Welcome 2014, the year of the Horse

Goodbye snake, and welcome horse.

Art installations of horses at China Town, Singapore

The Chinese animal zodiac is on a 12-year cycle. The years do not coincide exactly with the Western calendar because the start and end of each year depends on the lunar cycle.

Years of the horse include 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002 and 2014. According to Chinese philosophy, those born with the same zodiac sign as the year's designated animal are going to have a particularly difficult year. But let's hope that everything goes well for us this year.


Happy Chinese New Year and may we continue to live peacefully and harmoniously in Malaysia!

The Green Mechanics^TM
31.01.2014

MAHB and SunEdison launched Malaysia's first Airport Solar Power System

Rooftops and parking lots at airports are some of the facilities that are not multi-purpose, but  at Kuala Lumpur International Airport these 'idle' spaces have been transformed into a clean energy generation facility - namely solar power.

That's cool because it demonstrates the corporate sector's support towards the Government's initiative in introducing renewable energy and in the process reduce carbon footprint.


Malaysia Airport lease deal with SunEdison. Photo: Solar International


The interesting part is that Malaysia Airport did not have to dig into its own pocket to finance the project. They rent those idle spaces out to someone who is willing to invest - to SunEdison. The international company must've seen the great potential in renting the airport's rooftops and parking lots for them to take the bold move to invest RM200 million (about US$60 million) there.


KLIA installed Malaysia's first airport solar power system

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and SunEdison have jointly launched Malaysia's first airport solar power system at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport with a total investment of RM200 million.

According to MAHB chief operating officer Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohd Ali, the solar power system is expected to save the airport about RM2.1 million annually based on its current energy costs.

The 19 MW direct current (DC) system was the largest in Malaysia where it interconnected and combined ground-mount (5MW), parking canopy (10MW) and roof-top (4MW) systems.

"We don't incur any cost for this project because we provide the under-utilised asset, while SunEdison is required to pay lease rental and royalty to us. In return, we buy the electricity at a much cheaper rate," said Abdul Hamid.

MAHB is looking to expand this system at its other airports especially at the short take-off and landing ports (STOL Ports) located in remote areas.

"Solar energy is one of the areas that we are seriously looking into. We may discuss with SunEdison further on the system for the other airports especially in Sabah and Sarawak," he said.

Solar technology manufacturer and provider of solar energy services, SunEdison is the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) approval holder, granted by SEDA Malaysia.

The company is allowed to sell power generated from renewable energy sources to Tenaga Nasional Bhd for a fixed period of time.

"There is an excellent Feed-in-Tariff programme in Malaysia and we are looking forward to help additional airports in Malaysia and around the world," said SunEdison president for Asia, Middle East, South Africa and Australia, Pashupathy Gopalan.

Source: Bernama


TheGreenMechanics:

This sounds like a negotiated quota. If indeed Malaysia Airport can get other airports in this country installed with solar PV granted by SEDA, and enjoy the current FiT rate, it is a clear act of depriving others in the 'open bidding' system.

First-come-first-served, right?

Japanese bra only unhooks for true love?

For those thinking this is nothing more than a goofy marketing gimmick, there is also a bit of science to it. So, with technology and innovation added in, you'd want to find out more.

Ravijour, a Japanese lingerie manufacturer has designed a bra, called the True Love Tester, that apparently knows "how women truly feel." Our Japanese friends never seem to run out of idea.

Unhooks only for true love. Watch the video here



The heart's changing pattern and the duration of the change, which the makers say will allow it to distinguish between activities as diverse as jogging and flirting.


Makers say it only unhooks for true love

In a long-awaited fusion between hot-blooded hormones and cold-headed engineering, a Japanese lingerie company has produced a bra they claim will only unlock when the wearer is really in love.

The "True Love Tester" uses sensors and a special gadget linked to a mobile device to analyse the pattern and speed of the user's heart beat in the heat of the moment.

If the app determines the woman's feelings are for real, the clasp at the front pops open to allow matters between lovers to take their course.

The bra is a gimmick by lingerie brand Ravijour, which says it is not for sale, but forms part of a publicity campaign for the marque's 10th anniversary.

"We wanted to do something that wouldn't just appeal to people who wear our products, but also to lift the romantic mood between men and women," spokeswoman Yuka Tamura said.

In a promotional video, viewers are shown how the glittering gold lame bra conceals sensors placed inside the cup, which send wireless signals to a smartphone.

The app studies the heart's changing pattern and the duration of the change, which the makers say will allow it to distinguish between activities as diverse as jogging and flirting, where a woman's requirements of her bra are quite distinct.

In a promotional video clip, a toned model stands in a dimly lit studio wearing only her underwear, which keeps the insistent alpha male at bay because he cannot unhook the clasp.

Source: AFP via Yahoo news