Globalization and Implementation Plan Essay Example for Free

Globalization and Implementation Plan Essay This report will provide business and demographic information to determine a platform of business strategies and alternatives for Home Depot to re-enter or abandon the Argentinian retail market for home improvement centers. Home Depot must be very specific and strategic to try to re-enter the market due the abject failure in entering the market in 1997 and existing the market in 2001 from the lack of profits and community acceptance. Home Depot cannot afford another failure in Argentina or South America. (Home Depot. 2013). Home Depot: Home Depot is the 4th largest retailer in the US, the 5th largest retailer in the world and ultimately the worlds largest home improvement specialty retailer. In 35 years, Home Depot operates 2,257 retail stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Canada, and Mexico. The foreign locations (294) generate just 12% of Home Depots’ total revenues. They have engineered entry and expansion into foreign markets through acquisition of smaller retailers and expanded upon their success. The Home Depot, Inc. operates as a home improvement retailer. It sells building materials, home improvement products, and lawn and garden products, as well as providing installation, home maintenance, and professional service programs to do-it-yourself, do-it-for-me, and professional customers. It serves home owners, professional remodelers, general contractors, repairmen, small business owners, and tradesmen. From the beginning, The Home Depot has developed strategic product alliances directly with leading manufacturers delivering the most exclusive products and national brands. They also provide a combination of proprietary products like Ryobi ® tools, RIDGID ® tools, BEHR ® paint, LG ® appliances, and Toro ® lawn equipment. Home Depot has set the standard for innovative merchandise for the do-it-yourselfer and the professional contractors. In addition, they can provide exporting servicing for products worldwide. (Home Depot. 2013). Argentina: This portion of the report will review the demographics, economic markets, income levels and currency values, culture and along with the legal and political environment in Argentina and South America for Home Depot reentrance. The total population of Argentina is just over 42 million people covering 2.8 million square kilometers (km). It is the 8th largest country in the world and speaks primarily Spanish and Italian along with English, German and French. The population is primarily located among five largest cities of the country in northern 30% of the country and within 600 km of the capital Buenos Aires with 13 million citizens. It has less than 1% population growth and the average age is 30 years old with a 98% literacy rate and 16 years of formal education. Regretfully, the average unemployment rate is estimated to be 10.2 and higher for females. The income level for individuals per capita is $18,820 and ranks 73rd in the world. The labor force is comprised of 17M workers and ranks 36th in the world. The percentage of the population below the poverty line is 30%. Between the poverty line and the percentage of unemployment and contraction in the economy is does not provide a lot of discretionary money to be used for purchasing homes, maintenance, and remodeling. The culture of Argentina is based upon traditional Roman Catholic values (92% membership) centered upon family values and 100’s of years of religious beliefs, values, dependence and fostering upon local relationships. The culture is also driven by personal relationships with the expectation of working with you to find solutions to consumer needs. Many Argentinians do not like the big box impersonal retail stores that do not have the personnel to spend time creating trust and loyalty with customers. (CIA Factbook. 2013). International Considerations for Argentina and Home Depot: The economy of Argentina is the 22nd largest in the world with a growth rate of 2.6% with a GDP of $475B in 2012. It has a diversified economy due to the many natural resources available to them. Manufacturing is the largest segment of industry with 20%; agriculture with 5% and the remaining in the services and tourism sector. The currency in Argentina is based upon the peso and the current exchange rates ranges for US dollars range from 1 peso to 4.1 to 4.6 dollars. Argentina is a member of Mercosur with Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay implementing a Common External Tariff (CET) for non-members to pay tariffs up to 35%. This was implemented to protect those economies from the dumping of cheaper foreign goods. Argentina defaulted on its debt in 2002 leading foreign investors to flee and take their investments elsewhere. Since then, Argentina nationalized the $24 billion pensions fund and limited the amounts of foreign purchases of land. Argentina has not been able to pull out if the economic slump and economic growth has completely stalled. The optimistic view point for economic growth in Argentina in 2013 will be less than 3.5% for consumer demand, industrial production and exports. This will apply additional economic pressure for homebuyers to make purchase homes and banks willing to lend. They have implemented a number of measures to keep dollars in the country restricting foreign currency exchanges and debt obligations in defending the value of the peso. These restrictions have effectively made it almost impossible to obtain US dollars for the purposes of real estate purchases. The federal tax agency’s authorization is now required before making any foreign exchange purchase. The implementation of these tight policy measures has the real estate activity in 2012 fell approximately 40%, making it one of the sectors worst performing years in the country in a decade. â€Å"The number of commercial real estate transactions in Buenos Aires fell 46% to 6,315 and residential transactions fell 15% in 2012. (Bifani. 2013) The legal system for Argentina has become very restrictive over the years to protect their business and economy from inflation and currency issues. They have the Argentina’s Customs Code (DGA), which registers all foreign importers and exporters. They apply import duties and taxes to all imports along import duties, statistical taxes, value-added taxes and excise duties. Argentina has strict regulations and fees regarding the purchasing of property by foreign interests, which limits the potential for revenues and growth. (CIA Factbook. 2013). Market Considerations for Argentina and Home Depot Is Argentina, the best possible country for Home Depot to reinvest into? Argentina ranks in the bottom 10 countries in the world for foreign businesses to do business in. Specifically for Home Depot, it takes 12 months for a construction company to obtain a construction permit, which double what it takes throughout the rest of South America. This would greatly impact Home Depot ability to build stores and expand within Argentina. The majority of businesses hours operate between 9am 7 pm and can run to 9 or 10pm for retail stores. The business hierarchy is top down with ideas and instructions come from the top. They are very respectful of business protocol and will not break those social norms or status structure. With these facts in mind, it demonstrates Argentinians require time to develop trust and familiarity, especially for foreigners. Negotiations will take a considerable amount of time and you must be willing to argue and debate to get their support and consensus. They will no t hesitate to interrupt and argue for the finer points of agreements before proceedings to the next step. (Communicaid. 2009). The following are business points regarding the desire to potentially expand into Argentina. They have a value added tax (VAT) across the economy and a wealth tax. These taxes discourage both internal and external business to invest in larger business ventures due the country’s desire to confiscate profits from business people from investing. The government has huge political swings of ideology and purpose. This creates an environment that can propagate corruption, bribery and short term political or economic decisions to encourage voting support. They are a 60% tax evasion rate, which is triple that of US citizens. For many of the key economic indicators, Argentina ranks the bottom 25% in the world for doing business, economic freedom, human rights, taxes, and corruption. The inflation rate is about 10% and outside economists are reporting about 20%. Credit cards have low credit limits restricting higher purchases and up to a 45% interest rate. This does not encourage businesses to take any risks or initiatives for business growth i.e.: construction businesses. (Chafkin, M. 2001). Overall according the financial reports, Argentina is now considered a third world country due to its difficulty with globalization and working with foreign countries. * They have established strict foreign investment guidelines prohibiting foreign ownership. * They have restricted construction companies for building and developing business areas. * They have high tax rates and low reinvestment rates back into their country. * They have problems with government corruption, bribery and ethics. Entry Modes (Globalization Implementation Plan) This portion will cover the various possibilities for establishing the Modes of Entry for Home Depot to reenter Argentina. Home Depot’s expansion in foreign markets has been less than successful such as the ones in South America, China and Southeast Asia. They have had some success in Canada and Mexico due to being substantial trading partners in the NAFTA agreement and similar ideology of home ownership and access to credit, Exporting: This mode of business entry will not effectively work for expanding and opening home improvement stores in Argentina at this time. Local competitors will prefer to source construction products from local suppliers rather than to purchase from foreign suppliers. They have implemented restrictions for international trade with tariffs and entrance barriers, which will increase the possible competitive pricing to become less attractive for Home Depot. Turn-Key Operations: This mode of entry will not be a viable alternative due to the fact that Home Depot does not provide any explicit technology over the local DIY businesses such as EASY. This mode could damage Home Depot by training and possibly improving competitor’s ability to compete with Home Depot in other markets in South America like Mexico. Licensing: This mode of entry is similar to Turn-Key due to the lack of control over the foreign business and again Home Depot cannot provide any real production improvements other than economies of scale to existing or new business. It would only provide royalty fees to Home Depot and would not warrant the business investment. Franchising: Franchising is similar to licensing. It works when companies have a strategic production process like such as mentioned in the text with Fuji-Xerox or even McDonalds. Home Depot does not provide the specialized processes or supply chain to support the development of franchising into foreign markets. Wholly Owned Subsidiary: This is the method and mode of entry Home Depot tried before and failed. At that point in time, Argentinians ability to own and purchase property was very restrictive for a majority of the population. Argentinians are not accustomed with reinvesting into their homes or dwelling. They did not have the incentives to reinvest or the desire to learn how to perform the tasks that it would take to complete a successful DIY project. Also, Home Depot is not an Argentinian or Latin American business, which creates a lack of respect and loyalty. The Easy company growth is due to Home Depot building the model and Easy taking them and restructuring them for Latin American consumers. (Hill, C. 2011). Joint Ventures: This is the only method or mode of entry that makes sense for Home Depot to pursue. In the textbook, there are examples of Tesco and Jollibee competing with bigger more entrenched businesses by using joint ventures and investments to establish a foothold. For Home Depot to renter the South American market and specifically Argentina, I believe the only choice Home Depot has is to engage in joint ventures with smaller DIY businesses in Argentina and gain some traction similar to Tesco in Europe and Asia. Also, EASY is now the big player in the market with 49 DIY stores. It is doubtful they would entertain any joint ventures without the ability to be the controlling partner or give up its majority interest. Monetary Systems: This portion will evaluate Argentina’s history of monetary policy and its effect upon the potential desire or ability for Home Depot to reopen home improvement retail stores there. Argentina history relating to financial and monetary policy has been turbulent and at a crisis stage numerous times. Argentina is working hard to revamp their economy and currency ratings. It has a GDP of $475B ranking 22nd in the world and one of the largest economies in South America. In 1998 Argentina entered a four year depression resulting from governmental tax increases, devaluing of its currency, freezing bank deposits, defaulting on foreign debt up to $93B, and finally removing the linkage between the peso and the US dollar. Some of international issues relating to Argentina’s reputation have been reducing the international trade/currency exchanges have been their protectionist’s policy and rated the worst in the world by the World Bank. They have seized control over the largest oil and airline companies in the country. They are also being censured by the IMF for dishonest reporting of national statistics specifically inflation rates. (Singer, H. 2013). Argentina has attempted practically every single monetary system known today to their economy and all have failed resulting in financial crisis over the last 35 years. The flexible exchange rate system led to a hyperinflation and the currency board has led to dramatic recessions. During the first three crises, Argentina was using a fixed exchange rate to allow government control. The first crisis was in 1975 with the collapse of that stabilization plan resulting in the devaluing of their currency by 100% and more than a dozen followed the next year. The second crisis was to the Tablita plan in 1981; the Tablita plan was to reform banking regulations and capital account restriction affecting its currency and exchange rates. It still ended with an 82% devaluation of its currency in one year. The third crisis occurred within 12 months in 1982 with Alemann Plan. This plan was designed around the banking and insurance industries connected to foreign currency exchanges. At this time, Argentina abandoned the fixed exchanges for a floating exchange system. The next strategy Argentina attempted was after the 2001 crisis and implemented a dual exchange rate system to manage and control their economy and currency values. This allows them to use both fixed and/or floating system with the ability for different fixed and floating rates during the same period of time. The fixed exchange rates are used for essential imports and exports account transactions. The floating exchange rates are used for capital account transactions determined by the market critical to providing foreign cash reserves for the country. Usually, countries implementing dual exchanges rates are using protectionist control to protect their economy and financial markets such as China. (Investopedia. 2013) Business Strategy for Home Depot to enter Argentina This portion of the report is to provide a platform of business strategies and alternatives for Home Depot to re-enter the Argentinian retail market for home improvement centers. Home Depot cannot afford another failure in Argentina or South America. From the beginning, The Home Depot develops strategic product alliances directly with industry-leading manufacturers to deliver the most exclusive products assortments to customers. Home Depots expansion strategies have been very successful throughout North America when they have used acquisition strategies. Their expansion in Argentina did not produce the same results due to the lack of a substantial home improvement company to purchase. They chose to organically grow the market in Argentina. This strategy failed due to many different situations occurring during the same time frame: political failure of the government and presidential resignations, huge drop in their GDP, default on the foreign debt, currency failure, widespread unemplo yment and public riots. It was like the perfect storm for the country and Home Depot. (Home Depot. 2013). In reviewing the many strategies that are available for Home Depot to re-enter the market in Argentina, there are many limitations based upon the history of Argentina and Home Depot. They definitely have the ability to leverage economies of scale for providing home improvement products at almost any price point that the consumers is willing to pay. These economies of scale would be too large for any competitive business to ignore. Their major competitor, Cencosud is the company they sold their four stores to in 2001. It is the largest retailer in South America with over 1,045 retail store in a variety of markets. It is a $19B company with 125,000 employees. Home Depot is a $70B corporation with 331,000 employees in about 2,294 stores. This would be an extremely difficult acquisition and inevitably against their acquisition strategy of buying smaller businesses and expanding through gradual growth. This also limits the amount of exporting potential to Argentina through Cencosud due to the lack of exporting profits. (Cencosud. 2013). Recommendations All of these factors leave The Home Depot with a limited amount of possibilities to re-enter the Argentinian market. The best possibility is to partner with Cencosud in a strategic alliance or find smaller specialized retailers that are currently competing with Cencosud in Argentina and offer them very attractive distribution, pricing and profit sharing. I would find it difficult to invest in this country’s economy due the protectionist ideology of the government. Their policies have not created real economic growth and restrict the ability for foreign companies to invest without excessive tax on profits. The current business environment, banking system and construction restrictions are not conducive for foreign involvement or investments. Home Depot has already attempted once, I believe it would take an even larger investment to overcome the negative perception in 2001. Also, they have a major competitor Sodimac in place and have had double digit growth since 2005. Their best expansion strategies for Home Depot to get back into go into Argentinian markets would be establishes strategic alliances with the smaller retailers for exportations, joint ventures directly with Fallabella and foreign direct investments to invest with either of the businesses if available depending upon the political complexity of the government. (Forbes. 2011). References: Bifani. (2013). Argentine Real Estate Activity Sharply Falls. Retrieved from http://www.homechannelnews.com/article/hd-expounds-plans-mexico-latin-america Castro, G. (2012). Chile’s new Sodimac home improvement store continues to break ground underground. Retrieved from http://blog.kimcorealty.com/2012/02/chiles-new-sodimac-home-improvement-store-continues-to-break-ground-underground/ Cencosud. (2013). Our Company. Retrieved from http://www.cencosud.com/nuestra-empresa/descripcion/?lang=en Chafkin, M., (2001). Inc. magazine. A Constant Feeling of Crisis. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/magazine/201106/doing-business-in-argentina_pagen_5.html CIA Handbook. (2013). Argentina. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html Communicaid. (2009). Doing Business in Argentina. Retrieved from http://www.communicaid.com/access/pdf/library/culture/doing-business-in/Doing%20Business%20in%20Argentina.pdf Easy. (2013). Easy Argentina. Retrieved from https://www.easy.com.ar/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/es/easyar/information-pag e?identifier=mapa_locales.html Encyclopedia of Business. (2013). Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances. Retrieved from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Int-Loc/Joint-Ventures-and-Strategic-Alliances.html#ixzz2SRvvAulT Forbes. (2011). Home Depot Remodels Its Growth Plans. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2001/11/30/1130homedepot_print.html Global Property Value. (2013). Argentina. Retrieved from http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Latin-America/argentina/Price-History Hill, Charles W. L. (2011). Global Business Today. (7th ed.). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. ISBN: 978-0-07-813721-1. Home Depot. (2013).About Us. Retrieved from https://corporate.homedepot.com/OurCompany/History/Pages/default.aspx Kaminsky, G., (2009). Thirty Years of Currency Crises in Argentina. External Shocks or Domestic Fragility?. George Washington University. Retrieved from http://home.gwu.edu/~graciela/HOME-PAGE/RESEARCH-WORK/WORKING-PAPERS/argentina.pdf Isora, M., (2009). Importan ce of Strategic Alliances in Company Activity. Retrieved from http://www3.mruni.eu/~int.economics/5nr/Isoraite.pdf Sprawl Busters. (2008). Argentina. Adios, Home Depot!. Retrieved from http://www.sprawl-busters.com/search.php?readstory=821

Types Of Cogeneration System

Types Of Cogeneration System Cogeneration which is also known as combined heat and power, can be described as two different forms of energy being generated from one single energy source. These two different forms of energy are usually thermal and mechanical energy. These two types of energy are then used for different functions. The mechanical energy is usually used to produce electricity through an alternator, or else to work rotating equipment such as compressors, motors or pumps. Thermal energy on the other hand can be used for the production of hot water, steam, hot air for dryers or also another typical use is for chilled water for process cooling. The main advantage of cogeneration is the overall efficiency of energy, which in some cases can be as high as 85 per cent. Another advantage of cogeneration is also the fact that it helps reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants. Therefore, cogeneration is basically the use of a heat engine or else an entire power station to generate both electrici ty and heat simultaneously. A fact is that all power plants emit a considerable amount of heat during the process of generating electricity. Therefore, by using this fact, cogeneration is used to capture and use some, or even in some cases all, of this emitted heat for heating purposes. Types of cogeneration systems These days, a number of different cogeneration systems are used, namely the following: Steam Turbine Cogeneration System Internal Combustion Engine Cogeneration System Gas Turbine Cogeneration System Steam Turbine Cogeneration System Two different types of cogeneration systems are widely used, which are: The backpressure steam turbine The extraction condensing type steam turbine One would have to make a distinct choice between the two. This choice depends on a number of factors, which include the quantities of power and heat, economic factors, as well as the quality of heat. Also, another type of steam turbine cogeneration system is the extraction back pressure turbine which is normally used where the end result needed in thermal energy at two different temperature levels. On the other hand, the condensing type steam turbines are usually used when the heat rejected from a process will be finally used to generate electricity. So why use steam turbines and not any other type of prime mover? This would give the user an option of using a large variety of conventional and alternate types of fuel, such as biomass, fuel oil, natural gas, as well as coal. In order to optimize heat supply, the power generation efficiency of the cycle in some cases may not be as good. Steam turbines are therefore mostly used in cases where the demand is greater than 1MW up to hundreds of MW. Therefore, due to the inertia in the system, steam turbines are not suitable for areas with intermittent demand. Internal Combustion Engine Cogeneration system When comparing to other cogeneration systems, this system has a higher power generation efficiency. The two sources of heat for recovery are the exhaust gas at high temperature as well as the engine jacket cooling water at a low temperature. This type of system is more widely used in areas and facilities which consume a small amount of energy because heat recovery is efficient for smaller systems. Therefore it is widely used in facilities which have a greater need for electricity than thermal energy and also in places where the quality of heat required is not high. Even though the most common type of fuel used is diesel, this type of system can also operate with natural gas or heavy fuel oil. Another fact about this type of system is that, unlike gas turbines, it is not sensitive to changes in ambient temperature, therefore this makes it an ideal machine to use for intermittent operation. Gas Turbine Cogeneration Systems Gas turbine cogeneration systems can be used to generate all or in some cases part of the actual requirement of energy needed by the plant. In this type of system, the energy released at high temperature through exhaust can be recovered and used for certain applications of heating and cooling. Even though the most common means of fuel used is natural gas, in some cases other fuels like light fuel oil and diesel are also used in such a system. The range of gas turbines usually varies between a few MW to 100MW. Due to certain factors such as a greater availability of natural gas, a big reduction in installation costs, greater environmental performance, as well as a fast and large progress in technology, gas turbine cogeneration systems are the best developed systems in recent years. The following are some advantages of using a gas turbine cogeneration system: Gas turbines have a short start up time Gas turbines provide flexibility of intermittent operation At high temperatures, more heat can recovered Also, in case of the heat output being less than what is required, and in order to ensure that the thermal output efficiency is kept high, natural gas is used by mixing additional fuel to the exhaust gas. In the case of more power being required at the site, it is also possible to use what is called a combined cycle, which entails a combination of both steam turbine and gas turbine cogeneration. The steam which is being generated from the exhaust gas of the gas turbine is passed through either a backpressure steam turbine or an extraction condensing type steam turbine, which in turn will generate more power. Also, the exhaust from the steam turbine will also provide an amount of required thermal energy. Classification of system How does one classify a cogeneration system? These systems are usually classified according to the sequence of energy use as well as the operating procedure used. Therefore, a cogeneration system can usually be classified as either one of the following: A topping cycle A bottoming cycle The system is known as a topping cycle when the fuel supplied is first used to produce power, and then later in the process to produce thermal energy. The thermal energy in the system is used to satisfy process heat or other thermal requirements. Topping cycle cogeneration is the most widely used type and is nowadays the most popular type of cogeneration system. On the other hand, in a bottoming cycle the primary fuel is used to produce thermal energy at a high temperature. The heat rejected in the process is then further used to generate power through a recovery boiler as well as a turbine generator. Nowadays, bottoming cycles are widely used for manufacturing processes that require heat at high temperatures in furnaces, and also reject heat as very high temperatures. Even though they are used in the list mentioned below, bottoming cycle plants are less common and not used as much as topping cycle plants. A bottoming cycle is used in the following types of plants: Cement industry Steel industry Ceramic industry Gas and petrochemical industry Topping Cycle Cogeneration Systems Combined Cycle http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/73nqb7y9fk14zby9/images/6-c5da667d2f.jpg Extract from http://www.scribd.com/doc/65871557/Cogeneration This type of system includes a gas turbine or diesel engine which produces electrical or mechanical power followed by a heat recovery system/boiler which is used to generate steam and drive a secondary steam turbine. Steam Turbine http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/73nqb7y9fk14zby9/images/6-c5da667d2f.jpg Extract from http://www.scribd.com/doc/65871557/Cogeneration This type of system generates electrical power as well as process steam by burning fuel to produce high pressure steam, which is then passed through a steam turbine to produce the power needed, as well as using the exhaust from the turbine as low pressure process steam. Internal Combustion Engine http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/73nqb7y9fk14zby9/images/6-c5da667d2f.jpg Extract from http://www.scribd.com/doc/65871557/Cogeneration This type of system includes heat recovery from an engine exhaust and jacket cooling system flowing to a heat recovery boiler, in which it is converted to process steam or hot water for further use. Gas Turbine http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/73nqb7y9fk14zby9/images/6-c5da667d2f.jpg Extract from http://www.scribd.com/doc/65871557/Cogeneration This type of system is known as a gas turbine topping system. A natural gas turbine drives a generator to produce electricity. The exhaust from the turbine is passed through a heat recovery boiler which is used to generate process steam as well as process heat. Bottoming Cycle System http://gotoknow.org/file/khunchailek/topping.gif Extract from http://www.gotoknow.org/blogs/posts/183558 In this type of system, fuel is burnt in a furnace to produce synthetic rutile, which is a mineral. The furnace produces waste gases which in turn are used in a boiler to generate steam. This steam is then used to drive a turbine to produce electricity through a generator. Selection of cogeneration system The following factors are taken into consideration when trying to select what type of cogeneration system should be used: Base electrical load matching Base thermal load matching Electrical load matching Thermal load matching Heat to power ratio The quality of thermal energy needed Load patterns Fuels available Trigeneration Trigeneration is known as the process of generating three different types of energy in a combined manner. These three different types of energy are electricity, heat and cooling. All these are simultaneously produced from a fuel source referred to as combined heat power and cooling. Therefore, in other words, trigeneration takes the process of cogeneration of heat and electricity to another level, with the utilization of wasteheat for purposes of cooling with the use of an absorption chiller. A trigeneration system is basically the integration of two types of technology, namely the cogeneration system as well as cooling technology which is done through compression or absorption systems. As mentioned earlier in the document, the two most widely used types of cogeneration are through gas reciprocating engines and combustion engines. Though, fuel cells are also being used in the integration of trigeneration. Natural gas, due to being reliable, having low environmental effects, having low maintenance costs, as well as being efficient, is currently the best fuel to use for trigeneration systems. It is also widely used due to the fact that it burns so efficiently in the combustion chamber ensuring lower emissions of pollutants whn compared to heavier fuels. As natural gas consists mainly of methane, it leads to lower emissions per unit of energy stored, as methane is a gas which consists of a very important characteristic, it has a high hydrogen to carbon ratio. According to the U.S. Department of  Energy in the year 2009, 2.5 billion tons of CO2 were emitted by power plants in the U.S., which correspond to 576g of CO2 per kWh.  [1]  Therefore by using trigeneration, companies and plants worldwide can have a major impact in reducing the amount of pollutants emitted. Trigeneration is considered a new type and way of generating power, which is becoming even more common in a number of countries which have a warm climate. This is due to the fact that in these countries the heating required is only needed in the winter season. Therefore a demand of electrical power, cooling as well as heating is needed in a number of different entities, such as: Universities Gyms Shopping malls Hospitals Public Buildings Manufacturing facilities Data centers A trigeneration plant is extremely similar to a cogeneration plant, the only difference being the addition of an absorption chiller, which is used to produce a cold flow using the heat recovered from the hot exhaust gases. Absorption chillers Absorption coolers are used to provide cooling using a liquid refrigerant and a heat source. By using heat, usually heat recovered from hot flue gases, absorption chillers provide cooling to buildings. The main advantages of using absorption chillers are that they use much less energy than conventional equipment as well as cooling plants and buildings without emitting harmful pollutants. The main difference between conventional electric chillers and absorption chillers is that whilst conventional electric chillers use mechanical energy in a vapor compression process to provide refrigeration, absorption chillers on the other hand use heat energy. Absorption chillers can be powered by waste heat, steam as well as natural gas. Therefore, an absorption chiller transfers thermal energy through a refrigerant from the heat source to the heat sink. Absorption systems are widely used in cooling, heating and power systems. When used with a micro turbine and engine driven generator, absorption chillers can use the waste from these components and use it to generate power, whilst also producing cooling for space conditioning. Absorption chillers therefore shift cooling in a building from an electric load to a thermal load. Different types of absorption chillers are as follows: Direct fired Indirect fired Single effect Double effect Triple effect Trigeneration is therefore a very attractive use in certain situations where all three (power, heating, cooling) needs are a must. A typical example is in production processes which demand cooling requirements. Therefore it is widely used in areas where electricity, heating as well as cooling are needed. It is important to realise that cogeneration was used in some of the earliest installations of electrical generation. Industries which generated their own power used to commonly use exhaust steam for process heating. Hotels, stores as well as large offices generated their own power and also heated up the building using waste steam. Cogeneration is still very common in certain industries, namely pulp and paper mills, chemical plants as well as refineries. In the  United States,  Con Edison  distributes 66 billion kilograms of 180  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ °C steam each year through its seven cogeneration plants to 100,000 buildings in  Manhattan, the biggest steam district in the United States. The peak delivery is 10 million pounds per hour.  [2]   How does the New York steam system work? This system is a district heating system which uses steam from steam generating stations and is distributed under the streets of Manhattan. This steam is used to either heat, cool or supply power to a number of businesses as well as apartments and other types of buildings. In my opinion this is a great initiative and way of reducing the emission of pollutants as well as increasing the efficiency of fuel usage. Con Edison is also using trigeneration for cooling in the summer months through the use of absorption chillers, a system which further increases energy and pollution savings, whilst also reducing peak electrical loads.

My New Life with Wickham Essay -- Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

I have been living in London with Wickham for several months now, and, although none of my family would agree with this, I am glad that I ran away with him, he likes me very much and I care for him dearly. After all, if I had asked for father’s permission to go and live with Wickham, without being married, surely he would have said no without any hesitation. So I thought, if I wanted to be with Wickham, I had no choice but to run away with him. At the time, I thought, why not now? So I did. I love being here, in London, alone with my Wickham, sometimes I do feel quite lonely though, because Wickham goes out gambling at least every other day I would say. I am in the process of stopping Wickham from gambling, he is so addicted. I try to tell him that he will never get a better paying job if he keeps gambling, he will have too bad a reputation. He keeps saying that he will try and stop, but he always ends up going off in the evening. He cannot control himself. It is terrible really. When he is out, and I am alone, I do think of my family, my sisters, mother and father, I do miss them all very very much. On the whole, I am relatively happy with my life though. One good thing is, even though I am the youngest of us 5 sisters, I am the first to be married! So mother will be very proud of me. Now, I am the most important one, I will be put first. We have only been married for one month, but I love it. Wickham does not seem to view things any differently, he still treats me exactly the same, it is as if nothing has changed. One strange thing about our wedding was Mr. Darcy being there, most surprising. When Mr. Darcy came to us one evening, offering to organise our whole wedding and pay for it all, I was so shocked. It... ...zzy would ever marry. I am quite jealous that Lizzy will be living in the grand estate of Pemberly, and she will be ever so rich, that I am glad of. Because myself and Wickham are in debt and there is no hope of us ever having our own house, so hopefully we will be given help financially so we can have our own house. If we are very lucky, Darcy might help Wickham with some business of some kind. I do not see why they should keep all their money to themselves, that would be ever so selfish of them. I feel that I am the luckiest girl alive, I am married to the finest, most handsome man in the world. I imagine every woman must be envious of Wickham being at my side. I could not have married a finer man, and I could not have made my sisters more envious of me. Kitty and Mary do not have a chance of finding a man as good and kind as I have. Life could not be better.

The Apaches Essay -- essays research papers

Due to the educating of the Apaches and their persistence behavior, they flourished in the Great Plains region of the US. The American Indian Tribe first got their name "Apache" from the Yuma Indians. The word Apache means "fighting men". They were hunters, farmers and seed gatherers. The Apache were known for their love of Warfare and raiding, today we would call them thieves. When the Spaniards first came to the Americas they were constantly being under attack by the Apache. The Tribe would steal the Spanish horses and eat them. They were not yet introduced to the technology of using the horse as transportation. The Apache used their dogs to help move their wickiups or homes around because they were nomadic people. Wherever the buffalo went they followed. The horse began to become transportation and no longer a meal source once the Indians watching the Spaniards ride their horses. Since the Apache loved war so much it was a surprise that they let the Spaniards on their land. The fact was the Apache let them stay on the land so that they could keep raiding them for their supplies. The persistence of the Tribe helped them make a name for themselves. (Josephy, 117) The Spanish Police began to capture and make slaves out of all the Apache trying to raid the pueblo, or town. They tried to convert the Apache to Christianity but this did not prove successful. Even though the Apache liked to steal the Spaniards supplies they eventually signed a peace treaty. (Josephy, 373) When the Spaniards were fighting with the Americans in the Mexican war the Apache were a nuisance. The Spanish troops were so busy in this war that the Apache did not have enough supplies. So they were forced to disobey the peace treaty and steal for survival. The act of breaking the peace treaty sparked warfare.(Terrell, 148) There were many branches of the Apache Indians spread across the Great Plains. They began to unite and raid near by New Mexican towns. When the tribes Apache Mimbreno and Apache Gileno united, they became the most feared groups of all the Indians. The Americans and Spaniards both did not want to get entangled into their raids of fury. This group of Indians killed more people during raids, stole more food, they were just plain out vicious Indians. The persistance of the tribe helped them make a name for themselves. The Spaniards during the Mexican w... ...ech on how honored he was to make peace with such great people, the confederates. â€Å"I am glad I have come. My heart if full of love for my pindah brothers†¦When I lie down at night the treaty will be in my heart, and when I arise in the morning it will still be there. And I will be glad I am at peace with my pindah brothers.† (Nicholas, 232) The Americans held this speech close to the hearts and they took him to his up most sincerity. On the way back from El Paso Nicholas ran off from the horses and group together his raiders. The Raiders and Nicholas rode to the Americans stock herd and stole it. They killed 2 Guards while doing so. The confederate Congress passed a law to kill all Indians spotted. Soldiers were to persuade the Apache to believe they made peace then once they had them they were to kill them. (Haley, 234) The Apache’s raiding helped keep the Americans on their toes. They flourished as a tribe despite the many different branches of them. Their aggressive behavior helped them become well known and never too weak under the rule of white men. Even though this tribe ended up with the other Indians in reservation camps, they still left a lasting impression on history. The Apaches Essay -- essays research papers Due to the educating of the Apaches and their persistence behavior, they flourished in the Great Plains region of the US. The American Indian Tribe first got their name "Apache" from the Yuma Indians. The word Apache means "fighting men". They were hunters, farmers and seed gatherers. The Apache were known for their love of Warfare and raiding, today we would call them thieves. When the Spaniards first came to the Americas they were constantly being under attack by the Apache. The Tribe would steal the Spanish horses and eat them. They were not yet introduced to the technology of using the horse as transportation. The Apache used their dogs to help move their wickiups or homes around because they were nomadic people. Wherever the buffalo went they followed. The horse began to become transportation and no longer a meal source once the Indians watching the Spaniards ride their horses. Since the Apache loved war so much it was a surprise that they let the Spaniards on their land. The fact was the Apache let them stay on the land so that they could keep raiding them for their supplies. The persistence of the Tribe helped them make a name for themselves. (Josephy, 117) The Spanish Police began to capture and make slaves out of all the Apache trying to raid the pueblo, or town. They tried to convert the Apache to Christianity but this did not prove successful. Even though the Apache liked to steal the Spaniards supplies they eventually signed a peace treaty. (Josephy, 373) When the Spaniards were fighting with the Americans in the Mexican war the Apache were a nuisance. The Spanish troops were so busy in this war that the Apache did not have enough supplies. So they were forced to disobey the peace treaty and steal for survival. The act of breaking the peace treaty sparked warfare.(Terrell, 148) There were many branches of the Apache Indians spread across the Great Plains. They began to unite and raid near by New Mexican towns. When the tribes Apache Mimbreno and Apache Gileno united, they became the most feared groups of all the Indians. The Americans and Spaniards both did not want to get entangled into their raids of fury. This group of Indians killed more people during raids, stole more food, they were just plain out vicious Indians. The persistance of the tribe helped them make a name for themselves. The Spaniards during the Mexican w... ...ech on how honored he was to make peace with such great people, the confederates. â€Å"I am glad I have come. My heart if full of love for my pindah brothers†¦When I lie down at night the treaty will be in my heart, and when I arise in the morning it will still be there. And I will be glad I am at peace with my pindah brothers.† (Nicholas, 232) The Americans held this speech close to the hearts and they took him to his up most sincerity. On the way back from El Paso Nicholas ran off from the horses and group together his raiders. The Raiders and Nicholas rode to the Americans stock herd and stole it. They killed 2 Guards while doing so. The confederate Congress passed a law to kill all Indians spotted. Soldiers were to persuade the Apache to believe they made peace then once they had them they were to kill them. (Haley, 234) The Apache’s raiding helped keep the Americans on their toes. They flourished as a tribe despite the many different branches of them. Their aggressive behavior helped them become well known and never too weak under the rule of white men. Even though this tribe ended up with the other Indians in reservation camps, they still left a lasting impression on history.

Florida International University Essay -- Environment, Waste, Green Pr

Florida International University (FIU) is not only a standard in quality education as it is also a innovator in best practices especially those that have to do with the environment. The University’s commitment to ensuring that its community contributes to the preservation and protection of the environment has led it to pioneer innovations in solid waste management, in particular, in recycling; because the University clearly understands that recycling is more beneficial compared to waste disposal, it has established its own reputation in the proper and efficient management of solid waste. Florida International University recognizes its contribution to the accumulation of waste considering that it produces about seven million pounds of waste each year (Figueroa, 2010). Unlike other universities that still remain adamant in investing on green practices, FIU has, â€Å"governed by the State of Florida under Florida Statute 403.714 and The Florida Solid Waste Management Act of 1988† (FIU, 2011), established its own internal ‘green machine’ or solid waste and environmental protection system via the FIU Custodial Services Office. The university’s efforts in ensuring efficient solid waste management even â€Å"far exceeds the minimum standards† (FIU, 2011) required by law. What makes the solid waste management efforts of the university one-of-a kind is the establishment of a â€Å"single stream recycling program which means that all recyclable items can be placed into one bin and do not have to be sorted† (FIU, 2011). Nevertheles s, despite the use of single recycle bins, proper labeling has to accompany each bin to ensure that only materials that are recyclable are placed in the bins. There are also different sized of bins which are placed stra... ...g, however, costs only $35 per ton. The school also makes $10 for every ton of paper it recycles† (Figueroa, 2009). This means that apart from saving the environment, the university also earns and is able to cut down on expenses for certain things because of the use of recycled materials. Of course, the most important aspect of recycling in the university is awareness and with students who are currently seriously considering the way they manage their solid waste, the campaign and program becomes even more successful. To do this, the university has also joined the national FIU Recyclemania for two years now and had placed exceptionally well (FIU, 2011). It is very important in any environmental effort that the stakeholders are made aware of the benefits of the efforts so that the program earns propriety and becomes a culture instead of just an obligation.

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How? to? Study? for? Economics 1. Be? best? friend? with? your? textbook. The? lecture? notes? are? complements,? not? substitutes,? of? your? textbook.? a. If? you? have? a? question,? chances? are? it? has? been? answered? in? your? textbook. Some? people? never? realize? that? because? they? never? read? their? textbook? (not? at? all? or? not? carefully? enough).? b. Read? the? relevant? sections? immediately? after? the? class,? when? your? memory? is? the? freshest.? c. Before? the? next? class? begins,? spend? 15? to? 30? minutes? to? quickly? read? through? the? materials? overed? in? the? previous? class,? so? that? you? are? not? completely? lost? in? this? week’s? materials? and? you? know? the? context? of? today’s? lecture,? especially? when? the? class? materials? are? cumulative.? 2. Don’t? read? your? textbook? and? lecture? notes? superficially. Think? about? what? you? read. Question? what? you? read.? a. Check? whether? you? understand? the? lo gic? of? the? arguments.? b. Check? whether? you? can? re? construct? the? logic? of? the? arguments? without? looking? at? your? notes? or? textbook.? c. Check? whether? you? know? what? the? graphs? nd? mathematical? equations? mean? intuitively.? i. Do? you? know? what? the? slope? means ii. Do? you? know? what? will? shift? the? curve iii. Do? you? know? what? the? mathematical? equations? mean? in? simple? English iv. Can? you? see? that? both? the? math? and? the? graphs? are? saying? the? same? thing? in? simple? English 3. Understand? that? math? is? really? a? language. So? you? should? be? able? to? say? what? the? mathematical? equations? say? in? simple? English. Similarly,? graphs? are? also? a? language. So? you? should? be? able? to? say? what? the? graphs? ay? in? simple? English? as? well.? 4. When? you? study,? don’t? memorize? what? you? read,? understand? the? logic? and? the? arguments.? 5. When? you? answer? questions,? don’t? regurgitate? everyth ing? you? remember,? analyze? the? problem? using? the? logic? and? arguments? that? you? understood. 6. Don’t? think? you? can? â€Å"smoke†? through? the? final? exam? with? â€Å"on? the? one? hand,? this†¦? On? the? other? hand,? that†¦. †? kind? answers. It? may? or? may? not? have? worked? in? A? level. But? it? quite? certainly? won’t? at? the? University. a. Advanced? economics? classes? ypically? try? to? teach? you? some? specific? frameworks? (in? the? form? of? intuitive? concepts,? curves? in? graphs,? or? mathematical? equations). The? exam? questions? then? test? your? ability? to? apply? these? frameworks? to? solve? a? problem. That? is? why? it? is? impossible? to? â€Å"smoke†? your? way? out? of? the? exam. That? is? also? why? you? need? to? understand? the? logic,? reconstruct? that? logic? based? on? understanding,? and? analyze? the? problems? rather? than? memorize? what? you? read? and? regurgitate? them? in? exa m.? b. Some? exam? questions? are? of? he? type? that? if? you? haven’t? studied,? you? just? cannot? answer. But? this? is? good. This? is? the? value? added? of? the? course. Think? about? it. If? you? can? answer? the? questions? without? studying,? you? have? basically? wasted? your? tuition? money. Why? come? to? the? university What? have? you? learnt 7. Ask? yourself? how? you? will? use? the? concepts? and? economic? framework? you? have? learnt? to? understand? or? analyze? what? you? read? in? the? Economist? or? Wall? Street? Journal? or? any? relevant? economic? news? in? general.? 8. In? the? ideal? ituation,? try? to? solve? the? tutorial? questions? before? your? class. If? you? just? go? to? the? class? and? listen? to? the? TA’s? solutions,? chances? are? everything? appears? intuitive? and? straightforward. But? if? you? have? tried? beforehand,? you? will? realize? that? it? is? an? illusion. When? you? have? to? do? it? in? the? exam,? suddenly? it? seems? very? uncertain? how? you? should? proceed,? as? there? seems? to? be? many? possibilities? and? you? are? not? sure? which? is? the? right? one? to? pursue.? a. But? who? are? we? kidding I? consider? myself? a? ery? conscientious? student. Not? even? I? have? the? time? to? solve? every? tutorial? questions? beforehand.? b. So? in? reality,? instead? of? trying? to? spend? a? few? hours? to? solve? the? questions? beforehand,? spend? half? an? hour? before? your? tutorials? to? read? through? the? question? carefully. Outline? how? you? may? go? about? solving? it,? for? example,? think? about? what? framework? or? diagram? will? be? needed? to? solve? the? questions,? and? how? the? answers? may? look? like. i. If? you? have? no? clue,? try? to? think? about? the? reasons? why? you?

The Amateur Marriage

Anne Tyler’s The Amateur Marriage is a novel depicting two mismatched spouses that continually fight for six decades. They each fail to form their own individual sense of identify. They also do not form a social sense of identity as a couple within a larger community. They each fight for superiority in the marriage as their identity. This paper will examine this long-term conflict, related to each spouse’s quest for individual identity. Several elements form the identity of an individual.Some are biological, stemming from ancestry in nationality, ethnic, and genetic backgrounds; and, from basic human needs of food, shelter, love, and recognition (Richland College, 2007). Other elements are social, including what groups a person joins or tries to join, religious background and conversions to other religions, political leanings, and careers and occupations. One also sees oneself in one way, while others see them in another, making up two identities that usually do not ful ly match.Further, an individual is a son/daughter, spouse/partner, parent, or other relative or friend of someone else, and these are identities as well. One interesting and very strong identity is the one arising from being in conflict with another person or group. Such a person may be, for example, anti child-abuse, anti war-with-Iraq; or against all that his neighbor who has insulted him stands for. The Father of Psychiatry, Sigmund Freud, taught that all identity is biologically developed, completed by the end of adolescence (Richland College, 2007).His student Erik Erickson broke away from Freud, believing that identity forms via social interactions as well as biological maturity throughout the lifespan, not ending in adolescence (ibid. ). Identity is an ongoing process. Erikson devised â€Å"Eight Stages of Man. † These include Trust (infant), Autonomy (toddler), Initiative (child), Identity (adolescent), Intimacy (young adult), Generativity (middle age), and Integrity (older age). Erickson believed that social environment combines with biology (aging) to give people sets of crises to resolve at each stage.Resolving them creates maturity, because one must resolve the crises of one level before going on to the next, or become stuck at the lower level, never to mature and always having the same type of problems, as the main couple in Tyler’s novel do. The couple Pauline and Michael Anton meets in pre-WWII Baltimore. Pauline jumps from a streetcar to join a patriotic parade and suffers a head gash, so she flings herself into Michael’s old family grocery store for help. A more reserved individual, Michael is taken aback by Pauline’s dramatic energy and falls instantly in love.Both in their early 20’s, they marry, but they do not pass adolescence and never develop intimacy. Mike goes to war, is shot in training, and comes straight home. He and Pauline have three children and move to the suburbs. They have numerous conflicts over the years and their marriage stagnates, because they are both stuck in childhood and adolescence, fighting over everything to be known as the winner and the superior partner. Pauline always flies off the handle emotionally, while Michael silently stews over things as mundane as whether it will get cold enough to snow.Nothing is ever solved over 60 years’ time, and the marriage and the individual Antons do not change or grow, either. They cut themselves off from the social interactions that would help them to grow. Their identity was formed by the time they married and never had a chance to develop further, because they would not allow it. They fight, each trying to win in order to be identified as the winner and the leader of the marriage. Then either would feel important, worthy, and adult. Unfortunately, it never happens. Mike is Polish Catholic, Pauline is WASP, and these disparate ethnic and religious identities are hard to meld into a marriage.Pauline believes that two souls should combine as one. Michael feels that they should remain distinct, but walk in the same direction. The marriage cannot work, because neither will learn additional new ways of thinking. Thus, for six decades, she is flighty, he is cold, and they remain constant in this. While marriages of their friends grow and develop via individual maturity and interactions as a couple through the usual give and take with a larger community, the Anton's marriage is stuck because of their feuding. Life passes them by, except for the problems.The Antons and their marriage cannot grow up. The author describes the friends’ growing marriages as fruit trees: â€Å"Marriages are like fruit trees†¦ After a time they meld, they grow together, and it doesn't matter how crazy the mix is, peaches on an apple tree or cherries on a plum tree; still if you tried to separate them you would cause a fatal wound. † Meanwhile, the Anton's marriage is a â€Å"gnarled, wizened, whiskery tree you see on windbeaten cliffs where there's not enough soil or water. † The marriage is anorexic, starving to death.Pauline, who once loved Mike’s reserved qualities â€Å"chafed daily at . . . his rigidity, his caution, his literal-mindedness . . . his reluctance to spend money, his suspicion of anything unfamiliar, his tendency to pass judgment . . . and his magical ability to make her seem hysterical† (p. 75). Michael’s opinion of Pauline becomes â€Å"a frantic, impossible woman, so unstable, even in good moods, with her exultant voice and glittery eyes, her dangerous excitement† (p. 167). Neither one is concerned with self-development, but only with criticizing the other.Over the decades, they become entrenched in these mindsets and unable to develop past their mid-twenties, psychologically. The miss all of the intimacy, generativity and integrity by holding onto adolescence. In identity, they are only â€Å"the fighting spouses. † When he does think about the marriage and where it is going, Mike sees that â€Å"all those young marrieds of the war years† have grown â€Å"wise and seasoned and comfortable in their roles, until only he and Pauline remained, as inexperienced as ever — the last couple left in the amateurs' parade† (p.168). He saw themselves as â€Å"more like brother and sister than husband and wife. This constant elbowing and competing, jockeying for position, glorying in I-told-you-so† (p. 168). Further, the Anton’s drug-abusing daughter Lindy sees the family as a stagnated hell, a â€Å"wretched, tangled knot, inward-turned, stunted, like a trapped fox chewing its own leg off† (p. 300). The marriage is stuck, as well as the family. In dysfunctional families, some members develop identities despite the stagnation and toxicity.The development of such an identity, a â€Å"hardy personality†, is described by Professor Suzanne Kobasa Ouellette of City University of New York (Richland College, 2007). Hardiness and its needed control, commitment, and challenge develop through attaining the following eight skills: 1. Recognize and tolerate anxiety and act anyway. 2. Separate fantasy from reality and tackle reality. 3. Set goals and establish priorities. 4. Project into the future and understand how today's choices affect the future. 5. Discriminate and make choices consistent with goals and values.6. Set boundaries and limits. 7. Ask assertively for wants and desires. 8. Trust self and own perceptions. Some dysfunctional people achieve these skills through study and counseling, but the Antons do not. Even when they decide to parent their small grandson Pagan, whom they rescue from the drug culture, they cannot reconcile their entrenched differences. Pauline believes their fights can be patched up in a â€Å"firefighting† management technique. Michael sees these fights as hellfire itself. Mike and Pauline decide just to toler ate each other, until Michael leaves.Even though it is possible to develop self-identities through conflict, Mike and Pauline are not able to do so, because they do not stop fighting in order to find social interactions as a couple (clubs, volunteer work, etc,), and counseling that would help them grow. They remain in the adolescent stage in their mid-60s. At this age and firmly entrenched in adolescence, it may or may not be too late for humans to grow further psychologically. REFERENCES Kriesberg, Lewis. , PhD. ‘ â€Å"Us† versus â€Å"Them. † ’ 2003.From the website of Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict: http://www. beyondintractability. org/essay/identity_issues/ Retrieved Feb. 25 2007. Richland College. Dallas County Community College District. 12800 Abrams Road, Dallas, TX 75243-2199. â€Å"The Developmental Psychology of Erik Erikson. † From the Richland College website: http:/ /www. rlc. dcccd. edu/MATHSCI/anth/P101/DVLMENTL/ERIKSON. HTM/ Retrieved Feb 25 2007. Tyler, Anne. The Amateur Marriage. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 2004