartments now seem distinctly chic. No less important, both interventions conserve the huge amount of energy embodied in the existing structures; according to a report last year from think-tank Chatham House, cement production accounts for 8 per cent of the worlds annual CO2 emissions which, if it were a country, would make it the third-biggest emitter, after China and the US.

There are harder-to-quantify savings too: new construction often tears apart established communities, disrupting the networks that facilitate sustainable city living through small exchanges of favours and chores, through trust and company.

Cities are the most efficient and, potentially, the most sustainable way to live

When the original tower blocks were conceived and built, in the 1950s and 1960s, architects were in thrall not only to concrete but also to the car. Motorways, flyovers and car parks swept old buildings aside. Yet cars proved to be disastrous for cities, enabling the vast expansion of the suburb and the exurb, which are radically unsustainable not just in their distance from places of work and leisure, but also in their failure to build communities.

Mobility is the first problem, says Malo Hutson, associate professor of urban planning at Columbia University in New York. Not just the electrification of cars, but also of marine transport, perhaps even aviation. We need to approach the city in a different way how do we not build huge parking lots and [how do we create] more compact cities? Autonomous cars may change things for the better, he thinks, as they could readily lend themselves to sharing schemes; that in turn could reduce the need for parking spaces and allow more efficient land use.

But overcoming the consequences of decades of sprawl is a formidable task. The changes required are so huge that advocates are careful to frame them as a positive not only in terms of sustainability, but also in terms of economic growth. The Green New Deal sponsored by congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the US is exactly such an attempt at reframing green imperatives in a Rooseveltian image, as a boost to the economy rather than a brake.

Friday, 22 November, 2019

We need an honest conversation about this, Mr Hutson says. There will be job losses and huge changes but also opportunities around construction and housing, new skills and innovation. A 2016 World Economic Forum report notes that 40 per cent of solid waste in the US derives from construction and demolition, and represents a significant loss of valuable minerals, metals and organic materials that could feed into a circular economy.

Perhaps the most interesting shift currently under way in urban thinking picks up this thought and runs with it. An EU-sponsored initiative known as Bamb Buildings as Material Banks aims to change the construction industrys approach to demolition, construing it as not a destructive but a constructive process, in which buildings are picked apart, their component parts and materials reused. Bamb wants buildings to be designed with this in mind; it advocates the use of material passports, which reside on a digital platform and define materials and show their circular pathways, their loops of use and reuse.

There is a change of attitude in taking down existing buildings, with buildings conceived as banks, says Georgia Price, an architect from global engineering group Arup. We could be using materials passports, tracking and tracing materials through their life. One possibility is to embed RFID chips in construction components, enabling them to be tracked from factory to building site to salvage depot. So far it is an idea that has gained little traction within the industry. The resulting database would be enormous and who would own the data?

Meanwhile several new non-profits are already trying to salvage materials from buildings before demolition and to sell them on at a fraction of their cost when new to architects with an interest in sustainability and an eye for a back-story. Among them are Rotor Deconstruction in Brussels and the School of Architectures Bank of Materials in Aarhus, Denmark. Both are beginning to scale up to offer a real choice to architects and contractors.

One crucial recent piece of legislation from the EU may accelerate the change in attitudes. In October, right to repair rules were introduced, which put the onus on manufacturers to design products capable of being repaired, instead of succumbing to planned obsolescence, the dubious design philosophy that became prevalent during the US postwar boom. If our expectations of washing machines and phones can change, perhaps they will similarly change regarding buildings and infrastructure.

In those latter cases, the ability to reimagine will be as important as the ability to repair or rebuild. Perhaps the seemingly defunct architectures of the recent past can be repurposed in the same way the industrial buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries have been made into lofts, galleries and restaurants.

A multistorey car park may seem the least adaptable of building types, yet one example in south London, Peckham Levels, has been reimagined as a cultural space, with artists studios, social enterprises, restaurants, and a now famous rooftop bar. Could similar ideas be applied to the ghost shopping centres and strip-malls of fading suburbs? Could they accommodate small workshops, markets, and hydroponics farms enterprises that could densify those suburbs into places of production and change, rather than just dormitories?

According to a report by Arup, in a circular city, products and assets are designed and built to be more durable, and to be repaired, refurbished, reused and disassembled. That will require a fundamental change in approach by planners and architects, and by the citizens they serve.

Yet in a way, it is all rather old fashioned. When imperial Rome collapsed and its buildings gradually succumbed to violence or neglect, the stones were taken and reused to build houses and churches, wells and piazzas. The fragments are still there.

See more here:
Theres nothing new about tomorrows city - Financial Times

As regional governments become increasingly aware of the social and economic threat posed by climate change, population growth and resource over-consumption, there is growing appreciation that improved energy efficiency, reduced use of non-renewable resources and environmental sustainability can only be achieved by successfully developing and harnessing new environmental technology clean technology, or cleantech.

As in other industries, it is likely that many of the disruptive cleantech solutions needed to address these challenges will come from new, startup companies and from other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is already setting the pace for cleantech development in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

Abu Dhabi has set ambitious renewable energy and emissions targets and wants to generate 44 per cent of electricity from renewable sources and 6 per cent from nuclear power. It also wants to cut 30 per cent of its carbon emissions by 2030.

The UAE is the most attractive ecosystem in the Mena region for startups, says Steven Griffiths, senior vice-president of research and development and professor of practice at Khalifa University of Science and Technology.

Broadly speaking, the Mena region is incentivising local talent in the realm of environmentally sustainable startups.

We [in the Mena region] are seeing a lot of startups and SMEs developing really interesting cleantech solutions across the renewables, waste and marine space, says Dana Liparts, co-founder and director at Ecocoast, a sustainable marine technology developer.

The interest in cleantech specifically has been evident since as early as 2012, when Dubai-based peer-to-peer lending platform Beehive funded Enerwhere, a solar energy SME.

More recently, Abu Dhabi-based Catalyst a startup accelerator jointly organised by Masdar and BP has invested $10m since 2015 in eight cleantech startups engaged in renewable energy, agricultural technology, waste management and electric mobility.

In early 2019, New York-based Modus Capital launched a $75m Mena fund for startups through which it hopes to fund more cleantech companies, which founder Kareem Elsirafy says could include opportunities such as renewable and sustainable technology that mitigates negative environmental impact.

Still, investment and support for these are low compared to other types of technology startups.

In5 is a startup incubator that has supported more than 160 startups since it was founded in 2013. Data from the company website shows that only one business in each of the energy, sustainable agriculture and waste management fields received funding from the In5 technology centre.

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Lack of adequate funding and investment is a major issue, says Rishi Kohli, co-founder of Waterwise, a Dubai startup turned SME that has developed an eco-friendly car cleaning service that uses a biodegradable cleaning spray in place of water.

A few years ago, a lot of cleantech startups attracted large amounts of funding but had large amounts of monthly cash burn-out, which impacted cash flow and often made them unprofitable, he says.

Khalifa University of Science and Technologys Griffiths also highlights several financial challenges faced by startups and SMEs: Early-stage investors in cleantech face challenges in bringing deep tech to the scale-up. Software is not so hard, but capital-intensive technology development is yet to have a good supporting ecosystem.

He says he is impressed with certain industry-led cleantech investment initiatives, such as those of Saudi Aramco, but adds that we do not have a lot of examples in the region.

CEO of Catalyst, inar Kurra, adds that there are not many dedicated research and development (R&D) centres. Most research continues to happen at universities and government-funded entities, he says.

Market conditions can also prove difficult. Waterwises Kohli says that about 180 litres of water are used on each vehicle at UAE car wash facilities, despite the fact the UN classifies the country as one of the worlds most water-scarce nations.

Even so, Kohli has faced many difficulties when it comes to selling his product. Our initial plan was to redistribute our product to other car-washing companies, but that did not get much buy-in, so we decided to set up our own car-washing business.

When asked why this might be, Kohli notes that the adoption of cleantech products and services has been generally slow, and points to the largely price-driven priorities of many consumers, which can prejudice them against alternative, eco-friendly products and services that typically carry higher costs.

In the UAE, a compounding factor, especially on a large commercial scale, is what he calls green fatigue.

Consumers have failed to see the tangible benefits for eco-friendly products and services, he says.

Besides, says Liparts, were also seeing that a lot of the technologies are struggling to offer a real commercial advantage to the end-user over more traditional technologies. Cleantech startups and SMEs that can show a commercial value proposition to their technologies will face far fewer challenges when it comes to funding than those companies that are more costly than traditional.

This raises questions about consumer awareness and engagement when it comes to environmental issues.

Indeed, the high failure rate of new products and services especially those that call for behavioural changes on the part of individual consumers is a common problem for new enterprises. Catalysts CEO, Kurra, says that currently, only 2 per cent of all startups make a profit in the region.

A different approach could nevertheless significantly improve the uptake of cleantech.

At Catalyst, where a venture capital would look merely at growth potential, the firm provides not only funding but also access to R&D facilities at the Masdar Institute.

It also highlights the need for financial transparency, both as a precondition of funding and as a route to providing more appropriate guidance to startups.

As a startup accelerator, we would require more transparency in how cleantech startups are running their business, says Catalysts Kurra.

Griffiths also explains, Perhaps the best way cleantech startups can earn profits today is by building software, power electronics and other small services, and then selling them to large corporations.

Meanwhile, Waterwises Kohli advises that startups and SMEs should start with a limited number of products or services that have a low cash burn-out and quicker return on investment (ROI), then attract funding with the aim of scaling up.

By way of example, he explains that investment in agriculture and food-based cleantech has increased as the cost of producing such products has made ROI for the end-users and investors more attractive.

Lately, more cleantech businesses attract smaller investments from angel investors that allow them to grow with profitable margins, which in turn can then lead to venture capital funding, Kohli says.

Yet a great deal of activity in the sector continues to be government or public-sector led, leaving significant room for more initiative to be taken by private companies and individuals and especially by local entities to support innovative cleantech opportunities.

The author of this report, Sania Aziz Rahman, is a graduate of MA Data Journalism from the UKs Birmingham City University, with a special interest in reporting stories through data. Twitter: @saniaazizr

This article is sourced from Verdict Technology sister publication http://www.meed.com, a leading source of high-value business intelligence and economic analysis about the Middle East and North Africa. To access more MEED content register for the 30-day Free Guest User Programme.

GlobalData is this websites parent business intelligence company.

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Cleantech companies: in the UAE funding and trust are hampering efforts - Verdict

Updated December 05, 2019 15:42:37

It's going to be a long, hot summer for the Wilkes family.

Their home in Sydney's outer suburbs has westerly facing windows and last year, the first in their new build, the electricity bill for summer was $1,000.

This year, they're hoping it will be significantly less, having scraped together enough cash to install solar panels on the roof.

"It was definitely a stretch," said Crystal Wilkes, who is currently at home on maternity leave after having her third child.

"After tax time we were like, we've got a refund from tax. We decided to put that plus a small amount of savings [together] and cash flowed the rest.

"You get very good at eating beans and rice to get it together."

But have the Wilkes made the right decision? Is getting solar the best way to cut down on costs this summer?

About a decade ago, many state governments were keen to encourage solar uptake, introducing generous rebates and feed-in tariffs.

It created a lot of hype around the financial benefits of solar, and hundreds of thousands of homes took it up.

Those same offers are now long gone.

According to Chris Barnes from consumer group Choice, the answer is pretty clear.

"In almost all cases for almost all homes, yes, it's still worth it," he said.

"That's a reflection of the fact the price of the actual panels has gone down and the capacity of the solar panels has gone up. So really it makes sense to put as many on your roof as you can afford."

The Wilkes bought a 6.6-kilowatt system for $7,500 after the federal government rebate, which was about $4,000.

This out-of-pocket cost included the panels themselves and the inverter, which transfers the power into usable electricity.

That's about the average size and cost of a solar installation, according to Choice.

But prices do vary and could be between $4,000 to $8,000, after the rebate, and depending on the quality and the size you're after.

"There's a really wide range of pricing," Sarah Morton, from Green Energy, said.

"Solar panels definitely vary in quality. For more peace of mind you could choose Tier 1 panels, which have a better reputation for performance and quality."

Mr Barnes suggests getting recommendations and shopping around for installers, while avoiding door-to-door sales tactics.

He also says it's important to understand the product warranty on the panels and inverter.

For example, a 10-year product warranty on the panels and at least five years on the inverter is fairly standard.

"You'll often see a 25-year warranty mentioned. Be a little careful with that, because that's actually a performance warranty," he said.

"What they're saying is over its 25-year expected lifespan, this panel will deteriorate in a predictable and linear fashion and in the 25 years will still be producing 80 per cent of what they claimed."

This is where it gets a bit tricky.

In the past, different rebates have been offered separately by state governments and the federal government.

All states have stopped offering generous rebates for solar installation, except for Victoria, which still has a rebate of up to $2,225 for households earning less than $180,000.

Some other states are trialling schemes for low-income earners. It's worth looking at the Department of Energy website to see whether you can claim for this.

And on top of all of this, most households can still get a rebate from the federal government's small-scale renewable energy scheme.

"When you buy a solar panel system each will be rated to a certain number of certificates and each is worth a certain amount," Mr Barnes explained.

"At the moment they're worth just under $40 per certificate typically you're looking at about $600 per kilowatt of solar system you add on. So it does add up."

Usually the installer will process the certificates and consumers pay the balance of the cost.

It's always going to be different for each household. But for the Wilkes, they're thinking about four years.

Why?

Well, there's the size of the system itself, how much electricity a household uses, how much is sold back to the grid and where you live.

"If you live in a place that gets a lot of sun north-west Victoria or inland New South Wales or Queensland you're going to get more output from the same sized solar system than if you're living in southern Victoria or Tasmania," Ms Morton said.

With three young children under six, and the baby using cloth nappies, the Wilkes's washing machine is constantly on.

Like most Australians, the family tended in the past to use a lot of appliances in the evening, but since getting solar they've changed their habits.

They use an app to monitor their usage and set timers on their appliances to run during the day.

That way they're using the solar energy produced on their roof for free, rather than paying for electricity from the grid.

"I worked out how to set our appliances the dishwasher, washing machine, we've got a heat pump drier, so to put a delay on them to operate during the day when the Sun's up. We just don't use things overnight anymore," Ms Wilkes said.

"With the app we can also see the drain of the air-con when we do switch it on. We've learnt that after the house is cold we switch it to a dehumidifier setting which is a lot less expensive to run."

Any extra electricity they don't use is sold back into the grid, which means they get some extra money.

It also makes the payback period for their panels shorter.

Well, solar power is only generated during the day.

You need to ask yourself: are you better off using that during the day? Or keeping old habits and using the bulk of your electricity at night, essentially buying it from the grid?

"As a general rule for most people, you're far better off using your own solar power and using as little as you can from the grid," Mr Barnes said.

About a decade ago, retailers were paying up to 60 cents for every kilowatt hour that households fed back into the grid.

Only those who are still enjoying the benefits of a legacy contract get to keep reaping the benefits of that deal.

For everyone else, those days are long gone.

But every retailer can offer a different price for your power. It can vary from nothing to 30 cents a kilowatt hour in the Northern Territory.

"It varies significantly between retailers. Even within a state, it can vary a lot. People should shop around," Ms Morton said.

Victoria is the only state to have a mandatory minimum rate which is set by the Essential Services Commission. It can either be a single rate (which is currently 12 cents per kilowatt hour) or a varying rate depending on time of day (between 9.9 and 14.6 cents per kilowatt hour).

The Wilkes get about 11 cents per kilowatt hour for the electricity they send to the grid, but are paying double that for any electricity they buy.

In short, that's not an unusual story. It's common to pay way more for electricity than what you'd earn if you sold it back to the grid.

"At the moment we're actually ahead, we've just come in to credit. We're selling more back to the grid than we're using," Ms Wilkes said.

Despite being keen on sustainable energy, the Wilkes won't be getting a battery any time soon.

"We looked in to getting a battery but the payback was closer to 10 years and the battery's life is about 10 years. So it doesn't work out," Ms Wilkes said.

Mr Barnes agrees.

"Our view is that for most people, [batteries] don't make full economic sense yet," he said.

"If you're in the NT and you're getting a generous feed-in tariff, you're probably better off getting that than putting your surplus energy into a battery that may not pay for itself in time."

As technology advances, it's hoped batteries will either last longer, or the prices will come down.

"We're still watching and waiting for that magic moment to happen," Mr Barnes said.

Topics:solar-energy,alternative-energy,environment,box-hill-2765,nsw,australia

First posted December 05, 2019 05:59:32

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Solar panels seem like a good idea. But are they really worth it? - ABC News

> > Article Thursday, December 5, 2019| 34| 0| min read

Martin Davila, of Davila Construction, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration for exposing employees to fall hazards at threeMissouri job sites.

OSHA also alleges Davila Construction violated electrical safety rules and allowed a gas can to be stored in close proximity to combustion engines. The residential roofing company is facing up to $205,098 in penalties.

OSHA said Davila Construction failed to properly train employees on how to manage safety hazards while working high above ground. The agency also said Davila Construction did not provide workers with training for safe ladder useor offer protection from pneumatic nail guns.

Davila Construction was cited in 2014 for not developing or maintaining a safety program.

Davila has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference or dispute the findings.

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Roofing Contractor Cited for Exposing Workers to Fall Hazards| Workers Compensation News - WorkCompCentral

Roofing businesses on the central coast see a spike in service calls following the rainy weather

It seems like the rain may be sticking around a little while longer, and that has some local businesses seeing an increase in calls for service.

The owner of Golden State Roofing says he has been experiencing three times as many calls the last couple of days with the first big rain of the season on the central coast.

"People put their maintenance or their roofing off until it rains...or leaks that they didn't have before pop up. So yeah my phone rings off the hook," said Christopher McCluskey, owner of Golden State Roofing.

It is a sentiment felt by many roofers in the area and the proverb when it rains it pours could not be closer to the truth.

"It all depends on the situation. Anywhere between 500 and 5000. You never know- it just depends on the situation... the severity of the leak and how long they've let the condition of the roof deteriorate before taking care of it," said McCluskey.

With the start of the chillier rainy season on the central coast some heating and cooling companies are also seeing a spike in calls, but not everyone.

"I have other people in the industry that they see a swing during this time of the year. So as far as my business is concerned I'd probably say more so during the summer time," said Ryan Cruz, owner of WAYCO Heating and Air Conditioning.

Repairmen say maintenance is of the utmost importance... especially when dealing with more extreme temperatures.

"Not everyone looks at their roof and they don't realize that everything they own is underneath that roof. So if people payed more attention to it- it would definitely help them out in the long run," said McCluskey.

According to one owner of a roofing business, they are always monitoring weather conditions to know when to anticipate more of those service calls.

See more here:
Roofing businesses on the central coast see a spike in service calls following the rainy weather - KSBY San Luis Obispo News