Indianapolis Motor Speedway has the world's largest solar PV farm

With installed capacity of 9 MW, no other sporting facility in the world has larger solar farm than Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS).

Brazil's World Cup stadiums such as Mane Garrincha and Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto have PV arrays installed on their rooftops but theirs are smaller in size - up to 2.5 MW. In Europe, Verona’s Bentegodi football stadium is fitted with 1 MW of solar PV module.



The 9-MW solar PV farm at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The facility was unveiled early July 2014. Image: REW


“In 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was constructed in part to help advance the automotive industry, which at that time was the new technology of the day. Today, the unused land at the IMS property just east of the race track has been transformed into a solar energy production facility that will provide an alternative source of energy to IPL customers.” - J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president.


About the IMS solar farm

Installation size	:	9 MW
PV module used	:	Over 39,300 pcs
Installer	:	Sunwize Technologies
Generated power	:	To be used first by the sporting facility
		Excess power to be fed back to the power grid, through PPA

TheGreenMechanics: That's Cool! Thumbs up.

What the folks at Indiana Motor Speedway did was utilise the dormant space near the backstretch of the racetrack and turn it into energy farm. I guess, for the guys running the sporting facility, it's a straight forward kind of idea and one that is sensible, doable; it's just a matter of what to decide and when.


Source: Renewable Energy World

Champions League semi-final result: Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid

The first leg of this semi-final at Santiago Bernabeu ended 1 - 0 to the advantage of Real Madrid, with Karim Benzema scoring the solitary goal.

In this second leg, Bayern Munich play host to Real Madrid in the mouth watering encounter at Allianz Arena, Germany. Bayern Munich, who must beat Real Madrid if they are to reach the final, have never lost a home match against the Spanish side. But I'm hoping Real would get the result this time around!

Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben will face off against Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. Image & statistics courtesy of WhoScored

Date: 29th April 2014, Time: 2.45am Hongkong/Malaysia time. Live on Astro Super Sport

Half-time result: 

Bayern Munich ( 0 ) - ( 3 ) Real Madrid

Full-time result: 

Bayern Munich ( 0 ) - ( 4 ) Real Madrid

: :     : :     : :     : :     : :     : :

Aggregate: Real Madrid ( 5 ) - ( 0 ) Bayern Munich

Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos both scored twice to destroy Bayern Munich on their way to the final. Real will meet the winner of the other semi-final between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid.

Champions League semi-final result: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich

The first semi-final match yesterday between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid ended with a goalless draw. 

With Manchester United having been eliminated at quarter-final by Bayern Munich, my attention now would be on the clash between two of Europe's bests. No doubt Bayern played great football this season, but at this stage I'll rally my support for Real Madrid.

Playing at 2:45am Hong Kong time, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich meet at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in what promises to be a pulsating tie.

Half-time result: 

Real Madrid ( 1 )  -  ( 0 ) Bayern Munich

Full-time result: 

Real Madrid ( 1 )  -  ( 0 ) Bayern Munich

Benzema scored the winner for Real Madrid on 19th minute.

Good bye Moyes, move on Manchester United

It's now official - David Moyes is sacked by Manchester United.

I could see it was coming for sometime now as rumours has been circulating - his days at Old Trafford was numbered. It's sad to see him go but I believe the timing is perfect - United has 4 more games to cool down before the end of a torrid season.

For the players, they could do themselves a bit of favour in earning some respect by winning the remaining games. The paying fans deserve it!

My collection: Been a United fan for some time now.

Was it right to give him the sack?

They did this a lot of time at other Premier League clubs but sacking a manager 10 months into a job is not the United way.

But while some may disagree, I will sit on the other side and say that sacking him was a no brainer. 

Failing to qualify for the prestigious Champions League for the first time since 1995, losing in all 3 domestic competitions, failed miserably in his attempts to sign top players, and worse of all losing big to the club he previously managed. Losing to Everton means that someone is doing a better job than he did during his days at Goodison Park, and that he fared poorly at Old Trafford.

What this also mean is that the board was left with little option but to cut their losses.

Moyes's last game in charge was a 2-0 loss at his former club Everton, which confirmed that United would not compete in the Champions League next season. It was a pain watching that game; United moved the ball very slowly and when approaching the opponent penalty box, they lacked creativity. They were vulnerable to counter attacks and the defense was in disarray numerous times. It was sooo not United!

Start afresh

People say when you are at rock bottom there is only one way: Up!

Let's start afresh and bring back the glory to Old Trafford. This is one of the biggest clubs with great tradition and it takes some beating to write them of completely.

Alex Ferguson is a big gap to fill but there are many coaches out there who can do great jobs. GLORY GLORY MAN. UNITED!

TheGreenMechanics: Goodbye David Moyes. In Malaysia we say 'Selamat jalan Moyes'.

Sports Quotes of the year 2012

FOOTBALL

"The referee, he ate too much for Christmas. He was not in good form."
Roberto Mancini fumes at referee Kevin Friend after Manchester City lost at Sunderland
Dec 27, 2012

"The only person they have not spoken to is Barack Obama because he is busy."
Sir Alex Ferguson feels his pitchside rant at referee Mike Dean has been blown out of proportion.
Dec 28, 2012

"Barcelona want him? Maybe we’ll do a straight swap with Messi."
QPR boss Harry Redknapp's negotiating skills will have to be at their sharpest if he is to get Lionel Messi in for Adel Taarabt.
Dec 21, 2012

"If we got that number of penalty kicks there would be an enquiry in the House of Commons."
Ahead of the derby, king of the mind games Sir Alex Ferguson puts the spotlight on the amount of penalties Manchester City have been awarded.
Dec 7, 2012


GOLF

"The best present I ever received was space Legos."
Tiger Woods reveals he is actually a man of very simple tastes.

"Sorry, phone's going. No phones at Augusta... Let's pretend no-one heard anything."
Rory McIlroy breaks the rules ahead of The Masters.

“I listened to my DAB radio and my Abba CD. Flying would have been sensible, but this is ‘me’ time.”
Colin Montgomerie explains why he drove 1,500 miles to fetch a putter from his home in Scotland.


TENNIS

"I like cooking, gardening, reading, decorating the house, putting up the Christmas tree and running."
Former world number one Kim Clijsters on her retirement.

"I always felt tennis was easier for me playing as world number one than actually getting there."
Swiss legend Roger Federer after reaching a combined total of 300 weeks as number one in October.


BOXING

"If a boxer doesn't finish a bout with bruised hands then he probably hasn't thrown any punches."
Amir Khan's father explains why his son was a little sore after his win over Carlos Molina, but denied talk of broken bones.

"I'm too fast, too sexy and too talented to be blown away by a large, slow robot from the Ukraine."
David Haye winds up Vitali Klitschko. There is nothing Ukrainians hate more than a superfluous “the” in front of the name of their country.


ATHLETICS

“When baby kicks, I will breathe in and breathe out and try to calm myself down and talk to baby: ‘Behave yourself and help mummy to shoot!’”
Malaysia’s pregnant rifle shooter Ny Suryani Mohamed Taibi on her unique team effort.

"It's what I came here to do. I'm now a legend, I'm the greatest athlete to live."
Jamaica's Usain Bolt after becoming the first man to retain the 100m and 200m titles.


CRICKET

“He’s going to teach me cricket. Because I don’t understand what’s going on with that.”
Barack Obama finds a use for David Cameron.


SWIMMING

"I think everyone pees in the pool. It's kind of a normal thing to do with swimmers. Chlorine kills it so it's not bad."
Olympic great Michael Phelps admit to a different sort of gold run - his habit of peeing in the pool.

"We never questioned Michael Phelps when he bagged eight gold medals in Beijing."
Jiang Zhixue, the head of anti-doping at China's General Administration of Sport, on suspicions over teenageChinese swimmer Ye Shiwen's explosive Olpmpics.

Fishing competition - Pulau Gandang, Tuaran

Do you like fishing? Then read on.

I saw this banner on Fishing Competition organised by one of the water operators in the state and I thought I should share it here for the benefit of all kaki pancing, hobbyists, and everyone who want to spend their weekend throwing rods for fun. Perhaps go home with some consolation.

Let's go!

Event             : Pertandingan Memancing Terbuka Corporate Dynamics Sdn Bhd 2012
Organiser      : Corporate Dynamics Sports and Recreation Club
Date              : 29 September 2012 (Saturday)
Time             : 7.00am - 3.00pm
Venue           : Pulau Gandang, Tuaran (it's not actually an island, just the shore in the vicinity)
Eligibility      : Open to the public

Entrance fee : RM30.00 per rod

For inquiries and to sign up for the competition, call (since this is an open competition, enthusiasts from other parts of the state - or the nation for that matter - can obviously take part):-

Tuaran & Tamparuli   : 088-782123 Thien Sen Fong
Kota Kinabalu           : 088-233511 Elizabeth Luan
Penampang              : 088-719006 Pantalion L Gihol

The prizes are quite attractive:

1st place   : RM1,000
2nd place  :    RM700
3rd place   :    RM500
4th place   :    RM200
5th place   :    RM100

I understand there are rules and regulations for the competition (such as how many rods can a participant bring, its consequential fees, etc) and I will try to get a hand on one. I will update this page once the details are available.

Please click on this icon for larger view of the banner.



SYARAT-SYARAT PERTANDINGAN (RULES & REGULATIONS)
(In Malay language. Please ask around or Google translate if you have trouble understanding)

1. Yuran penyertaan sebanyak RM30.00 untuk joran pertama. Manakala untuk joran berikutnya sebanyak RM15.00 sebatang dan terhad kepada dua batang joran sahaja.
2. Peserta mestilah berumur 12 tahun ke atas.
3. Peserta hanya dibenarkan mendaftar atas satu nama sahaja.
4. Pertandingan akan berlangsung selama 5 ½ jam (bermula dari jam 09.00 pagi hingga jam 2.30 petang). Peserta diwajibkan menghabiskan tempoh masa yang telah ditetapkan dan mana-mana peserta yang balik awal akan dibatalkan kesemua hasil tangkapannya.
5. Yuran penyertaan tidak akan dikembalikan terhadap mana-mana peserta ingin menarik diri pada hari pertandingan.
6. Kejuaraan akan ditentukan berdasarkan kepada berat tangkapan ikan dan juga masa tangkapan. Sekiranya terdapat persamaan dari segi berat tangkapan ikan, maka masa tangkapan yang tercepat akan diambilkira sebagai pemenang.
7. HANYA pancing yang mempunyai penanda sah daripada pihak penganjur sahaja yang akan diambilkira tangkapannya.
8. Adalah ditegaskan bahawa penggunaan mata kail bermata tiga dan juga ambor (Hand Line) adalah tidak dibenarkan sama sekali.
9. Peserta boleh memenangi lebih daripada satu kategori hadiah yang dipertandingkan sekiranya tangkapan berat ikan yang seterusnya adalah layak.
10. Pilihan umpan adalah bebas dan perlu disediakan sendiri oleh semua peserta.
11. Pilihan tempat memancing adalah bebas tetapi mestilah di dalam kawasan yang telah ditetapkan oleh pihak penganjur pertandingan.
12. Peserta dikehendaki terus mengemukakan tangkapan ikan ke meja pengadil untuk ditimbang sebaik sahaja tangkapan dibuat. Semua tangkapan mestilah masih hidup dan tidak dibuka daripada mata kail semasa mengemukakannya.
13. Hanya ikan yang ditangkap menggunakan pancing sahaja yang akan diambilkira. Kaedah mencandat (mata kail menyangkut pada badan ikan) adalah tidak dibenarkan.
14. IKAN BUNTAL, SEMPARIDING, IKAN LANGUT, PENYU dan KETAM adalah tidak diambil kira di dalam pertandingan ini.
15. Peserta tidak dibenarkan untuk memberi atau menerima sebarang hasil tangkapan ikan daripada mana-mana peserta lain termasuk bertukar joran pancing. Jika diketahui, penyertaan kedua-dua peserta yang terlibat akan dibatalkan.
16. Penggunaan perahu / pelampung untuk tujuan memancing di kawasan air dalam adalah tidak dibenarkan.
17. Sebarang bantahan boleh dibuat dengan menyertakan bayaran sebanyak RM100.00 di meja urusetia pertandingan. Keputusan pihak penganjur adalah muktamad dan wang tidak akan dikembalikan. Sebarang bantahan yang tidak disertakan dengan bayaran tidak akan dilayan.
18. Pihak penganjur berhak untuk membatalkan dan seterusnya menarik balik hadiah kemenangan sekiranya mendapati wujudnya sebarang bentuk penipuan oleh mana-mana peserta pertandingan.
19. Semua peserta perlu memberi kerjasama dalam menjaga kebersihan pantai dengan tidak membuang sampah secara merata-rata. Pihak penganjur akan menyediakan plastic sampah.
20. Peserta yang ingin menuntut hasil tangkapan ikan bolehlah berbuat demikian selepas acara pertandingan ini selesai.
21. Pihak penganjur berhak menunda tarikh pertandingan sekiranya terdapat sebarang kesulitan yang tidak dapat dielakkan.

LOCATION MAP

Please click on the image to enlarge.

Oscar Awards 2011 for Football cheats

The 84th edition of the annual Academy Awards just one week away, it is time to share the final projections or rather nominate probable candidates for best actors. I am a football fan though, so, my interest  and this entry would be skewed to football acts. If you follow the sport on a regular basis you'd roughly know who are these football Oscar front-runners.

It is not fun to watch football with some cheap cheats added in, especially if you are a strong supporter of a particular team and you feel the team's hard done by. Not fun at all. The act of diving should  not be permitted at all and be dealt with properly; take the following examples:

• more frequent yellow-carding; make it mandatory
• football clubs owners to act hard on such players - wage-cut, etc
• shame them by showing their dark art to the paying spectators during pre-matches

Without further ado, let's meet the 2011 candidates:

Hamit Altintop

Euro qualification match with Croatia, November 2011. The midfielder latched on to a promising pass in the box, but after seeing the ball go loose took to the ground in utter desperation. It was so bad that none of his team-mates appealed and not even the opposition could be bothered to complain about his blatant act of cheating.

Not only did he fail to fool referee Felix Brych, but the slow motion replays made Altintop look silly for attempting such a stunt.

Diving Altintop. Credit: dailymail.co.uk

Dani Alves

During Champions League semifinal, April 27, 2011. The Barcelona defender acrobatically spun to ground, clutching his right calf muscle, after he and Real Madrid's Pepe went for a loose ball with raised legs. Like the Zapruder film of U.S. President John F. Kennedy's assassination, the slow-mo was scrutinized across the football world for clues: Did Pepe actually touch Alves? No way!

Alves and Pepe in action: Click to see the frame-by-frame post-mortem

Gervasio Nunez

Europa League group stage, Oct. 20, 2011. Pushed on the shoulder by Fulham's Mousa Dembele, the Argentine midfielder for Polish side Wisla Krakow pretended he had been thumped in the face and collapsed. Referee Martin Hansson bought it, Dembele trudged off, Wisla turned its one-man advantage into a 1-0 win. "Of course, we will never complain after a red card,'' said Fulham manager Martin Jol before going on to complain. "It was a push on the shoulder, after being kicked,'' he said. "You shouldn't raise your hand. He (Dembele) pushed him on the shoulder and you shouldn't do that. The referee gave us a red card, but we felt hard done by.''

Peter Wisgerhof

Johan Cruyff Shield, July 30, 2011. In this match between the Dutch Cup winners and Dutch league champions, the captain of FC Twente looked like a mountain goat skipping over a rock or a frog on takeoff as he jumped into the air and rolled onto the ground after a tickle of a tackle from Ajax defender Daley Blind. To his credit, Wisgerhof later laughed at himself. "The worst dive of the match was definitely mine,'' Dutch websites quoted him as saying. "I felt something, but fell much later. Why didn't I get a yellow card? I quickly told the ref I'm a defender and don't even know how to fall."

All of them are great candidates but The Associated Press' John Leicester says that Oscar Award should go to Bryan Carrasco. I totally agree with him.

OSCAR Award Recipient: Bryan Carrasco

South American Under-20 Championship, Feb. 12, 2011. Such ingenuity by Bryan Carrasco! The Chilean midfielder plumbed new depths by grabbing an opponent's arm and whacking himself in the face with it, and then collapsing. You'll not tire of the video, with hilarity from commentators Nicolas Nardini and Jorge Nazar

AND for Carrasco's ingenuity, here is the movie that shows why he deserve it:

It is a short 1-minute clip, so it's worth the wait. You are going to love this one!

[Disclaimer: These picks are taken from an article by John Leicester, an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at jleicester(at)ap.org or follow him at twitter.com/johnleicester]