Lantronix announced open registration for its first annual Global M2M Innovations Design Contest. The design contest will showcase unique and innovative machine-to-machine (M2M) applications that utilize several of the Company's embedded solar module product families, and is open to all designers worldwide, including students and educational institution faculty members, businesses and individuals. Lantronix will award prizes of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 to the top three entries for "Best Design." Winners will be announced at Embedded World 2014 -- Europe's largest embedded solutions trade show -- being held February 25-27, 2014 in Nuremberg, Germany.

The Lantronix Global Design Contest

The contest is open to all networking technology enthusiasts -- including businesses, universities, individuals, teams, university faculty, research labs, engineers, and design contractors. There is no limit to the number of entries per person or organization.

 "We continue to be amazed at how customers, partners and design engineers leverage our products and solutions for incredibly creative applications -- whether they are business-critical solutions or hobbyist applications," said Daryl Miller, vice president of engineering for Lantronix. "As a leader in providing a broad portfolio of easy to deploy, secure, and feature-rich M2M connectivity solutions, Lantronix is committed to providing a forum to showcase the engineers, hobbyists, and inventors whose ideas have the potential to define new and creative ways for companies and people to use the power of M2M applications to create value."

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For the past three years, there has been mounting anecdotal evidence that North America is once again becoming a preferred location for Automation manufacturing. The evidence has been spotty, but nonetheless compelling -- Apple’s building in Texas, Motorola’s making smartphones in Fort Worth, Lenovo opening a plant in North Carolina, Texas Instruments in Maine, GE in Kentucky. It goes on and on.

The growing list of North American plant openings has spurred the Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC) to conduct a study of onshoring -- the opposite of offshoring. Now in its second year, the study, "On-Shoring in the Electronics Industry: Trends and Outlook for North America," shows a pattern in the return or manufacturing to North America. "I think it is a trend. A lot of manufacturers are reviewing their strategy to see if the decisions they made in where they manufacture their products make sense," Sharon Starr, director of market research at IPC, told Design News.

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One question I get asked on a regular basis is whether a series of machines, such as a production line, needs CE marking as a machine in its own right when the individual machines making up the line have all been CE-marked.

As with anything where there is an element of interpretation, it's not always clear what the way forward is. The Machinery Directive, includes the following definition:

Assemblies of machinery or partly completed machinery which, in order to achieve the same end, are arranged and controlled so that they function as an integral whole.

The key part of the definition is arranged and controlled. What we often see is that while the neighbouring machines may “talk” to each other – so that the output from one acts as the input for the second – there aren’t always overriding controls such as a global safety circuit. In this case, you probably don’t need to CE mark the overall line. Once you start having controls that affect the entire installation, you are entering the realm of the complex assembly and you will probably need to look at CE marking the line

.

If you are going to CE mark a line made up of CE-marked machines, your Technical File will include all the declarations for the individual machines. For the assessment, you’ll need to focus on the interface between the machines and the global controls.

If your line is a mixture of current and new machines, then it becomes more complicated, depending on the age of the older machines. Machines currently in use may pre-date CE marking and if these are included in a new line, you are going to have to assess the line more closely than perhaps you will if it is all new machines.

You also might not have (or be able to get hold of) relevant documentation for the older machines which can leave potential gaps in your technical file, making the process more difficult to finalise satisfactorily

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Kyocera Solar and Madison School District held a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week to inaugurate a 1.6MW solar energy project, the first that Kyocera has developed and financed through its in-house Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) program.

While kids were stocking up on school supplies for the upcoming year, the Madison School District and Kyocera were working together on an innovative new plan to bring solar energy to three Phoenix-area schools.

More than 6,400 Kyocera high-efficiency solar panels are installed across the Madison One middle school and Park and Rose Lane elementary schools. The system is expected to offset over 60 percent of the annual electricity consumed by the schools moving forward, utilizing the clean, renewable energy of the sun.

"Fiscal responsibility is one of the goals in the Madison Strategic Plan," said Dr. Tim Ham, superintendent, Madison School District.

"One of the ways we're working towards this goal is by leveraging Bond dollars to implement energy efficiency improvements in our schools, saving over $100,000 in utility costs. We're not only excited about reducing energy costs even further while providing shade to students through the installation of solar panel structures, we're also thrilled to be able to partner with a proven, reliable company like Kyocera. We also look forward to the system acting as a renewable energy learning tool for students and teachers."

This project, installed by SKY Engineering of Phoenix, represents Kyocera's first PPA project that the company has developed in the United States. As part of a $14B global enterprise that has been profitable throughout its 54-year history, Kyocera Solar is leveraging its financial strength to develop and finance projects at attractive rates. This new business model enables Kyocera to offer its high-quality modules and unmatched track record to PPA customers at very competitive rates.

"The Madison School District project is the first of many solar projects that Kyocera Solar will develop and finance, and we couldn't be prouder to inaugurate our exciting new business model with a local school district," said Steve Hill, president of Scottsdale, Arizona-based Kyocera Solar Inc.

"This milestone with the Madison School District combines our commitments to supporting education, environmental responsibility and the betterment of humankind with our decades of expertise providing reliable, efficient solar energy solutions."

The three systems will generate over 2.6 million kilowatt hours per year of renewable energy - enough to power more than 200 homes in Arizona for a year - and offsetting annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 382 cars from the road or carbon from more than 47,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

Kyocera Solar's new status as a project developer follows a precedent set by Kyocera's operations in Japan, where the company owns and operates a 70MW solar installation in Kagoshima, and is in the process of building approximately 35 additional smaller-scale projects to provide an additional 60 to 70MW of cumulative renewable energy capacity.

Amid continuing strong demand for its high-quality solar modules, Kyocera plans to ship more than 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of solar modules worldwide in FY2014, an increase of 50 percent from FY2013.

"Everyone is obsessed with driving down the cost per Watt in a solar system, but the cost of financing also has a significant impact on the customer's cost per kilowatt-hour," said Hill.

"When you combine Kyocera's premium product, systems engineering expertise and attractive financing, you have an unbeatable combination."

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The photovoltaic industry has lived through an amazing decade in which it has grown from a small-size sector worth a few billion dollars to one with a turn-over reaching almost $100 billion and with thousands of jobs associated with it. It goes without saying that the sector is presently going through a consolidation process, but there is little doubt that PV is here to stay, given the fact that it is the renewable energy source with the largest potential, a track record of continuous cost reduction and with room for further improvements in terms of performance, reliability and costs.
Manufacturing the Solar Future:

The 2013 Production Annual takes the form of a compilation of a number of articles from Photovoltaics International, which characterise this vibrant environment of new, cutting edge technology development. The review spans the full value chain, from material aspects and cell technology to module and system items.
A few remarkable elements come forward from the annual. On the level of materials (e.g. metal pastes), it is quite astonishing how far evolutionary development has brought us. It was difficult to imagine a few years ago that manufacturers would develop pastes to contact emitters with sheet resistances in the range of 100 ohms/square. Careful optimisation of solar polysilicon feedstock allowed strong reductions of cost and energy, adding to the possibilities of going to thinner Si wafers and foils. The costs associated with the sawing of wafers were drastically reduced thanks to the optimisation of slurry and new types of wire. as

Cell technology development, meanwhile, has led to a significant acceleration of improvement in efficiency in solar cell production, stimulating thin-film PV producers to go for even more aggressive developments to catch up on the moving target of continuously decreasing cell and module prices.
The overview also highlights a number of developments in module materials and concepts, a topic often overlooked but essential if one wants to fully exploit the improvements in cell performance and module reliability. This requires new materials as well as fast methods to evaluate these materials. Last, but not least, a number of the papers outline module concepts in which cell and module manufacturing converge, even for crystalline Si.

Overall the content of this book provides the reader with an excellent overview of these evolutions and revolutions and illustrates that innovation has also accelerated over the last decade in line with the growth of the PV market.

 

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Is it a man? Is it a dog? No, it's Rover, the robotic cow-herder

Robots could be used in the future to round up cows on dairy farms, and it is a hit with farmers,according to researchers.

A four-wheeled device, known as Rover, has been tested by a team at Sydney University. It was used to move a herd of cows from a field to a dairy.

Researchers were amazed at how easily cows accepted the presence of the robot.

They were not fazed by it and the herding process was calm and effective, they said.

Because the robot moved in a steady manner it allowed cows to move at their own speed which was important in reducing lameness among cattle, Dr Kendra Kerrisk, dairy researcher and associate professor, told the BBC.

Robots are already used in the milking process but the team wanted to see if they could be used in other areas of dairy farming.

The robot was adapted from one that was already being used to monitor fruit and trees on farms. A team at Sydney University's Centre for Field Robotics modified the robot so that it could be put in a field with cows in order for the researchers to gather data on robot-bovine interaction.

The prototype needs to be operated by a human but it's hoped that in the future a version can be developed that will be fully automated.

Extremely excited

As well as herding cows a new version could also collect information useful for farmers.

According to the research team, the robot could be used at night to move slowly through the maternity paddock monitoring cows that are due to calve. It could also be used to gather data on soil and detect problems with electric fences.

Using robots to get cows to the dairy will be better for their well-being say researchers

"The research is in its very early stages but robotic technologies certainly have the potential to transform dairy farming," said Dr Kerrisk.

"When we have discussed this concept with farmers they have been extremely excited and we have had a flurry of calls and emails asking how they can get hold of one," she added.

The robot could also cut down the number of accidents involving humans on farms. Most dairy farmers in Australia use quad bikes to round up their cattle and they are one of the leading causes of injury. The team hopes that by using the robot to do the job instead, accident rates could fall.

Since demonstrating the robot at a dairy symposium in Australia earlier in the year the team has secured funding to develop Rover the robot, mark II.

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Is it a man? Is it a dog? No, it's Rover, the robotic cow-herder

Robots could be used in the future to round up cows on dairy farms, and it is a hit with farmers,according to researchers.

A four-wheeled device, known as Rover, has been tested by a team at Sydney University. It was used to move a herd of cows from a field to a dairy.

Researchers were amazed at how easily cows accepted the presence of the robot.

They were not fazed by it and the herding process was calm and effective, they said.

Because the robot moved in a steady manner it allowed cows to move at their own speed which was important in reducing lameness among cattle, Dr Kendra Kerrisk, dairy researcher and associate professor, told the BBC.

Robots are already used in the milking process but the team wanted to see if they could be used in other areas of dairy farming.

The robot was adapted from one that was already being used to monitor fruit and trees on farms. A team at Sydney University's Centre for Field Robotics modified the robot so that it could be put in a field with cows in order for the researchers to gather data on robot-bovine interaction.

The prototype needs to be operated by a human but it's hoped that in the future a version can be developed that will be fully automated.

Extremely excited

As well as herding cows a new version could also collect information useful for farmers.

According to the research team, the robot could be used at night to move slowly through the maternity paddock monitoring cows that are due to calve. It could also be used to gather data on soil and detect problems with electric fences.

Using robots to get cows to the dairy will be better for their well-being say researchers

"The research is in its very early stages but robotic technologies certainly have the potential to transform dairy farming," said Dr Kerrisk.

"When we have discussed this concept with farmers they have been extremely excited and we have had a flurry of calls and emails asking how they can get hold of one," she added.

The robot could also cut down the number of accidents involving humans on farms. Most dairy farmers in Australia use quad bikes to round up their cattle and they are one of the leading causes of injury. The team hopes that by using the robot to do the job instead, accident rates could fall.

Since demonstrating the robot at a dairy symposium in Australia earlier in the year the team has secured funding to develop Rover the robot, mark II.

More the lastest Tech News on En.OFweek.com !

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• 
• Intersolar India attendees listening to market trends as the tender process for the first phase of the 4GW mega solar project is announced.

At Intersolar India 2013, the joint secretary for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Shri Tarun Kapoor, said invitations for tenders for the 4GW mega solar project in India will begin in a few months.

Tarun Kapoor said the first 1GW phase is scheduled for completion in three years, and tenders will be invited “in the next three to four months”, The Economic Times reported from the conference yesterday.

The mega solar project’s main aim is to “bring down the cost of power to nearly INR5 (US$0.078) per unit,” said Tarun Kapoor. Currently solar power is around INR6 (US$0.094) per kWh for large projects in India.

Finance for the project was also mentioned as Tarun Kapoor said the project will be gaining “viability gap funding” for up to INR1,000 crore (US$157 million).

The Solar Energy Corporation will be the “sole authority” selling the solar power generated from the mega project, with the entire 4GW project expected to be completed in seven years, Tarun Kapoor reportedly said.

The initial phase is to be developed at Sambhar Lake on more than 7284 hectares of land from Hindustan Salts. The entire project's estimated of INR30,000 crore (US$4.7 billion), the equivalent of INR7.5 crore per MW (US$1.2 million), said Tarun Kapoor. When fully completed, the 4GW project will produce 6,000 million kWh per year to supply the country with energy through the national grid.

The first 1GW phase was announced in September, and is being undertaken by a joint venture between electrical equipment manufacturers, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL) and SSL, the Solar Energy Corporation of India, the Power Grid Corporation of India and the government run hydro-electric power plant developer, SJVN. The joint venture plans to issue the remaining 3GW of tenders in 500MW blocks.

According to Intersolar’s website, Tarun Kapoor also said with the second phase of the national solar mission underway, the Indian PV market will “grow even more rapidly in the future,” continuing that India has an installed photovoltaic capacity of 1.1GW, and India intends to increase this “nine-fold” to 10GW by 2017.

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According to a panel of technology experts brought together by hosting company UK fast, smaller companies are leading the way when it comes to embracing digital business models.

The panel highlighted innovation as one of the key factors, using digital technology to drive change within the china supplier. UK Fast CEO Lawrence Jones says, "Large businesses have a much different process to go through than SMEs. If small businesses don't innovate digitally and don't try harder, they don't survive. So I think we've seen a lot more digital transformation in smaller companies".

Another panel member, managing director of digital agency Carpe Diem, Bill Carr, says that big firms are often held back by concerns about new technologies. "I think that's where some of the expertise lies with the agencies which have set up to specifically look at this digital transition. There's sometimes a fear factor or resistance which leads to questions like: 'if I adopt that system what will happen?' But they can be educated in the process by a digital transformation agency and find out what it would entail".

The fact that smaller businesses have this flexibility means that the china manufacturers are able to leave larger rivals, who are reluctant to give up traditional working practices, behind. Jonathan Whiteside, principal consultant of digital agency Building Blocks, explains how essential it is for firms to remain current and meet client expectations. "For me, digital transformation is about modernisation and innovation. It is a way of differentiating an organisation from its competitors, or comparing the business to how it used to be. There is a strong focus on 'how can we transform our business to make it more relevant to the customer and make their experience better?'"

As businesses take on the challenges posed by an increasingly digital world it looks like the ability to adapt quickly is crucial to success which gives smaller organizations an advantage.

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