nterfacing high-speed data converters
There are several ways to give a signal to a high-speed ADC. This post explains the tradeoffs between baluns, transformers and op amps.
ADCs analog-to-digital converters deploy technology to sample and capture analog signals with great precision and at quick sampling rates. The complexity of data converters rises with high sampling rates and/or high quantity of bits. Data converters are specified with right input conditions, which you have to strict to in order to win the ultimate result. It is a challenge to gauge, drive, and interface the analog signal to the ADC input.
ADC input architectures and choice of driver
The analog-input configuration of an ADC differs based on the quantum of bits of resolution and the highest sample frequency. The input stage of the converter might be single-ended or differential. In addition, the inputs themselves may be high-impedance or they may be linked to switched-capacitor circuit elements. High-impedance inputs are sometimes named as buffered inputs. Both of these factors influence the option of the input driver.
Features. Maximum Sample Rate: 80 MSPS; 12-bit Resolution with No Missing Codes; Buffered Analog Inputs with. Very Low Input Capacitance (< 2 pF); High DC Resistance (5 k ). 82 dBc SFDR and 70 dBFS SNR (-1 BFS or 1.8 Vpp input) … [view original]
NORWOOD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Analog Devices’ low-power, high-speed 14-bit ADCs incorporate the JESD204A data converter serial interface standard. [view original]
Features. Maximum Sample Rate: 200 MSPS; High Dynamic Performance. SFDR 82 dBc at 140 MHz; 72.3 dBFS SNR in 60 MHz BW Using SNRBoost3G technology. SNRBoost3G Highlights. Supports Wide Bandwidth up to 60 MHz; Programmable Bandwidths – 60 … [view original]
Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter System – SciForums.com. PDF/Adobe Acrobat – Quick ViewThe Thermo Scientific SRS Pro solvent recycling system can reduce mobile phase 12 bit analog-to-digital converter. • 1 Hz data rate. … [view original]
Analog Devices has unveiled a new analogue to digital converter, which consumes 328mW per channel – half the power per channel of competing data converters. [view original]
Friday, December 17, 2010
What Is A Solar Powerfulness Inverter and Why Do I Need …
If you are one of those guys that loves cars then you will love this article as well. Even if you’re not that much into auto mobiles you will realize that what I’m about to tell you is really practical. I will tell you about a cool device called a power inverter. This device cam take the normal DC power your car usually has and transform it into super VAC power that can give you enough energy to be able to charge something more than a simple cell phone.
These power inverters used to be very cheap a few years back but if you haven’t bought one back then you can buy one today. Think about the positive parts about this device. You will never have to face a dead battery in practically anything. This is just part of the coolness of this device.
You can find these power inverters in all sorts of sizes. This means that you can boy a small one that you will be able to use for small things like a laptop for example. You can also find large power inverters which you will be able to use to power bigger objects that require more power.
You should pay attention, though, to that you plug into the inverter. You will fry the inverter as well as some circuits of you car if you will plug a large object like mechanical saw into a small power inverter. You should buy the power inverter in correlation to what you are going to is it for.
If this is the first time you ever heard about a power inverter then you should really go and buy one because you will make your highway life a lot easier. You will be able to power up things that otherwise would be dead in a car.
These power inverters used to be very cheap a few years back but if you haven’t bought one back then you can buy one today. Think about the positive parts about this device. You will never have to face a dead battery in practically anything. This is just part of the coolness of this device.
You can find these power inverters in all sorts of sizes. This means that you can boy a small one that you will be able to use for small things like a laptop for example. You can also find large power inverters which you will be able to use to power bigger objects that require more power.
You should pay attention, though, to that you plug into the inverter. You will fry the inverter as well as some circuits of you car if you will plug a large object like mechanical saw into a small power inverter. You should buy the power inverter in correlation to what you are going to is it for.
If this is the first time you ever heard about a power inverter then you should really go and buy one because you will make your highway life a lot easier. You will be able to power up things that otherwise would be dead in a car.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
How to Lay the Foundation to Start Your Own Business via Online Marketing
Many people have a big misconception that they have to quit their job to start their own business. In reality, it is perfectly doable to start a new business while you are still working. I highly recommend that anybody starting their own business gives themselves a year to start getting online exposure before leaping into anything. Laying down the foundation for online marketing success is most important. These days, if you are not online, you will struggle to be truly successful. My site gets hit around 400 times per day (not bad for a niche industry!) Because of all the traffic we get from our website, we now have so many incoming leads that we can choose which clients we want to work with and which clients we do not. In this economy, this is not something that many companies have the luxury of. With that being said, let’s get started.
First, I recommend that you start your own business as opposed to buying a franchise or becoming a reseller. Subway is not in the business of making you rich. Yes, some manage to do it. If it was a foolproof plan, however, everybody would own one. To avoid having to deal with manufacturers, begin a service type business. Also, think locally. When you are just getting started, don’t try to compete on a national level. Start small and work your way up little by little. If you take care with each step in the process, a few years down the line you’ll be ready to launch a much larger campaign and your competitors won’t know what hit them.
Lay down the foundation to get ranked highly on Google so your business can last for years to come. Follow these guidelines to make sure you do it right:
1. Pick a domain name that describes what you do. Do not name your company after your last name. Name it after the product or service. When I began my firm, I did not know this and it took me a while to get Google’s authority on a particular subject. Now, my site gets around 400 hits per day, though I feel this could have been achieved far more quickly if I had chosen a domain based on the service I was providing. Only use .com domains, and shorter names are better than longer ones. To give you an example of how important this is, Google “NYC Sales Recruiters.” Look at a company by the name of Sales Expert Executive recruiters. They have a template based 10 page website. Then, look at mine. We have 170 pages of articles written about sales recruiting. That is how much weight the search engine puts on domain names. It took me nearly a year to learn how to beat them in most categories.
2. Brand your company for Google. Start out with what are called long-tail keyword phrases. Long-tail keyword phrases are 5 words. When I began to learn online marketing, I went after words like “New York City sales recruiters.” Then, as time progressed, I began going after shorter keywords and the traffic to my site increased.
3. Study how to build backlinks to your website. There are tons of articles out there telling you how to do this. Building backlinks to your site is very important, and at first, should be done gradually. Right off the bat, the best way to build links is to submit your website to several website directories. The main ones are www.business.com and www.dir.yahoo.com. It’s well worth the money. Then, begin a blog and frequently update it with posts. Have HTML links with the keywords you are going after pointing back to your site. Also, write interesting articles and submit them to online article sites such as Ezine. Writing is the key to gaining backlinks to your site and is the most important facet of online marketing success. However, when submitting your first articles to these sites, make sure they are perfect. If you mess up on the first few, the editors will dismiss your subsequent efforts.
4. Keep track of your site’s progress. You should begin to see an increase in website traffic and your Google page rank start to climb. Make sure people can contact you through the website. There is no better way to gauge your success with online marketing then how many clients are coming in.
So that’s opening your own business, in a nutshell. Depending on the industry you choose and the product or service you are selling, you will run in to your own unique problems and obstacles. Figuring out how to get past them, however, is just part of the fun.
Ken Sundheim is the founder of KAS Placement, which is a 5-year-old company with nearly 10 employees and growing at a very rapid pace. Read more about Ken here.
First, I recommend that you start your own business as opposed to buying a franchise or becoming a reseller. Subway is not in the business of making you rich. Yes, some manage to do it. If it was a foolproof plan, however, everybody would own one. To avoid having to deal with manufacturers, begin a service type business. Also, think locally. When you are just getting started, don’t try to compete on a national level. Start small and work your way up little by little. If you take care with each step in the process, a few years down the line you’ll be ready to launch a much larger campaign and your competitors won’t know what hit them.
Lay down the foundation to get ranked highly on Google so your business can last for years to come. Follow these guidelines to make sure you do it right:
1. Pick a domain name that describes what you do. Do not name your company after your last name. Name it after the product or service. When I began my firm, I did not know this and it took me a while to get Google’s authority on a particular subject. Now, my site gets around 400 hits per day, though I feel this could have been achieved far more quickly if I had chosen a domain based on the service I was providing. Only use .com domains, and shorter names are better than longer ones. To give you an example of how important this is, Google “NYC Sales Recruiters.” Look at a company by the name of Sales Expert Executive recruiters. They have a template based 10 page website. Then, look at mine. We have 170 pages of articles written about sales recruiting. That is how much weight the search engine puts on domain names. It took me nearly a year to learn how to beat them in most categories.
2. Brand your company for Google. Start out with what are called long-tail keyword phrases. Long-tail keyword phrases are 5 words. When I began to learn online marketing, I went after words like “New York City sales recruiters.” Then, as time progressed, I began going after shorter keywords and the traffic to my site increased.
3. Study how to build backlinks to your website. There are tons of articles out there telling you how to do this. Building backlinks to your site is very important, and at first, should be done gradually. Right off the bat, the best way to build links is to submit your website to several website directories. The main ones are www.business.com and www.dir.yahoo.com. It’s well worth the money. Then, begin a blog and frequently update it with posts. Have HTML links with the keywords you are going after pointing back to your site. Also, write interesting articles and submit them to online article sites such as Ezine. Writing is the key to gaining backlinks to your site and is the most important facet of online marketing success. However, when submitting your first articles to these sites, make sure they are perfect. If you mess up on the first few, the editors will dismiss your subsequent efforts.
4. Keep track of your site’s progress. You should begin to see an increase in website traffic and your Google page rank start to climb. Make sure people can contact you through the website. There is no better way to gauge your success with online marketing then how many clients are coming in.
So that’s opening your own business, in a nutshell. Depending on the industry you choose and the product or service you are selling, you will run in to your own unique problems and obstacles. Figuring out how to get past them, however, is just part of the fun.
Ken Sundheim is the founder of KAS Placement, which is a 5-year-old company with nearly 10 employees and growing at a very rapid pace. Read more about Ken here.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Occupational Health and Safety
Health and safety of the employees are important aspects in an organization's smooth and effective functioning. Good health and safety environment ensures an accident-free industrial set up. Maintenance of occupational safety and health is very closely related to productivity and good employer-employee relationship. Awareness of Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) has improved in India considerably. Achieving high OH&S performance has become one of the key aspects of business activities.
Management of Occupational Health and Safety demands adoption of a structured approach for the identification of hazards, their evaluation and control of risks in the organisation. Bureau of Indian Standards has formulated an Indian Standard on OH&S management systems. It is called as the IS 18001:2000 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. This standard prescribes requirements for an OH&S Management Systems to enable an organization to formulate a policy and objectives, taking into account legislative requirements and information about significant hazards and risks, which the organization can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence, to protect its employees and others, whose health and safety may be affected by the activities of the organization. All the requirements in this standard are intended to be incorporated into any OH&S management system. This standard also provides informative guidance on the use of the specification.
Organizations interested in obtaining licence for OH&S Management System as per IS 18001 should ensure that they are operating the system according to this standard. The organization should apply on the prescribed proforma ( Form IV ) at the nearest Regional Office of BIS along with Questionnaire ( Form X ) and the prescribed application fee. The application shall be signed by the proprietor or the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organization or any other person authorised to sign on behalf of the organization. The name and designation of the person signing the application must be recorded legibly in a space set apart for the purpose in the application form. Each application must be accompanied by a documented Occupational Health and Safety Management System Documentation (such as OHS manual etc.)
The Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) and the Directorate General of Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) are the two field organisations of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in the area of occupational safety and health in mines, factories and ports. The Directorate General, Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), Mumbai,which is an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment,functions as a technical arm of the Ministry in regard to matters concerned with safety, health and welfare of workers in factories and ports/docks. Directorate General of Mines Safety is the Indian Goverment Regulatory agency for safety in mines and oil-fields. The mission of the DGMS is to continually improve safety and health standards, practices and performance in the mining industry and upstream petroleum industry.
Management of Occupational Health and Safety demands adoption of a structured approach for the identification of hazards, their evaluation and control of risks in the organisation. Bureau of Indian Standards has formulated an Indian Standard on OH&S management systems. It is called as the IS 18001:2000 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. This standard prescribes requirements for an OH&S Management Systems to enable an organization to formulate a policy and objectives, taking into account legislative requirements and information about significant hazards and risks, which the organization can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence, to protect its employees and others, whose health and safety may be affected by the activities of the organization. All the requirements in this standard are intended to be incorporated into any OH&S management system. This standard also provides informative guidance on the use of the specification.
Organizations interested in obtaining licence for OH&S Management System as per IS 18001 should ensure that they are operating the system according to this standard. The organization should apply on the prescribed proforma ( Form IV ) at the nearest Regional Office of BIS along with Questionnaire ( Form X ) and the prescribed application fee. The application shall be signed by the proprietor or the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organization or any other person authorised to sign on behalf of the organization. The name and designation of the person signing the application must be recorded legibly in a space set apart for the purpose in the application form. Each application must be accompanied by a documented Occupational Health and Safety Management System Documentation (such as OHS manual etc.)
The Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) and the Directorate General of Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) are the two field organisations of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in the area of occupational safety and health in mines, factories and ports. The Directorate General, Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), Mumbai,which is an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment,functions as a technical arm of the Ministry in regard to matters concerned with safety, health and welfare of workers in factories and ports/docks. Directorate General of Mines Safety is the Indian Goverment Regulatory agency for safety in mines and oil-fields. The mission of the DGMS is to continually improve safety and health standards, practices and performance in the mining industry and upstream petroleum industry.
Wages and Benefits
Wages and fringe benefits vary considerably by industry, company size and region. Wages have two components: the basic salary and an allowance ("dearness allowance") linked to the cost-of-living index. The allowance, paid as part of the monthly salary, may be at a flat rate or on a scale graduated by income group; it often adds 60% or more to base pay. A mandatory bonus supplements wages.
Companies use both time and piece rates. The former is more common in organised-factory industries, such as engineering, chemicals, cement, paper and glass. Rates may be per hour, day, week or month. Piece rates, which the government has encouraged in order to boost productivity, are usually paid monthly, although casual workers are paid on a daily basis. Some industries (especially metal extracting, metal rolling, electrical machinery and glass) pay production premiums.
In the organised sector, wages are often set by settlements reached between trade unions and management.
The central government sets a general floor minimum wage and sets other, higher minimum wages for different industries. The state governments set different minimum wages for other industries, but these are not bound by the central government's floor wage.
Fringe benefits normally add 40-50% to base pay. By law, women are entitled to remuneration equal to that of men for performing equivalent work. Mandatory fringe benefits include the following:
Bonus for workers earning Rs3,500 or less per month (minimum of 8.33% and maximum of 20% of annual wages in factories employing ten or more). The minimum bonus payable is Rs2,500 and the maximum bonus actually payable is Rs6,000.
Dearness allowance (based on cost-of-living index) for all levels below management in firms employing 50 or more workers.
Provident fund at 10% of wages (12% for a large number of industries and business establishments) for all workers earning Rs6,500 or less per month.
One day of paid vacation for every 20 days worked (granted to every worker who has worked in a factory for a period of 240 days or more).
Health insurance (employer contributes 4.75% of total wage bill) for those who earn Rs6,500 or less per month.
Severance pay of 15 days of average salary for each complete year of continuous service.
Sick leave of seven days annually at full pay; half pay for those covered under the Employees' State Insurance Act.
Casual leave of seven to ten days for unforeseen circumstances.
Maternity leave of 12 weeks at full pay.
Companies use both time and piece rates. The former is more common in organised-factory industries, such as engineering, chemicals, cement, paper and glass. Rates may be per hour, day, week or month. Piece rates, which the government has encouraged in order to boost productivity, are usually paid monthly, although casual workers are paid on a daily basis. Some industries (especially metal extracting, metal rolling, electrical machinery and glass) pay production premiums.
In the organised sector, wages are often set by settlements reached between trade unions and management.
The central government sets a general floor minimum wage and sets other, higher minimum wages for different industries. The state governments set different minimum wages for other industries, but these are not bound by the central government's floor wage.
Fringe benefits normally add 40-50% to base pay. By law, women are entitled to remuneration equal to that of men for performing equivalent work. Mandatory fringe benefits include the following:
Bonus for workers earning Rs3,500 or less per month (minimum of 8.33% and maximum of 20% of annual wages in factories employing ten or more). The minimum bonus payable is Rs2,500 and the maximum bonus actually payable is Rs6,000.
Dearness allowance (based on cost-of-living index) for all levels below management in firms employing 50 or more workers.
Provident fund at 10% of wages (12% for a large number of industries and business establishments) for all workers earning Rs6,500 or less per month.
One day of paid vacation for every 20 days worked (granted to every worker who has worked in a factory for a period of 240 days or more).
Health insurance (employer contributes 4.75% of total wage bill) for those who earn Rs6,500 or less per month.
Severance pay of 15 days of average salary for each complete year of continuous service.
Sick leave of seven days annually at full pay; half pay for those covered under the Employees' State Insurance Act.
Casual leave of seven to ten days for unforeseen circumstances.
Maternity leave of 12 weeks at full pay.
Engagement and Dismissal
India has the world's third-largest pool of scientific and technical personnel, which serves as an important attraction for foreign investors. Most managerial and technical people, and many skilled workers, speak English, and many have studied or worked abroad. Unemployment and underemployment are high, providing an abundant supply of potential employees. Although there is a large pool of underemployed educated personnel, as in much of the developing world, illiteracy acts as a brake on labor productivity in the workforce as a whole. The current 148 industrial policy provides for hiring of foreign technicians without prior government approval.
The RBI (Reserve Bank of India) has raised the remittable per-diem rate from USD 500 to USD 1000, with an annual ceiling of USD 200,000 for services provided by foreign technicians payable to a foreign firm.
Technical personnel can remit up to 75 percent of their monthly net income through authorized exchange dealers. Total duration of employment of a technician is limited to 12 months at a time. Employment in excess of 12 months requires clearance by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
India is a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and adheres to 37 ILO conventions protecting worker rights. Industrial relations are governed by the Industrial and Disputes Act of 1947. The Act curbs unfair labor practices by employers, workers or trade unions through imposition of fines and imprisonment. Workers may form or join unions of their choice. Nevertheless, although unionized workers affiliated with national federations number more than seven million, their unions represent less than one fourth of the workers in the so called modern sector (subject to the Factories Act of 1948), primarily in state-owned concerns, and less than two percent of the total work force. Where workers are unionized, wage increases are negotiated between unions and management. Most unions are linked to political parties and their politicization has, in the past, created problems for domestic and foreign employers. Labor militancy has declined in recent years, however, even among the formerly strident Communist-Marxist unions of West Bengal. Workdays lost to strikes and lock-outs have declined every year since 1991. Worker rights are broadly protected under Indian law.
The Industrial Disputes Act established freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. The Factories Act regulates working conditions in mechanized factories employing more than 10 employees or non-mechanized factories employing more than twenty, prescribing standards for working conditions, working hours, handling and storage of materials, etc. Other laws regulate employment of women and children and prohibit bonded labor.
Enforcement of these laws has been imperfect, however, and working conditions for workers not subject to the Factories Act are often quite poor. Payment of wages is governed by the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 and Minimum Wages Act, 1948. Industrial wages range from about USD 3 per day for unskilled workers, to over USD 150 per month for skilled 149 production workers. Retrenchment, closure and layoffs are governed by the Industrial Disputes Act, which requires prior government permission to carry out layoffs or closure of businesses employing 100 or more workers. In practice, permission is not easily obtained. However, private firms
have successfully downsized using voluntary retirement schemes.
The RBI (Reserve Bank of India) has raised the remittable per-diem rate from USD 500 to USD 1000, with an annual ceiling of USD 200,000 for services provided by foreign technicians payable to a foreign firm.
Technical personnel can remit up to 75 percent of their monthly net income through authorized exchange dealers. Total duration of employment of a technician is limited to 12 months at a time. Employment in excess of 12 months requires clearance by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
India is a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and adheres to 37 ILO conventions protecting worker rights. Industrial relations are governed by the Industrial and Disputes Act of 1947. The Act curbs unfair labor practices by employers, workers or trade unions through imposition of fines and imprisonment. Workers may form or join unions of their choice. Nevertheless, although unionized workers affiliated with national federations number more than seven million, their unions represent less than one fourth of the workers in the so called modern sector (subject to the Factories Act of 1948), primarily in state-owned concerns, and less than two percent of the total work force. Where workers are unionized, wage increases are negotiated between unions and management. Most unions are linked to political parties and their politicization has, in the past, created problems for domestic and foreign employers. Labor militancy has declined in recent years, however, even among the formerly strident Communist-Marxist unions of West Bengal. Workdays lost to strikes and lock-outs have declined every year since 1991. Worker rights are broadly protected under Indian law.
The Industrial Disputes Act established freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. The Factories Act regulates working conditions in mechanized factories employing more than 10 employees or non-mechanized factories employing more than twenty, prescribing standards for working conditions, working hours, handling and storage of materials, etc. Other laws regulate employment of women and children and prohibit bonded labor.
Enforcement of these laws has been imperfect, however, and working conditions for workers not subject to the Factories Act are often quite poor. Payment of wages is governed by the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 and Minimum Wages Act, 1948. Industrial wages range from about USD 3 per day for unskilled workers, to over USD 150 per month for skilled 149 production workers. Retrenchment, closure and layoffs are governed by the Industrial Disputes Act, which requires prior government permission to carry out layoffs or closure of businesses employing 100 or more workers. In practice, permission is not easily obtained. However, private firms
have successfully downsized using voluntary retirement schemes.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Jobs Commodities Automobiles Insurance Real Estate Travel & Tourism Health & Pharma Lifestyle Media Power Telecom Infotech Retail Infr
New Delhi: In thin trading, the wholesale steel and iron prices moved in a narrow range in the national capital on Saturday in the absence of worthwhile activity.
Arrivals and offtake remained at a low ebb, which also reduced the volume of business.
Traders said absence of buying or selling by stockists amid tight money market conditions mainly kept prices unchanged.
Following are today's quotations in Rs per tonne.
CTD saria (Kamdhenu) 8-mm, 41,200, 10-mm, 41,900, 12-mm 40,600, 16-25 mm 38,450.
Saria Jai Bharat (iso 9002) 8-mm 38,650, 10 mm 37,850, 12-mm 37,050, 16-25 mm 37,050.
Amba saria (iso-9002) 8-mm 37,500, 10-mm 36,800, 12-mm 36,200, 16-25-mm 36,000.
Amba shakti: (TMT) 8-mm 36,800, 10 mm 35,800, 12 mm 35,200, 16 to 25 mm 35,000.
M S Angle: (50x5) (50x6) 33,000, (40x5) (40x6) 33,500. Angle capital (ISI) (40X5) (40x6) 36,900, (35X5) (65X6) 33,900.
Garder (joist) (150x75) 33,500 (175x85) 32,5000 (200x100) 33,300 (125x70) 33,600. T-IRON (40X5)(40X6)(50X6) 33,500.
Arrivals and offtake remained at a low ebb, which also reduced the volume of business.
Traders said absence of buying or selling by stockists amid tight money market conditions mainly kept prices unchanged.
Following are today's quotations in Rs per tonne.
CTD saria (Kamdhenu) 8-mm, 41,200, 10-mm, 41,900, 12-mm 40,600, 16-25 mm 38,450.
Saria Jai Bharat (iso 9002) 8-mm 38,650, 10 mm 37,850, 12-mm 37,050, 16-25 mm 37,050.
Amba saria (iso-9002) 8-mm 37,500, 10-mm 36,800, 12-mm 36,200, 16-25-mm 36,000.
Amba shakti: (TMT) 8-mm 36,800, 10 mm 35,800, 12 mm 35,200, 16 to 25 mm 35,000.
M S Angle: (50x5) (50x6) 33,000, (40x5) (40x6) 33,500. Angle capital (ISI) (40X5) (40x6) 36,900, (35X5) (65X6) 33,900.
Garder (joist) (150x75) 33,500 (175x85) 32,5000 (200x100) 33,300 (125x70) 33,600. T-IRON (40X5)(40X6)(50X6) 33,500.
Real estate firm Disha Direct sets up UAE office
Dubai: Disha Direct Marketing Services has announced the opening of its first office in the UAE.
The company launched its global venture, Buy Indian Properties, in Dubai on Sunday to spearhead operations in the Middle East.
This is Disha Direct's second overseas office. The company already has a presence in New York, USA.
With the establishment of a local office, Disha Direct aims to facilitate investment by UAE residents in Indian property.
The office, located in Karama, Dubai, was officially inaugurated by actor Prashant Damle.
Disha Direct offers residential properties in cities, second homes away from the city, budget homes within city limits, developed plots, commercial properties and expansive acres of undeveloped land.
Speaking at the launch of the local office, Disha Direct Managing Director Santosh Naik said: "The property market in India is considered as one of the strongest property sectors in the world, offering reliable and highly lucrative investment opportunities."
"We are happy to enter the UAE market and believe it is an opportune time for us to be here, owing to the vast populace of Indian nationals living here. This is part of our vision of to reach out to the Indian communities across the world and build confidence, trust and credibility in all our projects in the real estate market place," Naik said.
The company launched its global venture, Buy Indian Properties, in Dubai on Sunday to spearhead operations in the Middle East.
This is Disha Direct's second overseas office. The company already has a presence in New York, USA.
With the establishment of a local office, Disha Direct aims to facilitate investment by UAE residents in Indian property.
The office, located in Karama, Dubai, was officially inaugurated by actor Prashant Damle.
Disha Direct offers residential properties in cities, second homes away from the city, budget homes within city limits, developed plots, commercial properties and expansive acres of undeveloped land.
Speaking at the launch of the local office, Disha Direct Managing Director Santosh Naik said: "The property market in India is considered as one of the strongest property sectors in the world, offering reliable and highly lucrative investment opportunities."
"We are happy to enter the UAE market and believe it is an opportune time for us to be here, owing to the vast populace of Indian nationals living here. This is part of our vision of to reach out to the Indian communities across the world and build confidence, trust and credibility in all our projects in the real estate market place," Naik said.
‘Certain loose practices were developing in the housing sector’
Reserve Bank of India governor D SUBBARAO moved swiftly to curtail some malpractices in the housing loan segment in the monetary policy review on Tuesday. In an interview to GEORGE MATHEW, he spoke about the home loan segment, capital flows, GDP growth, asset price build-up and the microfinance sector. Excerpts:
Why did you tighten the home loan norms? Is there any problem in the segment?
We have been watching the situation. We noticed that certain loose practices were developing in the housing sector. We wanted to curb that.... that’s the motivation behind the move. Some slackness in the loans to value ratio and whether teaser rates go through the same stringent valuation that they should be going through. It’s not that we have actually seen so much of a problem. We have seen factors that could potentially lead to a problem.
There has been an asset price build-up. Do you think there’s a need to curtail flows to restrict price rise?
There has been an asset price build-up. Gold is at all-time high and equity prices are high. Moderating capital flows depends on a number of factors, not just asset prices. The exchange rate, currency, current account deficit. So far this year, the flows have been in line with current account deficit. Should there be flows far out of line with current account deficit, we might need to intervene.
Microfinance companies are charging very high interest rates. Why is the RBI not doing anything to bring them down?
The RBI regulates only one segment of the MFI sector, which is the non-banking finance companies involved in the microfinance sector. There’s no such separate categorisation of NBFC-MFIs. There are 37 NBFCs which are MFIs and regulated by us and none of them are deposit taking. Only about 13 out of 37 NBFCs are systematically important with business of over Rs 100 crore. The segment of the MFI sector that comes under RBI regulation is small but in terms of total lending, it might be significantly higher. Now there are questions about regulating interest rates and our stance is to move away from regulating interest rates. We can’t now turn towards this and start regulating interest rates. In any case, this is a question that Malegam committee will go through and we will take a view after the report is available.
Do you think capital flows are disruptive to warrant any intervention?
The flows so...
Why did you tighten the home loan norms? Is there any problem in the segment?
We have been watching the situation. We noticed that certain loose practices were developing in the housing sector. We wanted to curb that.... that’s the motivation behind the move. Some slackness in the loans to value ratio and whether teaser rates go through the same stringent valuation that they should be going through. It’s not that we have actually seen so much of a problem. We have seen factors that could potentially lead to a problem.
There has been an asset price build-up. Do you think there’s a need to curtail flows to restrict price rise?
There has been an asset price build-up. Gold is at all-time high and equity prices are high. Moderating capital flows depends on a number of factors, not just asset prices. The exchange rate, currency, current account deficit. So far this year, the flows have been in line with current account deficit. Should there be flows far out of line with current account deficit, we might need to intervene.
Microfinance companies are charging very high interest rates. Why is the RBI not doing anything to bring them down?
The RBI regulates only one segment of the MFI sector, which is the non-banking finance companies involved in the microfinance sector. There’s no such separate categorisation of NBFC-MFIs. There are 37 NBFCs which are MFIs and regulated by us and none of them are deposit taking. Only about 13 out of 37 NBFCs are systematically important with business of over Rs 100 crore. The segment of the MFI sector that comes under RBI regulation is small but in terms of total lending, it might be significantly higher. Now there are questions about regulating interest rates and our stance is to move away from regulating interest rates. We can’t now turn towards this and start regulating interest rates. In any case, this is a question that Malegam committee will go through and we will take a view after the report is available.
Do you think capital flows are disruptive to warrant any intervention?
The flows so...
Indians prefer self employment: NSSO
Indians prefer self-employment. This was revealed at the 62nd round of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) report on employment situation of India in 2005-06. The number of self-employed people were highest both in rural and urban India in 2005-06. While the national average was 254 per 1,000 people in rural India, it was 149 for the urban areas.
The survey reveals that in rural India, more than half of all workers were self-employed - 57% among males and nearly 62% among females. The corresponding figures in urban India were 42% for male and 44% for female.
The percentage of regular wage and salaried employees was relatively lower among females as compared to males in both rural and urban India. For males its was 10% while its was 4% for female in the rural areas, and 42% for male and 40% for female in the urban areas.
The number of unemployed are maximum in urban India at 18 per 1,000 people surveyed while it was just 8 in the rural areas. According to the usual status approach (review of work in a full year), the unemployment rate in the rural areas was around 2% (almost 3% for male and 2% for female). In urban areas the unemployment rate was 5% (5% for male and 8% for female). The unemployment rate was, however, higher for females than that for the males in the urban area but it was lower than that for males in the rural area.
Among educated people, (with education level secondary and above), in the age group 15 - 29 years, the unemployment rate in rural and urban area was 12% and 16% respectively.
The number of casual labourers was highest in rural India at 433 per 1000 people surveyed. Rural Andhra Pradesh had the maximum number of casual labourers at 531, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 526, Tamil Nadu at 525 and Maharashtra at 507.
In the urban areas, Himachal Pradesh had the maximum number of casual workers at 410 per 1,000 followed by Tamil Nadu at 406 and Goa at 394.
About 56% of rural males and 31% of rural females belonged to the labour force. The corresponding proportions in the urban areas were 57% and 15% respectively. The proportion of female casual labourer was about 1% higher than that of male casual labourer in both rural and urban areas. he average monthly wage for...
The survey reveals that in rural India, more than half of all workers were self-employed - 57% among males and nearly 62% among females. The corresponding figures in urban India were 42% for male and 44% for female.
The percentage of regular wage and salaried employees was relatively lower among females as compared to males in both rural and urban India. For males its was 10% while its was 4% for female in the rural areas, and 42% for male and 40% for female in the urban areas.
The number of unemployed are maximum in urban India at 18 per 1,000 people surveyed while it was just 8 in the rural areas. According to the usual status approach (review of work in a full year), the unemployment rate in the rural areas was around 2% (almost 3% for male and 2% for female). In urban areas the unemployment rate was 5% (5% for male and 8% for female). The unemployment rate was, however, higher for females than that for the males in the urban area but it was lower than that for males in the rural area.
Among educated people, (with education level secondary and above), in the age group 15 - 29 years, the unemployment rate in rural and urban area was 12% and 16% respectively.
The number of casual labourers was highest in rural India at 433 per 1000 people surveyed. Rural Andhra Pradesh had the maximum number of casual labourers at 531, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 526, Tamil Nadu at 525 and Maharashtra at 507.
In the urban areas, Himachal Pradesh had the maximum number of casual workers at 410 per 1,000 followed by Tamil Nadu at 406 and Goa at 394.
About 56% of rural males and 31% of rural females belonged to the labour force. The corresponding proportions in the urban areas were 57% and 15% respectively. The proportion of female casual labourer was about 1% higher than that of male casual labourer in both rural and urban areas. he average monthly wage for...
Advantage and disadvantage of selfemployment
when i browse about this, a replay from a person to that post is,
Advantage: You don't have a boss standing over you all day long. You decide how much you get paid.You set your own hours. You decide what jobs you will do and which you will not.
.Disadvantages: You have to be self-motivated. You have to do all your own money handling and paperwork. You are only as successful as what you put into it. (That applies to most regular jobs too though.) You have to spend money to make money, you don't generally start at a profit level.
.You have to be smarter with your money because you have to be sure to set back your own retirement, all your insurances, vacation and sick time funding. Everything that a regular job would simply deduct from your checks, you now have to do yourself.
Source(s):
You do have the risk of unemployment.. if your business is not going well and you are not making the income you need, and you business is your sould source of income. Plus, if your business fails and it's all you have you can not draw unemployment, unless you pay into it, which most self-employers do not./// tandkalexander is somewhat correct. You do get to have some seriously great tax write-offs. I do not know what she does but as a self employed person my wardrobe and fuel expenses are pretty high. I deal with the public constantly. It depends on what you do, as to what you overhead is going to be.
'Self-employment is a better option'
HYDERABAD: Setting up of micro-enterprises should be encouraged to promote selfemployment among youngsters, Bajaj Auto vice chairman Madhur Bajaj said.
Speaking to reporters on the lines of the Youth Employment Summit (YES) Hyderabad regional forum on Monday, Madhur said with the government closing its doors to youngsters, self employment schemes were the only options left.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Job today (09 October 10 - 15 October 10)
taken from "www.employmentnews.gov.in"
1.Union Public Service Commission invites applications for various posts.- Staff Selection Commission notifies Special Examination for Recruitment of Sub-Inspectors in CPO’s, 2010.
- University Grants Commission notifies UGC National Eligibility Test for Junior Research Fellowship and Eligibility for Lectureship December, 2010.
- Oriental Bank of Commerce requires Probationary Officers.
- Indian Bank requires Probationary Officers.
- Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited, Tiruchirappalli needs Artisans.
- Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited requires Non-Management Positions.
- Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, New Delhi requires applications for Teaching and Non-Teaching posts.
- Indian Air Force invites applications for unmarried Male candidates for Selection Test in February 2011 to Join as Airman in Group ‘X’ (Technical) Trades.
- Securities and Exchange Board of India requires applications for Asstt. Manager and Officer Grade Posts.
- NHPC Limited requires applications for posts of Hindi Translators.
- Staff Selection Commission, Mumbai invites applications for various posts.
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai invites applications for various posts.
- Employees State Insurance Corporation, New Delhi invites applications for recruitment of Professors and Associate Professors.
- Central University of Orissa invites applications for Technical Posts and Non-Technical Posts.
- Hq. Maintenance Command, IAF requires Direct Recruitment of Group-C Civilian Posts in Indian Air Force.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Property Prices Skyrocketing in Delhi and Mumbai
This is one question that is in the minds of almost everyone looking for property in Mumbai, Delhi or any other city where prices have spun out of control. However, speculating about real estate bubbles on the Indian market without looking at the facts is the work of a doomsayer, not an analyst.
So, let’s define a bubble first. In a normal market, prices do rise, but only in tandem with the rate of inflation or a rise in middle-class incomes. Real estate enters bubble territory when prices climb unrealistically fast. But is that the case today? It is definitely a possibility, but only in the cities where prices have actually skyrocketed beyond affordability. It can be argued that they have done so almost everywhere in the country, but the fact is that local people are still buying homes on as-needed basis in most tier-II and tier-III cities. Nor is the supply in most of those cities either overly constrained or curtailed. So, when we talk of the possibility of a bubble, we’re actually only talking of property in Mumbai and Delhi right now.
The real estate market in Delhi led the correction, and Mumbai fell in line next. Both bounced back after the introduction of stimulus packages and the government’s actions in restructuring debt. During the revival phase, a large amount of capital sitting on the fences immediately saw an opportunity. This was first seen in the equity markets, and then later in the real estate and gold commodity markets - all three classes bounced back convincingly.
There is, therefore, a concern that these two markets have demonstrated higher-than- expected enthusiasm, especially in the central parts in the case of Mumbai, and Gurgaon and Noida for Delhi. A lot of investors have plugged in considerable amounts of capital in these regions, and the values, on an average, have now gone 30% higher than the last peak. Some of the residential developments in central Mumbai in 2008 had peaked at `30,000/sq ft. Today, they stand at 38,000/sq ft.
The kind of volumes that we have witnessed in the first half of 2010 has come down dramatically but the liquidity situation in the market has not dropped, and neither has the appetite for investment. In fact, the same enthusiasm, which had been previously contracted by the central parts of Mumbai, is now spreading towards the other parts of the city.
There is yet another reason for the concern over a bubble building on the market. All developers who had ventured to buy land overseas or across India are now buying only in the primary cities. In other words, Mumbai developers are concentrating on acquiring land solely in Mumbai, and the same is happening in Gurgaon. Investments are now chasing these tier-1 markets. If this continues, then there is certainly the probability of a bubble in residential property by the end of the year.
So, let’s define a bubble first. In a normal market, prices do rise, but only in tandem with the rate of inflation or a rise in middle-class incomes. Real estate enters bubble territory when prices climb unrealistically fast. But is that the case today? It is definitely a possibility, but only in the cities where prices have actually skyrocketed beyond affordability. It can be argued that they have done so almost everywhere in the country, but the fact is that local people are still buying homes on as-needed basis in most tier-II and tier-III cities. Nor is the supply in most of those cities either overly constrained or curtailed. So, when we talk of the possibility of a bubble, we’re actually only talking of property in Mumbai and Delhi right now.
The real estate market in Delhi led the correction, and Mumbai fell in line next. Both bounced back after the introduction of stimulus packages and the government’s actions in restructuring debt. During the revival phase, a large amount of capital sitting on the fences immediately saw an opportunity. This was first seen in the equity markets, and then later in the real estate and gold commodity markets - all three classes bounced back convincingly.
There is, therefore, a concern that these two markets have demonstrated higher-than- expected enthusiasm, especially in the central parts in the case of Mumbai, and Gurgaon and Noida for Delhi. A lot of investors have plugged in considerable amounts of capital in these regions, and the values, on an average, have now gone 30% higher than the last peak. Some of the residential developments in central Mumbai in 2008 had peaked at `30,000/sq ft. Today, they stand at 38,000/sq ft.
The kind of volumes that we have witnessed in the first half of 2010 has come down dramatically but the liquidity situation in the market has not dropped, and neither has the appetite for investment. In fact, the same enthusiasm, which had been previously contracted by the central parts of Mumbai, is now spreading towards the other parts of the city.
There is yet another reason for the concern over a bubble building on the market. All developers who had ventured to buy land overseas or across India are now buying only in the primary cities. In other words, Mumbai developers are concentrating on acquiring land solely in Mumbai, and the same is happening in Gurgaon. Investments are now chasing these tier-1 markets. If this continues, then there is certainly the probability of a bubble in residential property by the end of the year.
THE REAL ESTATE MARKET 2009
The global financial meltdown has had the first level impact – that of shocking the world and causing the global markets to crash. Once the markets recaliberate their expectations factoring in a new set of rules for the game, a new paradigm will emerge. Double digit growth and greed will be replaced by cautious optimism and realistic growth.
Fortunately, India's GDP has an extremely large component of domestic consumption, and as we see the reality of the global meltdown being completely absorbed and factored in to our future projections and expectations, we will see the result of the strong domestic demand.
2009 will be a year where we will see the results of the active government intervention in fending off the global crisis. While there is still a lot more that the government can and claims that it will do, the fact that customers still need homes will set in. This, complimented with lower real estate rates, lower interest rates and better incentives to customers to purchase homes will go a long way in rebuilding the entire real estate industry.
We have already seen a change in the customer sentiment towards purchasing a home and expect that the currently visible trickle of change in customer sentiment towards purchasing a home will translate into a normal buying cycle. The reality is that customers are astute and have started to realise that while buying at the absolute bottom is a near impossible task, the downside risk from current levels is fairly low. Further, the purchasing power has improved substantially with the current market scenario.
The drop in interest rates from 11.5% to 9.25% combined with a reduction of 15% in real estate rates has resulted in an increase in purchasing power of 33%. The same EMI would, at a lower interest rate provide for a higher loan. The higher loan used to purchase a home at a lower price would enable the customer to purchase more square feet.
The transition of the real estate market will however lead to some fundamental differences this time. Customers will purchase based on need rather than based on the euphoria and hype we saw in 2006-2007. Already, sizes of homes have reduced and customers will be more circumspect in their purchase decisions. At the developer end, the indiscriminate growth will also give way to more rational and safer growth plans. Plans that are not based on arbitrage between cap rates between domestic and international markets and excel spread sheets but on the fundamentals of brick and mortar.
I believe 2009 will see the customers who have deferred their home purchases in 2008 take the decision and purchase their homes given the affordability impact as well as the tremendous need for homes in the country. As a result of the reduced number of projects launched in the last 12 months, we will see better projects developed by reputed developers being sold out sooner.
Real Estate-OVERVIEW
The real estate sector in the country is one of great importance. According to the report of the Technical Group on Estimation of Housing Shortage, an estimated shortage of 26.53 million houses during the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12) provides a big investment opportunity.
India leads the pack of top real estate investment markets in Asia for 2010, according to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Urban Land Institute, a global non-profit education and research institute, released in December 2009. The report, which provides an outlook on Asia-Pacific real estate investment and development trends, points out that India, in particular Mumbai and Delhi, are good real estate investment destinations. Residential properties are viewed as more promising than other sectors. While, Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru top the pack in the hotel 'buy' prospects as well.
The study is based on the opinions of over 270 international real estate professionals, including investors, developers, property company representatives, lenders, brokers and consultants.
Further, real estate companies are coming up with various residential and commercial projects to fulfill the demand for residential and office properties in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. For instance, Ansal Properties has several residential projects in cities such as Jodhpur, Ajmer, Jaipur, Panipat, Kundli and Agra. Omaxe has also planned around 40 residential and integrated township projects in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, majority of them being in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. The growth in real estate in Tier-II and Tier-III cities is mainly due to increase in demand for organised realty and availability of land at affordable prices in these cities.
According to the data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), housing and real estate sector including cineplex, multiplex, integrated townships and commercial complexes etc, attracted a cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) worth US$ 8.4 billion from April 2000 to April 2010 wherein the sector witnessed FDI amounting US$ 2.8 billion in the fiscal year 2009-10.
New Projects
Private equity fund IL&FS Investment Managers (IIML) plans to invest US$ 300 million in real estate and urban infrastructure projects by the end of 2010.
Godrej Group's real estate company, Godrej Properties and Frontier Home Developers, plans to develop a residential project in Gurgaon. This would be the first residential project in the national capital region (NCR) for Godrej Properties.
Shristi Infrastructure Development Corporation will invest US$ 444.7 million over the next three years in seven small cities in West Bengal, Tripura and Rajasthan. The money would be used to build integrated townships, healthcare facilities, hospitality and sports facilities, retail malls, logistics hubs and commercial and residential complexes.
Realty major Ansal Properties & Infrastructure Ltd plans to invest about US$ 330.8 million over the next three years on expansion of its existing integrated townships and to develop a group housing project in Haryana.
Integrated property development and asset management company, Vision India Real Estate Pvt Ltd, is planning to develop logistics parks in Bengaluru and Chennai, with an outlay of US$ 110 million.
Tata Housing is planning to launch about 10 new residential projects in both affordable and luxury segments in 2010-11, with an investment of about US$ 268.9 million along with its partners.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Some Basic Styles of Architecture
Among the basic survival needs, a shelter is of great importance. Not only does it provide a comfortable place to live, but it also offers protection from many things. In ancient times, humans used caves as their shelter. A cave was primarily intended to provide protection from the weather and wild animals. With the passage of time, the residence of man evolved along with everything else. Today, services such as New Hampshire real estate and Vermont real estate assist in finding a perfect home for us.
These days, there is a large variety of choices regarding the style and architecture of houses. Many of these styles are among the most ancient ones. Almost every great civilization in history has introduced a unique style of its own. Many are now rare to see because of the expenses and area they require. Most of the new ones, however, are less costly derivatives of those grand ancient styles. Let us take a look at some of the most significant architectural styles in history.
• The history of a definite architecture starts from the magnificent Egyptian civilization in around 3000 BC. There were several other civilizations with their own unique architecture at the same time, but none was as grand as that of Egyptians. However, one similarity between all the ancient architectural structures was that pleasing the Gods was one of the main functions of their buildings.
Therefore, temples from Egypt, the Indus-Valley and Greece are considered the best structures to show off the architectural beauty of their times. Later, Greeks also introduced their unique architectural style, which was simple yet beautiful. The Pyramid of Giza and the Temple of Athens are the best examples to define the ancient architectural style.
• The Chinese developed a unique style which is still vastly used in China. It also has its great influence on Japanese architecture. The Chinese architectural style was and is heavily based on horizontal axis with a floating roof on the top.
• The Roman architecture started the architectural style of the Middle Ages. Although people speak of its similarities with the Greek style, there is a big difference between the two. The Roman introduced arches while Greeks preferred more block-like structure. Furthermore, Roman styles were not just pleasing; they were engineered to be more practical.
• Byzantine Architecture also got very popular in Europe. Hagia Sofia became a symbol of this beautiful style. The Roman and Byzantine style, however, later evolved into the Romanesque and Gothic style. Concurrently, the Renaissance style became very popular in Europe. It is quite obvious that this style greatly affected the Islamic architectural style during the crusades.
• Islamic architecture was based on geometrical shapes, arches and calligraphic arts. Although this style can be divided into several categories, some elements remain same in all the styles and are easily identifiable as Islamic art.
• The modern day architecture is a very unique blend of all styles, with the very first emphasis on safety and practicality. Architectures and engineers have incorporated different styles inspired from historic buildings to art movements. While some buildings are based on extremely simple block styles, some have broken all the conventions with their unbelievable design.
With so many styles and endless combinations, the future of architecture seems beyond the conventional boundaries.
The Shame is, That They Don't Really Have Any
In this short post, I am re-visiting a topic upon which I have ranted before. Realtors who negotiate commission rates in the "remarks" section. Firstly, it is in direct contravention of MLS rules to negotiate the commission in an MLS listing. I saw one today that said, and this is disappointingly typical, "commission to be 50% of whatever bank will pay." So if the bank offer $1.00 and a sandwich you are obliged to accept 50 cents and half a PB & J? Have you no pride in your work? Have you no self-esteem?
If your client were to see that type of verbiage, would they see you as a champion of their cause; fighting fearlessly for their last dollar? More than that, when I see that kind of defeatist phrasing in a listing I sit back and smile. Why? Because I know that if we were to pursue your listing, I would crush you in the negotiations.
If you are that agent, you need to consider another line of work. You most certainly are not benefiting your client, so you need to step aside and let us professionals take care of business.
Likewise to all you puppets who insist that buyers must qualify with your preferred lender. Grow a spine! The message you send is this, "I do not trust the loan status report (LSR) that your lender has provided because the lending business is so corrupt/malleable/unregulated (pick one), but I insist you blindly trust my random guy with all your most private and critical and secure information before we can proceed."
If you don't stand up to these banks, you will just end up under their complete control.
For the record, I have never allowed a client to qualify with another lender on the whim of a seller, and I never will.
Gary Kiernan is a broker in Arizona. He specializes in the Greater Phoenix area concentrating on Cave Creek, Carefree, Scottsdale, Phoenix and including Desert Hills, Anthem, Paradise Valley, Gilbert, Mesa and Chandler
Plan an Environmentally Sound Yard
Having beautiful looking lawn need not cost several thousands of dollars. You can make one by simply keeping it spic and span. You can also add seasonal plants and flowers that grow beautifully at a particular time. Aside from that, you also have to continuously care for the lawn. This is the only for you to keep your lawn looking great at all times. It needs special care and attention. Hence, you should spend some time to check on your plants, trim, water and fertilize them.
The only challenge there is for people is how to care for their lawn that is environmentally sound. Being able to do this would help minimize the contamination of waters and wetlands, as well as erosion of soil. How to do this? Here are some of the tips:
1. Lessen the use of pesticide or completely eliminate it. This is a great way to avoid contamination of waters from chemicals. Aside from that, this is the best way to garden your homes without causing harm to yourself and your family.
2. Use organic materials for fertilization instead of chemical fertilizers. So instead of throwing away or burning dried twigs and grasses, compile them to make compost.
3. Plant at the right areas. You need to put plants in areas where the soil is high in nutrients, where there is access to water and where there is less likelihood for pests to attack the plants.
4. Perform mulching. This is one of the most effective ways to prevent the growth of weeds and grass the natural way. At the same time, it also preserves the land by preventing the incidence of erosion.
5. Always mow your lawn to keep grass less than 3 inches. Doing this ensures that your plant gets all the nutrients that it needs without competition. Use the cut grass as a component of your compost. Or y
6. You also can utilize your lawn naturally. Make use of the natural landscaping and add plants and trees that could further enhance its look. This is also a great way to preserve the soil.
7. If you want to beautify your garden, use ornaments that are made locally. Doing so minimizes the use of fuel for transportation because there is no need for long distance travel. This is another great way to lessen carbon footprint from your gardening activities.
8. Water your plants at the right schedule. It is best to water them when there isn't too much heat. If you water plants during the hottest parts of the day, water could evaporate easily; hence, depriving the plants of enough water. Watering plants at the right also minimizes the chance of fungal growth. If the plants are dampened, its soil would become a breeding ground for molds.
Follow these tips and you can maintain the beauty of your lawn without degrading the environment. You can also lessen the carbon footprint of your gardening activities, which could then lessen the emission of green house gases in the environment.
Do you want to find more environmental friendly homes in Homes for Sale in Bremerton WA and Basement Real Estate Houses.
Your Building's Energy Performance
There are numerous ways for companies to increase their bottom line, many of which come at the expense of their customers and employees, such as increasing the price of products or services and staff cutbacks. But today, many companies favor a profit enhancer that doesn't result in unemployment or customer defection: energy saving retrofits. Energy efficient retrofits benefit large and small companies alike, with some companies experiencing as much as a seven-figure reduction in their annual utility costs. But before you contract with a retrofitting company to replace your current energy systems, it's important to realize that finding the right solutions is contingent on analyzing your building's energy performance using three key performance indicators: tracking utility bills, benchmarking and trend logging.
Tracking Utility Bills
Tracking your utility bills helps to analyze your building's energy consumption over a longer period of time, and can reveal period of time when your energy consumption is inordinately high. The standard length of time for utility bill tracking is one year, after which time an assessment can be made about what energy efficient retrofits should receive first priority in terms of commercial energy savings. For example, if you own a warehouse whose gas usage from September through April accounts for 56 percent of its annual energy bill, then the sensible option is to implement retrofits that lower heating bills first.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is used to compare your building's current energy performance to its past energy performance, and can also be used to compare its present performance to the present performance of similar buildings on a regional and/or national basis. As a result of these comparisons, benchmarking allows you to identify areas for improvement and then measure improvement once the problem areas are addressed. Benchmarking for energy efficiency is conducted using one of two metrics: energy use per square foot or energy cost per square foot. Energy use per square foot is considered more reliable due to differences in energy sources and utility rates.
Trend Logging
Unlike utility bill tracking, trend logging focuses on gathering data in short intervals, with 15-minute intervals being common. By collecting data in short intervals on an entire building or one of its systems, trend logging gives companies insight into how their utility bills transpire on a micro level. For example, whereas utility bill tracking may reveal an entire season where electrical usage spikes, trend logging may reveal periods within a single day when electrical usage spikes, and what elements are responsible for the spike. Common forms of data that support trend logging are utility interval demand meter data, direct digital control (DDC) systems data, electrical submeter data and weather data.
In my research on commercial energy savings methods, I've found that energy saving retrofits is the most financially rewarding option.
LEED Credentialed Maintenance Programs
The United States Green Building Council is now offering an ecology-oriented building certification program called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This program focuses on five areas: energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials selection, sustainable site development, and water savings. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is granted to all kinds of structures which meet the criteria in these categories, so many certified individuals are needed to uphold the standards. Training is available for this purpose.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Credentialed Maintenance programs are available for professionals who wish to expand their knowledge of certification principles. The program begins with LEED Green Associate and LEED AP Operations + Maintenance credentials and continues with LEED AP Homes, Building Design + Construction, Interior Design + Construction, and Neighbor Development. All credentials that have been awarded by the GBCI must be maintained through accumulation of Continuing Education credits on a 2-year cycle.
This 2-year period is referred to as the CMP reporting period and if professionals do not complete their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Continuing Education requirements within this period their credential expires. Individuals who are undergoing AP training are required to complete 30 CE hours biannually, 6 of which must be LEED-specific. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associates only need to complete 15 CE hours biannually (including 3-specific hours) of credentialed maintenance activity to maintain their credential. Different activities earn different amounts of CE hours, but the GBCI provides a CMP guide to assist with calculation. Professionals are responsible for reporting their own hours, a process which can be completed online without any additional documentation. Once the CMP requirements for credential have been met, an individual may simply pay a $50 CMP renewal fee to renew his credential. This fee must be paid within thirty days of the end of the reporting period or the credential will expire.
The GBCI also offers another option for maintaining a credential - many professionals choose to undergo optional retesting as a way to maintain their credential. Individuals using this method must take the required exam between 3 and 12 months of the end of their reporting period. With so many options available for achieving and maintaining LEED credentials, every year more professionals are making the choice to earn their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. Programs like these are revolutionizing the construction industry and making the world a cleaner, healthier place to live.
Energy Efficient Homes
Much of the world today is highly dependent on fossil fuels to run their economies. Highly industrialized nations have never put a cap on how much they can really take before they suffer the consequences. The global community will experience a head-on collision with mother nature eventually if international leaders cannot come up with a realistic solution to global warming. It is this threat that results from the burning of the highly efficient and widely used cheap source of energy - the fossil fuels, that affects every facet of human life as we know it today.
We have already faced the effects of global warming and yet we are still turning a blind eye on what is happening today. The devastating results of 3 typhoons in the Philippines in 2009 alone brought billions of pesos in damages to public property as well as placing undue pressure on the local economy. Now, power outages and rotating brownouts are threatening the entire Luzon economic scene and the Metro Manila financial hub.
There are, however, many ways to alternative sources of energy it is just that we are unwilling to develop it. The petroleum giants are not willing to put their resources to build, improve, and market renewable energy because, obviously, they do not really care. These multi-billion dollar companies are just so greedy that they do not realize the potential disaster they will face in the near future.
Real estate developers should also look into energy-efficient homes. These so-called eco-friendly homes are the trend of the future. Solar panel installed rooftops is feasible. We can save more on electric bills by utilizing solar energy. Water recycling can also be doable as long as our government and its citizenry are willing to set their minds on it. Extensive waste management and recycling should also be our primary goals. At the forefront of our economy of the future are ideas like these.
It has been four decades since we began to look for renewable energy. The plan to find other sources of energy brought about by the energy crises, inflation, and the rising price of oil in the early 70's has been going on for more than forty years, but this project has not yet been fully realized by the global industry. The potential large-scale application of this plan might yet be feasible for years to come.
How to Make Green Homes
Green homes are gaining popularity these days. In fact, modern and recently built homes are made greener than ever. A lot of people have been realizing its benefits. And it would not be a wonder why they will push for a green home since it can improve the quality of life they have. But wait! A green house? You probably think this is not the color of your choice.
Don't get it wrong. Green house isn't all about the color of the house. You can have a pink house, green house or even a yellow house and it would still be considered green. Green homes are built with materials that are environmental friendly. It is also a kind of home that is efficient in everything, especially with the use of utilities. Not only that, living in it promotes a healthy lifestyle for its homeowners.
So how do you make a green home? Here are some of the ideas:
1. Good Insulation. Every part of the house (from walls to attics and even the floors) should have effective insulation. You will know if proper installation has been done when the house is sealed. Hence, there is absence of gaps and compressions. It is also achieved by using materials with high R-value or thermal resistance rating.
2. Zero Leakage on ducts. A duct system is responsible for distributing heat and cool air within the house. But the quality of hot and cold air can be greatly reduced if the duct system is leaky. To make your home green, the ducts should be properly insulated. It should be installed in conditioned spaces. Lastly, it should have the right size.
3. Go for Qualified Windows. US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has defined what an eco-friendly window is. Aside from being able to facilitate natural light to pass through the house, it should also maintain the level of comfort desired in one's home. According to EPA, to make your homes green you should have windows that have multiple panes, low e-coating, gas fills, warm edge spacers and frames that can reduce condensation, protect your interiors and increase comfort.
4. Use of efficient appliances. One way to ascertain if the appliances used is energy efficient is through the energy star rating. But that is not all that you should do. There should be proper placement and spacing of appliances to help it work efficiently. Other conservation practices should also be used to be able to enjoy lower utilities expense.
5. Right Cooling and Heating Devices. The device used should also be energy-star rated. When buying them, they should be of the right size. Upon installation, the device should be properly placed and should not be exposed to extreme conditions.
Green homes are packed with benefits. By the time you apply these tips, you will notice your electricity bills will be reduced. The components of your house will also be long-lasting. And what is good about it is that you get to enjoy increased level of comforts without harming the environment.
Building Green
Many architects and builders have received recognition in building green-however, questions are always being addressed what signals a truly green building. Is it the products that suggest a building is green or the way the products are used in the construction application? As we evolve with respect to any type of building green, the answer to the questions will eventually come to us. It is a continual work-in-progress. For now, however building green can fall under six criteria, each can be dissected as much as reasonably possible. The broad-brush criteria however is listed below with regard to building green.
Areas where you will be building green include:
1. Using products comprised of salvaged, recycled and agricultural waste;
2. Using products in construction made from our natural resources;
3. Using products that provide toxic wastes in manufacture;
4. Using products that substantially reduce the impact on the environment during the construction phase; renovation of existing buildings or during demolition.
5. Installing products that substantially save water or energy; and,
6. Products that making living inside more healthy.
When it comes down to building green standards it becomes a matter of determining the proper extraction of a natural resource as well as reviewing the impact of production on the environment.
Builders and architects who make a practice of building green understand substitution of a green product for one that is not considered environmentally friendly is part of the green-friendly process. In example, a green product with respect to wood comes in the form of recycled plastic lumber. This product is considered acceptable green material because it possess the components of a product made from recycled waste; is highly durable, and there is no need to treat it against pests.
Another example of a product that may be used in building green is straw particleboard. The reason straw particleboard is considered a significant green-inspired product is due to the fact it is free from off gassing with respect to formaldehyde; and it is manufactured out of agri-waste.
Products you can reuse generally qualify as more green than recyclable raw materials. Examples of reusable items include plumbing hardware, mill work, framing, and bricks. All of these items may be classified as salvage.
Also post-recycle consumer products are considered more green significant than pre-consumer products since they can be directed away from landfills. Also recyclable products that fall into a closed-loop category are greenest since in this respect you are manufacturing lower grades of an item.
Although not as significant as post-recyclable consumer products the following pre-consumer products may be considered building green friendly: iron-ore slag which is used for mineral wood insulation; PVC scrap used in shingles, and fly ash which ends up in concrete. Within the Agri category of building green products, straw seems to be the leader.
Products that are considered building green friendly due to the fact they require less frequency as to replacement include: fiber-cement siding, windows that are fiberglass, and slate shingles. In other words, if the product is built to last for a relatively longer period of time it may be classified many times as green-friendly.
Wood that is stamped with the Forest Stewardship Council designation is sure to be considered a green product. The FSC stamp assures the consumer that the wood found within his or her construction came from a well-managed forest.
Products that are not subjected to harmful chemicals in their production are other forms of green-friendly materials.
In summary, products that offer the least impact as to harming the environment during production as well as within the construction generally are considered green-friendly.
Energy Efficient Mortgage
When the summer and winter approach many people are more comfortable in their energy efficient homes during the hot and cold seasons. It is not only the future high costs of energy that concerns many people today, but the climate change.
Borrowers must first tell their lender they want an EEM. The process of getting one starts with an energy rating, or acceptable documentation. Then the borrower decides what improvements they want and they apply for a loan.
In one mortgage, a borrower can finance cost effective energy saving measures and also stretch debt to income qualifying ratio increasing the borrowing power. The unique mortgage allows borrowers to include the costs of energy improvements into the mortgage. The value of the home is adjusted by the value of the energy efficient upgrades.
The Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) is typically used to buy a new home that is already energy efficient. Energy Star homes are qualified homes. Homes not rated typically require a certified n energy star rater, an independent certified residential energy professional, to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the home's energy use to produce a home energy rating. The energy rating is a measure of the homes energy efficiency using methodology that is uniform throughout the United States. The national guidelines are referred to as HERS guidelines - the Home Energy Rating System. This comes before the financing is approved. It provides the lender with the estimated monthly energy savings and the value of the energy efficiency measures - known as Energy Savings Value.
The Energy Improvement Mortgages (EIM) was developed so homebuyers of an existing home could finance more money to make their home more energy efficient. No need for more funds for down payment, the EIM is included in the purchase mortgage for existing homes that need energy efficient improvements without increasing the down payment. The savings in utilities finance the energy improvements. EIM's are available to homeowners wanting to refinance their energy improvements too.
EEMs are sponsored and nationally underwritten by FHA VA and Conventional secondary mortgage institutions market lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Thrift conscious consumers are applying for the EEM today; they are financing and spending more on housing expenses initially because they know they will spend less on their energy costs over time. It is the health of their families, and the future high costs of energy that concerns many people today
Be Green Can Be Complicated
Cathedral Ceilings Add to Our Home Heating Bill.
We have been working on our house for some time to lower our carbon footprint. We have put in better plumbing, and are gradually buying more energy efficient appliances. We also unplug most things that have electric timers that run even when they are off.
We have also been tweaking the lighting, but are still unsatisfied with it. While compact fluorescents use less power than incandescent lighting, they have mercury in them and may pose a health risk both in homes and in landfills.
This business about trying to be green can be complicated.
But we are sure the cathedral ceiling in out living room is not a good thing.
We have a huge living room that we use as an office/ greenhouse. It's just a smidgen bigger than 23' X 14'. It's a big room and it has a cathedral ceiling that goes up about 17' high at the center beam. It's a lot of volume to have to heat. We're too cheap to pay for it.
Yesterday we had a lovely, but icy spring day here and the temperature in that room was a balmy 54 degrees. We had to start a fire in our wood stove to make it more comfortable.
We have electric baseboard heat that is just not up to the task of heating that room in our climate. Even a summer day may not get warmer than 60 degrees here. We set the baseboard heat to keep the temperature above 50 degrees so the pipes don't freeze in winter.
We don't want to pay for anything else because it gets too expensive. Not only do we have to pay for the electric heat, we also buy firewood for the wood stove. It's ridiculous, even though the house is relatively energy efficient. Our last frost date for gardening is May 15th. We can have snow most any time except July and August.
The room gets good passive solar heat gain on sunny days but cloudy winter days can be frigid.
The cathedral ceiling is just not working for us. We can't make the room really comfortable on cool days without burning through a lot of cash.
It's just too wasteful, not only for us, but also for the planet.
We are seriously considering lowering the ceiling to maybe 10 feet and insulating the attic above so it is more cozy and comfortable. It would be pretty easy to create a barrel vault following the lines of existing beams.
We also use the room as a plant room for growing herbs and other edible stuff, even a few avocado trees which are tropical plants requiring temperatures above 40 degrees.
We can add bookcases with doors inside the exterior walls to help insulate the room from cool temperatures and make it more comfortable.
Having the extra storage would be good for us and it will help insulate the room and lower our heating bills.
If we can make our existing home more energy efficient we don't have to move or consider building another home. It's like any other recycling. It's good for the planet.
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