



GM: The future is all-electric
That's what the automaker said on Monday, as it unveiled plans to roll out two new electric vehicles over the next 18 months and a total of 20 over the next six years. "General Motors believes in an all-electric future," said Mark Reuss, General Motors' head of product development. For now, though, GM isn't saying exactly when that purely electric future will be. GM recently launched its first mass-market electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Bolt EV, an electric mid-sized hatchback with a range of 238 miles on a charge and a starting price of about $36,000. Engineers and designers will build on GM's electric lineup from there, the automaker said. Not all of GM's electric vehicles will use batteries -- some will use hydrogen gas for power instead, GM said. These hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will use compressed hydrogen gas which is combined with oxygen on board the vehicle to produce electricity. "The industry continues to slowly shift towards electric vehicles, with a majority of automakers fully jumping onboard," said Akshay Anand, executive analyst for Kelley Blue Book. He noted that the technology is advancing quickly and that more progress is expected. California-based Tesla was among the first to break into the market for electrical vehicles. But the Model X and the Model S are luxury vehicles with prices starting over $70,000. The company recently rolled out the bare-bones Model 3 for just $35,000, similar to the price of the Bolt, which is now available nationwide. But Nissan is the overall sales leader in electric cars thanks to its far cheaper Nissan Leaf, which starts at $30,000. Nissan recently announced a redesigned version of that car, with longer range and a price that remains lower than even Tesla's new, more accessible, Model 3. Several other automakers, including the Volkswagen Group and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, have also recently announced plans to move towards electric cars. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi announced it would launch 12 new all-electric vehicles by 2022. Volkswagen said it will have hybrid or electric versions of all of its models by 2030. It's also creating a new all-electric sub-brand, ID, that will include a new electric version of the iconic VW microbus.
money.cnn.com
GENERAL MOTORS IS GOING ALL ELECTRIC
AFTER MORE THAN a century peddling vehicles that pollute the atmosphere, General Motors is ending its relationship with gasoline and diesel. This morning, the American automotive giant announced that it is working toward an all-electric, zero-emissions future. That starts with two new, fully electric models next year—then at least 18 more by 2023. That product onslaught puts the company at the forefront of an increasingly large crowd of automakers proclaiming the age of electricity and promising to move away from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. In recent months, Volvo, Aston Martin, and Jaguar Land Rover have announced similar moves. GM’s declaration, though, is particularly noteworthy because it’s among the very largest automakers on the planet. It sold 10 million cars last year, ranging from pickups to SUVs to urban runabouts. “General Motors believes the future is all-electric,” says Mark Reuss, the company’s head of product. “We are far along in our plan to lead the way to that future world.” Reuss did not give a date for the death knell of the GM gas- or diesel-powered car, saying the transition will happen at different speeds in different markets and regions. The new all-electric models will be a mix of battery electric cars and fuel cell-powered vehicles. To be sure, GM’s sudden jolt of electricity is planned with its shareholders in mind. The Trump Administration may be moving to roll back fuel efficiency requirements in the US, but the rest of the world is insisting on an electric age. France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Norway have all said they plan to ban the sale of gas and diesel cars in the coming decades. More importantly, China—the world’s largest car market—and India, a rising star, plan to join them. No automaker can compete globally without a compelling stable of electric cars. GM intends to grab as large a slice of the Chinese market as possible. It has previously announced plans to launch 10 electric or hybrid electric cars in the country by 2020. This summer, it started selling a two-seat EV there, for just $5,300. Last year, it sold more cars in China (3.6 million) than it did in the US (3 million). The crucial question for the American automaker will be how, exactly, to make money from all these cars. By one report, GM loses $9,000 on each Chevy Bolt it sells. Reuss’ strategy hinges on bringing costs down thanks to steadily dropping battery prices, more efficient motors, and lighter cars. Massive scale and global supply chains helps, too. “This next generation will be profitable,” he says. “End of story.” It's not impossible. “If they’ve really been laying this groundwork, they could be closer to not just having this tech but having a profitable and high volume way of supplying it," says Karl Brauer, an auto industry analyst with Kelley Blue Book. General Motors’ history hasn’t been especially kind to electric mobility. Its invention of the automatic starter helped kill the first wave of electric cars at the start of the 20th century. This is the company that experimented with battery power in the EV-1, only to recall the two-seater from its owners, crush them all, and pile the carcasses up in a junkyard. In the first years of the 21st century, while Toyota was making hybrids popular with the Prius, GM was hawking the Hummer. Over the past decade, the Detroit giant has positioned itself for a different sort of future. First came the hybrid electric Chevy Volt. Then came GM’s great coup, the Chevy Bolt, the 200-mile, $30,000 electric car that hit market long before Tesla’s Model 3. GM is seriously pursuing semi-autonomous and fully driverless cars. It offers the first car on US roads with vehicle-to-vehicle communication capability. Now, it talks about its plans to eliminate vehicle pollution, congestion, and traffic deaths. “GM has the ability to get all of us to that future so much faster,” Reuss says. Now it just has to deliver—and make enough money doing it to stick around for that future.
www.wired.com







Bloomberg’s new European headquarters
The design of Bloomberg’s new European headquarters is respectful of its location in the heart of the City of London, close to the Bank of England and two of Sir Christopher Wren’s finest buildings, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the church of St. Stephen’s Walbrook. In their form, massing and materials, the new buildings are uniquely of their place and time – a natural extension of the City that will endure and improve the surrounding public realm. Bloomberg London comprises two buildings, connected by glazed bridges across a retail arcade that bisects the site, reinstating an historic route that once connected Cannon Street with Watling Street. At ten-storeys, the buildings’ height complements neighbouring structures and protects views of St Paul’s Cathedral. Their facades echo the classic hierarchy and proportions of the City’s historic buildings, with a two-storey colonnaded base, six office floors and two levels set back above the cornice line at the very top. Echoing the colours, textures and solidity of its neighbours, the façade combines sandstone with deep bronze blades. However, while the exterior is understated, the interior is dynamic and fluid and the accommodation provides unprecedented flexibility and amenity for staff. Making a discreet, yet positive contribution to the City, the project includes the creation of three new public spaces, for which works of art have been commissioned, and restores the archaeological remains of the Roman Temple of Mithras to their original location on the site. In addition, the basement of the building integrates the new Bank London Underground station. Through a combination of passive and active environmental strategies, the project targets BREEAM Excellent and LEED Platinum ratings. Taking advantage of the dense urban grain in the heart of the City, the facades are naturally shaded by neighbouring buildings, supplemented by large-scale bronze blades at different angles and densities according to orientation and exposure. The scheme is designed to maximise natural ventilation, and integrates roof-mounted photovoltaic panels and a combined cooling heat and power system.
www.fosterandpartners.com

ESCO ECO ENERGIJA
Poduzeće ESCO ECO ENERGIJA d.o.o. registrirano je za proizvodnju i distribuciju energija i to isključivo iz obnovljivih izvora energije. Na prijedlog Općinskog načelnika formirano je poduzeće javno privatnog partnerstva Općine Livno i poduzeća Dvokut-pro, u omjeru vlasništva od 10% Općina i 90% Dvokut-pro. Udio Općine odnosi se na ustupanje objekta Gradske toplane i zemljišta u koje se polažu toplovodne cijevi, a sve dosadašnje investicije urađene su sredstvima Dvokut-a. Do sada je urađena rekonstrukcija objekta toplane u kojem je instalirano postrojenje od 2 MW toplinske energije koje kao energent koristi drvnu biomasu , a tijekom naredne grijne sezone 2013/14 biti će pušteno u rad postrojenje snage 4 MW čija je izgradnja u tijeku, a koje će kao energent također koristiti biomasu. Poduzeće je sudionik mnogih projekata koji se odnose na obnovljive izvore energije, energetsku efikasnost i smanjenje štetnih emisija u okoliš. ESCO ECO ENERGIJA d.o.o. je jedan od osnivača udruge Biomasa u BiH. Poduzeće je za svoja dostignuća u radu na projektu „Energetski park Livno“ dobilo i najeminentniju nagradu u oblasti energetike ENERGY GLOBE NATIONAL AWARD 2013. Na kraju možemo konstatirati da je ovo jedan iznimno uspješan projekt koji može poslužiti kao primjer za otvaranje mogućnosti stvaranja novih vrijednosti kroz javno-privatno partnerstvo.
www.energije.ba

Rusija i SAD grade postaju na Mjesecu, sljedeći korak - put na Mars
Rusija i Sjedinjene Države dogovorile su u srijedu suradnju u NASA-inom projektu izgradnje prve lunarne svemirske postaje kao dijelu dugoročnog projekta za istraživanje udaljenih dijelova svemira te misija slanja ljudi na Mars. Kako piše britanski The Telegraph, lunarna svemirska postaja naziva Deep Space Gateway funkcionirala bi po principu Međunarodne svemirske postaje (ISS) te bi ona bila otvorena za astronaute i kozmonaute iz čitavog svijeta. Voditelji projekta se nadaju kako će nova lunarna postaja omogućiti čovječanstvu pripremanje svemirskih letova na Mars, ali i dalje u svemirskim prostranstvima Sunčeva sustava. 'Partneri namjeravaju razviti međunarodne tehničke standarde koji bi se kasnije koristili, posebice stvaranje svemirske postaje u lunarnoj orbiti', stoji u priopćenju ruske svemirske agencije nakon potpisivanja sporazuma u australskom Adelaideu. 'NASA poduzima korake u približavanju Mjesecu te bi astronauti započeli gradnju i testiranje sustava potrebnih za izazovne misije u dalekim svemirskim prostranstvima koja uključuju Mars. Mjesec nudi okruženje kakvo je potrebno za stjecanje novih iskustava za neke buduće misije u Sunčevu sustavu, ali i za pristup i odlazak astronauta s Mjesečeve površine u samo nekoliko dana', stoji u zaključku NASA-inog priopćenja.
www.tportal.hr
Priprema za Mars: Astronauti će godinu dana biti na Mjesecu
Put do Marsa je dugačak, ali NASA ima jasan plan koji uključuje i cjelogodišnju misiju u orbiti oko Mjeseca kako bi za 10 godina znali što će nas čekati na tom putovanju do Crvenog planeta. Mars je sljedeći veliki korak za čovječanstvo, ali na tom putu čeka nas još niz stepenica na kojima se moramo pripremiti za tako veliku misiju. Jedna od njih bit će cjelogodišnja misija na Mjesec. Greg Williams iz NASA-e na skupu u Washingtonu je govorio o planu čiji je cilj Mars. Nizom letova prema Mjesecu prvo će se izgraditi baza koja će biti temelj kasnije misije na Mars. Tamo planiraju i dopremiti letjelicu kojom će 2030-ih posada krenuti na Crveni planet. Međutim, prije stvarnog puta 2027. će ih čekati godišnja misija u istoj letjelici u orbiti oko Mjeseca kako bi znali što će ih kasnije čekati tijekom stvarnog putovanja koji će trajati 1000 dana. Put prema Marsu bit će ogroman projekt na kojem NASA očekuje suradnju raznih država, a na početku će se morati graditi i nova generacija svemirskih stanica. Prva baza u orbiti između Zemlje i Mjeseca mogla bi biti lansirana već za tri godine. Deep Space Gateway bazu gradit će Boeing, a ona će biti ključna za nova istraživanja dubokog svemira. Pogonit će ju novi solarno-električni pogon (SEP) kojeg razvija NASA, a radi se o sustavu koji Sunčevu energiju pretvara u električnu i potom je koristi da ionizira gorivo (poput ksenona). Novim pogonom trebali bi 10 puta manje goriva od klasičnih kemijskih pogonskih sustava, prenosi Space.com.
prvi.tv

Deep Space Gateway to Open Opportunities for Distant Destinations
NASA is leading the next steps into deep space near the moon, where astronauts will build and begin testing the systems needed for challenging missions to deep space destinations including Mars. The area of space near the moon offers a true deep space environment to gain experience for human missions that push farther into the solar system, access the lunar surface for robotic missions but with the ability to return to Earth if needed in days rather than weeks or months. The period of exploration in the vicinity of the moon will begin with the first integrated mission of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, and will continue as we explore further. NASA aims to begin a cadence of one flight per year after the second mission, and the agency has established an initial set of integrated human exploration objectives combining the efforts aboard the International Space Station, SLS and Orion, and other capabilities needed to support human missions to explore deep space. Flight hardware for SLS and Orion is currently in production for the first and second missions, life support and related technologies are being tested on ISS, and habitation and propulsion development activities are also underway. NASA is working with domestic and international partners to solve the great challenges of deep space exploration. Missions in the vicinity of the moon will span multiple phases as part of NASA’s framework to build a flexible, reusable and sustainable infrastructure that will last multiple decades and support missions of increasing complexity.
Deep Space Gateway
This first phase of exploration near the moon will use current technologies and allow us to gain experience with extended operations farther from Earth than previously completed. These missions enable NASA to develop new techniques and apply innovative approaches to solving problems in preparation for longer-duration missions far from Earth. In addition to demonstrating the safe operation of the integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, the agency is also looking to build a crew tended spaceport in lunar orbit within the first few missions that would serve as a gateway to deep space and the lunar surface. This deep space gateway would have a power bus, a small habitat to extend crew time, docking capability, an airlock, and serviced by logistics modules to enable research. The propulsion system on the gateway mainly uses high power electric propulsion for station keeping and the ability to transfer among a family of orbits in the lunar vicinity. The three primary elements of the gateway, the power and propulsion bus and habitat module, and a small logistics module(s), would take advantage of the cargo capacity of SLS and crewed deep space capability of Orion. An airlock can further augment the capabilities of the gateway and can fly on a subsequent exploration mission, Building the deep space gateway will allow engineers to develop new skills and test new technologies that have evolved since the assembly of the International Space Station. The gateway will be developed, serviced, and utilized in collaboration with commercial and international partners. “I envision different partners, both international and commercial, contributing to the gateway and using it in a variety of ways with a system that can move to different orbits to enable a variety of missions,” said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The gateway could move to support robotic or partner missions to the surface of the moon, or to a high lunar orbit to support missions departing from the gateway to other destinations in the solar system.”
Deep Space Transport
The second phase of missions will confirm that the agency’s capabilities built for humans can perform long duration missions beyond the moon. For those destinations farther into the solar system, including Mars, NASA envisions a deep space transport spacecraft. This spacecraft would be a reusable vehicle that uses electric and chemical propulsion and would be specifically designed for crewed missions to destinations such as Mars. The transport would take crew out to their destination, return them back to the gateway, where it can be serviced and sent out again. The transport would take full advantage of the large volumes and mass that can be launched by the SLS rocket, as well as advanced exploration technologies being developed now and demonstrated on the ground and aboard the International Space Station. This second phase will culminate at the end of the 2020s with a one year crewed mission aboard the transport in the lunar vicinity to validate the readiness of the system to travel beyond the Earth-moon system to Mars and other destinations, and build confidence that long-duration, distant human missions can be safely conducted with independence from Earth. Through the efforts to build this deep space infrastructure, this phase will enable explorers to identify and pioneer innovative solutions to technical and human challenges discovered or engineered in deep space. To achieve the agency’s goal to extend humanity’s presence in the solar system will require the best research, technologies and capabilities from international partners and the private sector. NASA will look to partners for potential contributions of spaceflight hardware and the delivery of supplemental resources. The gateway and transport could potentially support mission after mission as a hub of activity in deep space near the moon, representing multiple countries and agencies with partners from both government and private industry. NASA is open to new ideas of both a technical and programmatic nature suggestions as we develop, mature and implement this plan.
www.nasa.gov

Canada could be a world leader in nuclear fusion by 2030, report suggests
Scientists are calling on the federal government to invest more in fusion research as a way to produce massive amounts of clean energy and radically reduce dependance on fossil fuels. Michael Delage, the chief technology officer at Burnaby-based General Fusion, says the goal is to develop a prototype fusion power plant by 2030 — that could eventually be scaled up to replace oil and gas. "It's something that could be competitive with fossil fuels on the grid," said Delage. The company has joined with a collective of Canadian universities and research labs that have issued a report called Fusion 2030 that says Canada could become a major player in nuclear fusion technology if the federal government allocates $125 million over the next five years to research and academia. "There's an opportunity here... we need to see an investment in research capacity and academia in order to make sure we're producing the graduates with the skills that can contribute in this field."
Rebooting Canada's nuclear program
Delage points out fusion is not to be confused with fission — the nuclear reaction that releases energy by breaking down a heavy atom which is used in existing nuclear reactors. Instead fusion harnesses energy by replicating the same process that occurs in the sun. Hydrogen atoms are heated to extreme temperatures and forced together to create helium, releasing a lot of energy that can theoretically be used to power a grid, says Delage.Delage says the added perk is that it it doesn't rely on fuel sources that need to be extracted from beneath the ground, and it produces very little waste. "The clean energy source is available just about anywhere in the world — you can extract it from water. It's something that we can build anywhere," he said. Delage says nuclear fusion could be the final piece of the puzzle when it comes to making the switch to clean and renewable energy. According to the report, fusion has the highest energy density, the best energy payback ratio and lowest carbon footprint of all renewable energy sources. If the federal government follows through on the recommendation, which was submitted to Canada's innovation agenda, it would be the first national fusion program since 1995.
Counting costs
In order to get to build a demonstration plant however, an additional $125 million from provincial governments would be needed. The dollars wouldn't go to General Fusion directly; rather they would be spread throughout universities, research, and industry with hopes of eventually establishing the demonstration plant. Once the demonstration plant is working, the report suggests that private companies could begin to commercialize the technology.General Fusion is the second largest private fusion lab in North America, and Delage says it would be one of many players in the commercialization stage. The technology we are using is an approach that we think has inherent cost advantages to do it," he said. "Once you build one of these and it begins to become commercially viable, we think we can be competitive with the grid." Delage admits getting to the commercialization phase will be expensive, which is why he says the government needs to aid in the early stages of research. General Fusion is currently funded by private investors including Cleantech venture capital and Cenovus Energy, but also receives subsidies from the Canadian government.In the end, he believes that the research done by Canada's potential fusion program wouldn't just open the door for developments at home — but around the world. "There is so much going on in this field across the world. We really believe by 2030 we're going to see demonstration plants being built. We'd love to see that in Canada, and we could get there if we start to invest now."
With files from CBC's The Early Edition





Kolos hopes to build a gigantic data center in the Arctic Circle
The facility will offer 1,000MW at maximum capacity, with available sustainable sources said to provide double the energy required. Norway may become home to the world’s largest data center, as an ambitious plan has been put forward by a company to build a massive facility in the Arctic Circle. US-Norwegian company Kolos has obtained part of the necessary funding for the project, which would see the construction of a 600,000 sq m (6.46m sq ft) data center in the city of Ballangen in Nordland county, 225km (140 miles) into the northernmost region of the world. Kolos is now in talks with US investment fund Headwaters MB to secure the remaining costs for the facility. In its first instance, the four story facility would hold 70MW of IT equipment, eventually scaling up to offer 1,000MW within ten years of construction. To give an idea of scale, wholesale colo giant Switch’s Tahoe Reno campus - which it claims will be the largest data center complex in the world, and the first phase of which was completed in February - is expected to yield a 650MW capacity once all seven of its modules are operational. Facebook’s Luleå data center, in neighboring Sweden, has a 200MW capacity. Engineering and design company HDR is responsible for the structure of the Kolos facility, which it says will ”integrate the community, surrounding natural beauty, sustainability, performance, security and scalability.” The facility, surrounded by water on three sides, will rely on the cold fjords to cool its servers at virtually no cost. It is also hoped that due to cold ambient temperatures and abundant available hydropower, encouraged by ongoing local and EU government dam construction projects, energy costs will be kept at a minimum. Mark Robinson, co-CEO of Kolos believes excess hydropower in the region will allow the company to scale up to two gigawatts of consumable renewable power. The area is conveniently well connected due to high quantities of cable having been laid in the past. And as well as providing reliable and cheap energy infrastructure, the government of Norway offers taxation incentives for building and operating data centers in the country. For these reasons - cheap, abundant, renewable energy, low costs and low taxation, the Nordic countries have become a favorite for the construction of hyperscale data centers. As well as its Swedish location, Facebook has plans to build a data center in Denmark, where Apple has an existing data center and plans for another. Google also has a massive data center in Finland, and could be building a data center in Denmark. Finally, in May, Norway saw the launch of what could become Europe’s biggest data center, built underground in a former olivine mine.
www.datacenterdynamics.com
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HRASTOVIĆ Inženjering d.o.o. od 2004. se razvija u specijaliziranu tvrtku za projektiranje i primjenu obnovljivih izvora energije. Osnova projektnog managementa održivog razvitka društva je povećanje energijske djelotvornosti klasičnih instalacija i zgrada te projektiranje novih hibridnih energijskih sustava sunčane arhitekture. Cijeli živi svijet pokreće i održava u postojanju stalni dotok dozračene Sunčeve energije, a primjenom transformacijskih tehnologija Sunce bi moglo zadovoljiti ukupne energetske potrebe društva.
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