New Zealand has used its landscape's wow factor as a marketing tool since European colonists first painted its image on canvas.
So says art historian Jane Vial, who will outline in a public talk how early Europeans used oils and watercolours to express the awe they felt for the New Zealand landscape.
Scenic Wonderland will be held at the Yealands Estate Marlborough Gallery, High St, Blenheim, on Tuesday, October 25, the first of four lectures by Ms Vial in the following five weeks.
Characters like New Zealand Company surveyor and four-time New Zealand premier William Fox and premier Frederick Weld, who owned Flaxbourne Station, are two of the romantic landscape artists she will talk about.
Another is Thomas Attwood, whose early 1900s oil painting, Smith Sound, hangs in the Marlborough District Council staff room. Set in Fiordland, it shows majestic mountains towering above a tranquil bay. It typifies the early landscape paintings depicting the grand scenery of locations such as Fiordland, the Marlborough Sounds, Kaikoura and Rotorua.
"The Government wanted to promote New Zealand for its natural wonders," Ms Vial says.
New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to have a tourism department. Established in 1901, it sold landscape paintings and printed promotional pamphlets to attract visitors and new citizens to the island country at bottom of the world.
The November 1 lecture, Getting Away From It All, looks at the next era of art in New Zealand, impressionism.
It became popular in the 1920s, when painted reproductions of mountains and fjords were out of fashion, Ms Vial says. The "wow" factor hadn't been entirely lost but impressionist artists wanted a more honest image.
Teacher and artist Charles Blomfield went on expeditions to Pelorus Sound and along the West Coast and used a pa at Mangamaunu on the Kaikoura coast as one of his bases.
The third lecture, on November 8, is Frances Hodgkins: A Well-Travelled Kiwi Artist. Hodgkins was born in Dunedin in 1869 and left New Zealand about 1901, meeting impressionist artists in the Netherlands, England and Australia.
After returning to New Zealand to see her mother, she was offered a job in England as an art buyer for New Zealand's national collection.
The final lecture, on November 22, suggests New Zealand's drink-driving problems are old ones. In The Awatere Accident, Vial looks at nine works by impressionist painter Mabel Hill, who was in the Awatere Valley when a horse-driven cart went into the river.
A 19th-century "boy racer" was the likely cause, says Ms Vial, who found Hill's paintings of the incident, and traced stories told by the young man's family members, diary entries, letters and reports in the local newspaper.
2011年10月17日星期一
2011年7月4日星期一
Chennaiites looking up to solar energy
Rising fuel prices, frequent power cuts and the overall costs that accompany the use of electrical devices have forced many households and institutions in the city to look beyond conventional sources of energy, especially at solar power.
Suppliers point to a nearly-ten per cent-increase in the sale of solar devices in the city in the past one year. According to K. R. Jagadeesh Babu, General Manager, Solkar Solar Industry, the number of players in the solar energy market has increased from 50 to 75 this year with most of them based in Chennai. Solar water heaters, solar streetlights and solar inverters are gaining demand too, he adds.
The State government's proposal to build 1.8 lakh green houses with rooftop solar panels could play a decisive role in altering public perception, says Ajit Kumar Kolar, founder and convener of the IIT-Madras Energy Forum.
While regular solar water heaters cost up to Rs. 20,000, the new tube-shaped ones that absorb solar energy easily in 2-3 hours cost lesser, say users. “Many households on ECR and in Velachery are going for them. The only complaint that we get is of the glass panel getting broken,” says Harish Kumar, a distributor of Tata –BP solar water heaters. Sometimes, panels with low-quality stainless steel are a problem too. “We left it for a year. Without maintenance, it gets eroded,” says S. Raghavan, who has been using solar heater for five years now.
While solar energy utilisation for power generation may not be economic for individual households, it can be ideal for a set of houses, say U. V. Krishna Mohan Rao, a resident of Madipakkam. With solar water heater, natural lighting systems, LEDs and a solar panel, Mr. Rao's household spends just about Rs. 50 on electricity a month. His investment was about Rs 2.5 lakh three years ago. “Pipes that directly harness solar light to offices and houses that remain dark even during daytime is something that can be easily done,” he says.
Though almost 70 per cent of solar appliances are manufactured in the country now, they are only for small-scale usage, and the invertors and cells are still being imported, says Narasimhan Santanam, Director, Energy Association of India. “While solar water heaters have a payback time of 2 years, it takes 10 years to recover the capital cost of solar lighting system. A system of one kilo watt capacity will cost nearly Rs.2.2 lakh,” says Sikkander Amin, managing partner of Solarys Energy Solutions. But, if 1,000 houses instal water heaters, nearly six megawatt of electricity can be saved per year, he adds.
“Solar panels must come up wherever possible - wastelands, open grounds, rooftops. Big apartment complexes must start thinking about an integrated energy conversion system with rooftop photovoltaic cells and micro wind turbines on the rim,” says Mr. Kolar.
“It is true that solar energy is the most expensive at the moment (Rs.23-Rs.25 per unit) and only 10 -20 per cent of generated capacity can be stored for later use. But, wind energy had similar issues initially,” Mr. Kolar adds. The 400-kw solar panel installed recently at L&T, Manapakkam, and steps taken by Anna University, S.S.N. College of Engineering and Satyabhama University to use solar energy are commendable, say experts. With regard to battery costs, Bhoovarahan Thirumailai, CEO, Aspirations Energy, says they are coming down as the anticipated pick-up of electrical vehicles did not work out. “If as predicted, the battery costs come down by one and a half times the existing prices in the next five years, it can work wonders for solar energy users,” he adds.
Energy consultants say that while a well-drafted State policy to buy tapped solar power from residents and distribute the generated electricity from grids can help, implementation is the key.
They add that availing the 30 per cent subsidy of the Central government for solar energy users has been difficult for many. Pointing out that installation of water heaters has been made mandatory in Karnataka, manufacturers say the State government must support such initiatives and purchase electricity generated from the consumer.
“Residents get electricity at highly subsidised rates, so they find it expensive. Commercial users pay higher tariffs for electricity, so solar power works well for them now,” says Mr. Thirumailai.
Advocating greener building designs that can function purely using the limited amount of power that apartment-based renewable sources can generate, Deepa Sathiaram, executive director, En3 sustainability solutions, says the amount of energy used on artificial lighting during day time could be reduced by up to 95 per cent.
Suppliers point to a nearly-ten per cent-increase in the sale of solar devices in the city in the past one year. According to K. R. Jagadeesh Babu, General Manager, Solkar Solar Industry, the number of players in the solar energy market has increased from 50 to 75 this year with most of them based in Chennai. Solar water heaters, solar streetlights and solar inverters are gaining demand too, he adds.
The State government's proposal to build 1.8 lakh green houses with rooftop solar panels could play a decisive role in altering public perception, says Ajit Kumar Kolar, founder and convener of the IIT-Madras Energy Forum.
While regular solar water heaters cost up to Rs. 20,000, the new tube-shaped ones that absorb solar energy easily in 2-3 hours cost lesser, say users. “Many households on ECR and in Velachery are going for them. The only complaint that we get is of the glass panel getting broken,” says Harish Kumar, a distributor of Tata –BP solar water heaters. Sometimes, panels with low-quality stainless steel are a problem too. “We left it for a year. Without maintenance, it gets eroded,” says S. Raghavan, who has been using solar heater for five years now.
While solar energy utilisation for power generation may not be economic for individual households, it can be ideal for a set of houses, say U. V. Krishna Mohan Rao, a resident of Madipakkam. With solar water heater, natural lighting systems, LEDs and a solar panel, Mr. Rao's household spends just about Rs. 50 on electricity a month. His investment was about Rs 2.5 lakh three years ago. “Pipes that directly harness solar light to offices and houses that remain dark even during daytime is something that can be easily done,” he says.
Though almost 70 per cent of solar appliances are manufactured in the country now, they are only for small-scale usage, and the invertors and cells are still being imported, says Narasimhan Santanam, Director, Energy Association of India. “While solar water heaters have a payback time of 2 years, it takes 10 years to recover the capital cost of solar lighting system. A system of one kilo watt capacity will cost nearly Rs.2.2 lakh,” says Sikkander Amin, managing partner of Solarys Energy Solutions. But, if 1,000 houses instal water heaters, nearly six megawatt of electricity can be saved per year, he adds.
“Solar panels must come up wherever possible - wastelands, open grounds, rooftops. Big apartment complexes must start thinking about an integrated energy conversion system with rooftop photovoltaic cells and micro wind turbines on the rim,” says Mr. Kolar.
“It is true that solar energy is the most expensive at the moment (Rs.23-Rs.25 per unit) and only 10 -20 per cent of generated capacity can be stored for later use. But, wind energy had similar issues initially,” Mr. Kolar adds. The 400-kw solar panel installed recently at L&T, Manapakkam, and steps taken by Anna University, S.S.N. College of Engineering and Satyabhama University to use solar energy are commendable, say experts. With regard to battery costs, Bhoovarahan Thirumailai, CEO, Aspirations Energy, says they are coming down as the anticipated pick-up of electrical vehicles did not work out. “If as predicted, the battery costs come down by one and a half times the existing prices in the next five years, it can work wonders for solar energy users,” he adds.
Energy consultants say that while a well-drafted State policy to buy tapped solar power from residents and distribute the generated electricity from grids can help, implementation is the key.
They add that availing the 30 per cent subsidy of the Central government for solar energy users has been difficult for many. Pointing out that installation of water heaters has been made mandatory in Karnataka, manufacturers say the State government must support such initiatives and purchase electricity generated from the consumer.
“Residents get electricity at highly subsidised rates, so they find it expensive. Commercial users pay higher tariffs for electricity, so solar power works well for them now,” says Mr. Thirumailai.
Advocating greener building designs that can function purely using the limited amount of power that apartment-based renewable sources can generate, Deepa Sathiaram, executive director, En3 sustainability solutions, says the amount of energy used on artificial lighting during day time could be reduced by up to 95 per cent.
2011年3月7日星期一
PV microinverters: Enphase Energy opens offices in France, Italy
On March 3rd, 2011 Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, California, U.S.) announced the
appointment of two country managers and the opening of its first European offices in
France and Italy. The company appointed Oliver Jacques to managing director of
Enphase Energy France and Roberto Colombo as managing director of Enphase Energy
Italy.
"Enphase pioneered microinverters, and we have quickly become the market leader in
North America by designing and manufacturing superior products, building a strong
installer base and providing exceptional customer support," said Enphase Energy CEO
Paul Nahi. "With our system designed to surpass the European standards for solar
electrical equipment, now is the time to build a local sales and support team to
develop and commercialize this significant opportunity."
Several GW of opportunity in Europe over the next five years
The company states that it expects the microinverter market to grow dramatically in
Europe, and that it is one of few vendors positioned to receive the CE and VDE mark
for its products. Enphase cites a 2010 global microinverter market analysis by IHS
iSuppli Corporation (El Segundo, California, U.S.) which states that the continent
represents a several GW of opportunity over the next five years.
Newly appointed regional directors Jacques and Colombo will be responsible for
implementing the company's regional strategies, as well as developing local
distribution channels.
Enphase states that Oliver Jacques has two decades of experience in high technology
companies, including working as country manager at Danfoss A/S (Nordborg, Denmark)
and managing director at Solar Total France. Roberto Colombo was formerly the sales
director for southern Europe at Korber Schleifring Italy.
appointment of two country managers and the opening of its first European offices in
France and Italy. The company appointed Oliver Jacques to managing director of
Enphase Energy France and Roberto Colombo as managing director of Enphase Energy
Italy.
"Enphase pioneered microinverters, and we have quickly become the market leader in
North America by designing and manufacturing superior products, building a strong
installer base and providing exceptional customer support," said Enphase Energy CEO
Paul Nahi. "With our system designed to surpass the European standards for solar
electrical equipment, now is the time to build a local sales and support team to
develop and commercialize this significant opportunity."
Several GW of opportunity in Europe over the next five years
The company states that it expects the microinverter market to grow dramatically in
Europe, and that it is one of few vendors positioned to receive the CE and VDE mark
for its products. Enphase cites a 2010 global microinverter market analysis by IHS
iSuppli Corporation (El Segundo, California, U.S.) which states that the continent
represents a several GW of opportunity over the next five years.
Newly appointed regional directors Jacques and Colombo will be responsible for
implementing the company's regional strategies, as well as developing local
distribution channels.
Enphase states that Oliver Jacques has two decades of experience in high technology
companies, including working as country manager at Danfoss A/S (Nordborg, Denmark)
and managing director at Solar Total France. Roberto Colombo was formerly the sales
director for southern Europe at Korber Schleifring Italy.
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