Is Green Building make workers happier?

There several surveys done to determine " Is Green Building is a Happy Building?".

The study explored ventilation systems and the occupants’ level of control over the system in 12 case study buildings (six in the UK and six in India). These buildings could be classified into six categories, according to whether they were air-conditioned or ventilated naturally with central or local control.

Of the 12 buildings the study looked at, an office building in India with an advanced natural ventilation system had the lowest energy consumption, with a UK office building that uses central air-conditioning ranking the highest. No surprises there.

But the finding that should put a smile on everyone’s face is that the researchers found no correlation between high energy use and employee satisfaction- in fact, in both countries, buildings that combined air conditioning with local ventilation control reported higher satisfaction than centrally controlled systems. What’s more, researchers found that seasonal ailments in the UK were lowest in naturally ventilated buildings and in mixed mode buildings in India.

Conclusion:

Different happiness factor for different peoples:-

Employer - Lower Electricity Bill, High Profit

Employee - Comfort Office, high level of individualized control, work satisfaction, safety and health friendly.

Earth Hour 2010

Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

Official Event at Johor

Coca-Cola labur RM1 bilion di Malaysia dan reputasi kilang Coca Cola di negara lain

Respon to :UTUSAN: Coca-Cola labur RM1 bilion di Malaysia

Kilang seluas 123,024 meter persegi milik Coca-Cola Bottlers (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. ini akan dibina di atas tanah yang dibeli daripada TH Properties yang juga pemaju kawasan berkenaan.

Kilang baru ini dijangka memulakan operasinya sebelum penghujung 2011.

''Salah satu ciri menarik dalam pembangunan kilang ini, ia dilakukan secara pembinaan berteraskan konsep hijau, di mana mengikut piawaian pensijilan Kepimpinan Reka Bentuk Alam Sekitar dan Tenaga tahap perak (Silver LEED)," kata Najib.

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Antara yang menarik, kilang ini dikatakan akan dibina memenuhi kriteria Silver LEED ( LEED adalah penganugerahan bangunan hijau, so nanti ada le plag ni depan kilang tu.)

Terdapat 4 tahap pencapaian dalam sistem LEED, , masing-masing dengan markah berbeza berdasarkan kriteria yang sama.

Mungkin ini disebabkan Syarikat Coca-Cola mempunyai reputasi yang buruk terhadap alam sekitar, maka syarikat ini berharap imej buruk tersebut akan dapat dibaiki dengan pembinaan kilang yang lebih mesra alam berdasarkan LEED.

Kenapa bukan GBI? Memang biasanya syarikat antarabangsa lebih tertarik dengan LEED berbanding GBI. Apatah lagi GBI masih baru dan hanya terbahagi kepada 2 kategori ( Residential and Non-Residential) serta cabaran mendapatkan BEI 150 (kWh/m2/year).

Antaranya konflik syarikat ini dengan komuniti adalah dalam perjuangan mereka untuk mendapatkan sumber air. Jawapan kepada kekurangan air bukanlah dengan membina lebih banyak empangan kerana empangan boleh menyebabkan kesan negatif kepada alam sekitar.

Perjuangan untuk mempertahankan alam sekitar terhadap Coca-Cola di India seharusnya menjadi amaran kepada kita. Amalan Syarikat Coca-Cola di beberapa negeri di India telah mengakibatkan kesukaran kepada komuniti, ia termasuklah kekurangan air yang serius, pencemaran, masalah kesihatan, kelaparan dan kehilangan pendapatan daripada pertanian.

Rekod buruk Coca-Cola tidak terhad kepada India sahaja, ia juga berdepan dengan dakwaan pencabulan hak asasi manusia, pencabulan terhadap buruh dan pencabulan terhadap buruh kontrak di Colombia, Turki, Pakistan, China, Afrika Selatan, dan Guatemala.

click >> Detail of Campaign to Hold Coca-Cola Accountable (India)

http://www.indiaresource.org/campaigns/coke/2004/Brochure.pdf

Beberapa NGO juga telah menyatakan bantahan terhadap kilang Coca Cola seperti CAP ( Pulau Pinang ). Bantahan juga adalah disebabkan penglibatan Coca Cola sebagai penyumbang bantuan ekonomi terhadap kerajaan Zionist Israel dan penglibatan TH Properties (Tabung Haji) sebagai pemaju kawasan kilang baru tersebut.

Selain daripada itu, isi kandungan minuman Coca Cola juga dikatakan berbahaya dan beracun. Malah institusi pengajian di India telah mengharamkan penjualan minuman ini di kampus-kampus. Coca Cola juga diminta mendedahkan dan melabelkan isi kandungan di mahkamah, bagaimanapun pihak Coca Cola menolak dengan mengatakan itu sebagai Commercial Confidential.

Video Resume - Becoming Popular

A video resume is a short video created by a candidate for employment that describes the individual's skills and qualifications and is typically used to supplement a traditional resume.



It is not new, it were first introduced in the 1980s for use and distribution via VHS tape, but the idea never took off beyond the video taping of interviews. However, with the modern capabilities of transmitting streaming video via the internet, video resumes have taken on new popularity. With the rise in video-hosting sites like YouTube and broadband Internet usage, video resumes are becoming more popular.



Video overlay is a new trend in video resumes. With this technology, applicants can present themselves in a brief introduction video that is layered in front of their resume. Some example of video overlay technique use for video resume :-

http://www.executivepreview.com/0609/allison_bailey/sample.html


This is example from youtube for overlay technique with can be apply to video resume.

Types of solar cell

Solar Cells

Solar cells are usually made from silicon, the same material used for transistors and integrated circuits. The silicon is treated or "doped" so that when light strikes it electrons are released, so generating an electric current. There are three basic types of solar cell. Monocrystalline cells are cut from a silicon ingot grown from a single large crystal of silicon whilst polycrystalline cells are cut from an ingot made up of many smaller crystals. The third type is the amorphous or thin-film solar cell.

Amorphous Solar Cells

Amorphous technology is most often seen in small solar panels, such as those in calculators or garden lamps, although amorphous panels are increasingly used in larger applications. They are made by depositing a thin film of silicon onto a sheet of another material such as steel. The panel is formed as one piece and the individual cells are not as visible as in other types.

The efficiency of amorphous solar panels is not as high as those made from individual solar cells, although this has improved over recent years to the point where they can be seen as a practical alternative to panels made with crystalline cells. Their great advantage lies in their relatively low cost per Watt of power generated. This can be offset, however, by their lower power density; more panels are needed for the same power output and therefore more space is taken up.

Crystalline Solar Cells

Crystalline solar cells are wired in series to produce solar panels. As each cell produces a voltage of between 0.5 and 0.6 Volts, 36 cells are needed to produce an open-circuit voltage of about 20 Volts. This is sufficient to charge a 12 Volt battery under most conditions.

Although the theoretical efficiency of monocrystalline cells is slightly higher than that of polycrystalline cells, there is little practical difference in performance. Crystalline cells generally have a longer lifetime than the amorphous variety.

Kempen HARI TANPA BEG PLASTIK di Selangor

Mulai Januari 2010, Kerajaan Negeri Selangor melaksanakan kempen "Hari Tanpa Beg Plastik" setiap hari Sabtu bagi mengurangkan penggunaan beg plastik. Sesiapa yang masih ingin memohon beg plastik akan dikenakan bayaran 20 sen sehelai.

“Kempen Tanpa Penggunaan Beg Plastik di Negeri Selangor” akan dilaksanakan mengikut peringkat yang dirangka memakan masa selama dua tahun. Sehubungan dengan itu, peringkat yang pertama adalah dengan melaksanakan kempen“ Hari Tanpa Beg Plastik” pada setiap hari Sabtu akan bermula pada tahun awal Tahun 2010. Setelah perlaksanaan kempen dilaksanakan selama 6 bulan, pihak Kerajaan Negeri bersama pengusaha-pengusaha akan menjalankan pemantauan bagi mengenalpasti impak daripada kempen tersebut. Sekiranya kempen ini membawa kepada satu impak yang positif, perlaksanaan peringkat kedua diteruskan dengan melanjutkan kempen “Hari Tanpa Beg Plastik’ kepada hari-hari biasa.

Press Statement: Januari 2010

Based on a study done in 2009, around 8 billion plastic bags have been used in Malaysia. Being the most populated and urbanised state in the country, we can assume that Selangor is a major contributor to that statistic. That is why the state government initiated the “No Plastic Bag Day” campaign. We are targeting a 20% reduction in the usage of plastic bags within 6 months.

For the first three months of the campaign, January to March, we will focus mainly on educating consumers and expanding retailer participation. Following that, we will consider making participation a licensing condition and study the possibility of increasing the frequency of the “No Plastic Bag Day” per week.

We are happy to announce that the number of participating retailers and malls have increased to 25 from the initial 12. Many more have also expressed interest and we are in the midst of finalising their participation.

The state government will also be meeting the Malaysian Retailers Association, Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association and Malaysian Plastic Manufacturer Association to get their support for the campaign.

The Selangor state government takes the campaign very seriously. We have received reports of participants in the campaign that are not fully compliant of the agreement. While we understand that some teething problems are inevitable, we urge all participants who wish to remain part of the campaign to adhere to the agreed-upon conditions, including the 20 sen charge for each plastic bag.

Finally, in order to propagate this campaign effectively, the state government has created a Web site for the public to get more information. Campaign materials in all major languages are available on the site, while retailers interested in participating in the campaign can download the declaration form as well.

Web site URL: http://www.selangor.gov.my/haritanpabegplastik/
Telephone number: 03-55447760
Fax number: 03-55193328

Perkembangan Teknologi Hijau di Malaysia

Walaupun kementerian yang bertanggungjawab terhadap Teknologi Hijau baru ditubuhkan, keprihatinan dan kesedaran telah wujud sebelum itu lagi. Antaranya Kent Yeang dengan BioClimatic building, penubuhan Centre for Education, Training and Research in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CETREE), garis panduan bangunan cekap tenaga ( MS1525 ), LEO, Securities Commission dan sebagainya.

Yang terkini adalah Green Building Index (GBI) yang merupakan initiative dari pihak swasta Green Building Index Sdn. Bhd. GBI adalah berasaskan LEED, dengan penekanan lebih kepada kecekapan tenaga (Energy Efficiency) dan dikategorikan kepada Non Residential dan Residential.

GBI telah diterima dan dipromosikan sebagai standard Malaysia untuk Bangunan Hijau. Walau bagaimana pun, GBI adalah profession driven iaitu syarikat berorientasikan keuntungan. Oleh itu, yuran yang dikenakan untuk menjadi fasilitator GBI agak tinggi iaitu RM1500.

Malaysia Green Building Confederation (MGBC) pula ditubuhkan 5 Mei 2007. Keahliannya terbuka kepada golongan profesional, academik dan pelajar yang terlibat di dalam industri bangunan dan persekitaran. Link ke MGBC



Pada masa kini, teknologi hijau dan bangunan hijau hanya melibatkan golongan profesional dan hanya melibatkan projek yang berprestij tinggi, mega dan berkos tinggi. Persepsi ini harus diubah.

Ini dapat dilakukan dengan initiatif dan galakan kerajaan terhadap penggunaan garis panduan MS1525 di dalam projek perumahan kos rendah, rumah kedai, projek-projek berskala kecil, penubahsuaian, kempen penerangan dan sebagainya tanpa melibatkan kos yang mahal.

Penerangan dan bahan kempen di dalam Bahasa Melayu juga hendaklah dipertingkatkan untuk menggalakkan keterlibatan lebih ramai pihak.

Teknologi Hijau dan bangunan hijau juga dapat dilakukan tanpa kos dan kos yang rendah. Ianya juga dapat dilakukan pada semua jenis bangunan seperti restoran, kedai, salun kecantikan , hotel dan sebagainya.

Jika kesedaran ini dapat diterapkan dan melibatkan semua pihak, maka penggunaan tenaga secara efektif akan dapat dimaksimakan di Malaysia.