solution

Without tolls, the AP-7 has become hell. The solution passes through speed limits of 60 km/h

by

The AP-7 is known as the Mediterranean highway. It is an essential axis for Spanish traffic since it allows to circulate without interruptions between Tarragona and Alicante. And if we add their links to other roads, it allows to circulate between France and Cádiz. A road, yes, that until 2021 was marked by various tolls. Some sections, in fact, They were one of the most expensive in Spain. The road, however, is fought from the Tolls in 2021. What it was A historical claim In the area it soon became a problem. In its first year, the road saw tourism traffic increasing 40% and 80% of trucks, collected in The country. The obvious result: more jams, more accidents … and more jams accordingly. Specifically, only the first year the AP-7 concentrated 20% of the dead on the road throughout Catalonia. A figure that contrasts with the trend of the rest of the country where the deceased on the road They concentrate on secondary roads. The New free routewith France at one end and Barcelona to one of its sides, it has turned the road into a parade of merchandise vehicles. And the problem is such that since then solutions are being sought. First with a partial reduction of speed limits. An action that has arrived in 2022 and added 82 kilometers. The next step is to copy Europe. A solution to the European Since then, the AP-7 situation has not improved much. Although mortal figures have been reduced over time, only in 2024 more than 1,600 incidents on the road. The response of traffic managers has been to reduce speed. How much? It will depend on the Meteorology and traffic congestion. Because the proposal goes through a changing management of the maximum speed of the road. A solution that already applies to other roads in Europe and that can reduce the maximum allowed limit to 60 km/h. The person in charge of announcing the measure was the Minister of Interior, Núria Parlon. They point out in The newspaper that this section of variable speed will extend for 150 kilometers between Maçanet de la Selva (Girona) and the Vendrell (Tarragona). For this, panels controlled by artificial intelligence will be implemented that will limit the traffic speed based on the different circumstances that are giving. The measure takes as reference what happens, for example, In German autobahn. On these roads there is no defined speed limit. In fact, if circumstances accompany, There is no speed limit. But at nightfall, when it rains or if there are works on the road, the panels show a speed limit equal to or less than 130 km/h. The operation is exactly the same as on the German roads but the director of the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT), Ramon Lamiel, already warns in an interview with EFE: The speed can be reduced up to 60 km/h at some points. At the moment, the project is in the development phase by the Servei Català de Trànsit (SCT)who has the competitions on Catalan roads. In the second quarter of the year it should be written to be able to get it as a tender. They explain in The countrythat the intention is to deploy a progressive reduction in the maximum speed before the driver is suddenly with a bottling that forces him to reduce the speed much more drastic. Speaking to the newspaper, Lamiel insists that speed will be reduced Only in the most congested sections since they believe that the increase in accidents is derived from a greater volume of traffic and not from the danger of the road. In addition, he points out that they already proposed this measure to extend it nationwide by the roads that are the competence of the DGT but that its proposal was dismissed. The truth is that The theory says that when we circulate more slowly, traffic jams are reduced. Atasco are a sum of errors. When we circulate at a lower speed, the time to alleviate errors is greater and these are reduced. It is a matter of effectiveness and not so much speed. Traffic circulates more slowly but flows. If we circulate too fast, the braking are more abrupt, it costs more to recover a sustained speed and, little by little, we end up stucking the road. Photo | ENRIC In Wikimedia In Xataka | Catalonia has its own DGT Pegasus: Falcó is the most powerful radar in Spain and the most complicated to detect

definitive solution even if you have restored yours

by

In mid -March of this 2025, A generalized error He made many Chromecast leave to work, affecting the second generation and chromecast audio. Then came a partial solution, and Now we have the definitva solution To fix yours. The soap opera is over. The previous solution only fixed those chromecast that you had not touched, but if trying to solve it you had restored it to the factory settings, then it kept not working. This solution is worth everyone. How to return your chromecast to life To solve the problem of chromecast that have stopped working, Google has launched another firmware update which will begin to reach all devices. This is a definitive solution for those second generation chromects and Chromecast Audio that stopped working. This update is automatic. This means that the only thing you need is that your chromecast is connected to the house Wi -Fi network and is connected to the current. Even if you could not send content, your Chromecast had not ceased to be connected to the network, so there will be no problem to receive the update. If you had restored the chromecastthen you just need Update the app Google Home From your mobile to the latest version (3.30.1.6 for Android and 3.30.106 for iOS). This will implement the necessary changes to be able to configure it from scratch without those mistakes it gave before. In the event that the Google Home update does not arrive on Google Play, you can download it by hand through This apkmirror linkby handing the file and installing it on the mobile. In Xataka Basics | Seven unusual things for which you can use your chromecast with Google TV

China became famous for its eternal working days. The solution has been to throw employees at their time

by

The Reduction of the working day It seems to be a path of no return that many countries have proposed to move. Some, Like GreeceThey do not do it with a determined step. Instead, others whose self -denial It seemed immovable, they are surprising the world with day reduction measures. China is one of those countries that, unexpectedly, has proposed to cut its workday. Labor culture 996. While in a large part of the West the eight -hour workday begins to be seen as a vestige of the last century and fights for the reduction of working hours, in China the culture 996 still continues: work from nine in the morning to nine o’clock at night and six days per week. Such and as they tell In ethic, that pace of work is taking Chinese society to the extreme, pulling on the soils The birth rate in a country that for years has sinned just the opposite. Chinese authorities have been trying for years Eliminate the culture of 996 of the workplace, but Without too much success. Dji has seriously proposed. According to The published by SCMP, Since the end of February something very curious is happening in DJI, the Chinese drone manufacturer. When the clock marks nine o’clock at night, a squad of human resources managers travels through the brand’s central offices in Shenzhen. Their mission is to make sure that all employees without exception leave their jobs and go home as if it were a fire drill. Instead of evacuating the building for security, employees are “guests” to leave their cubicles to meet a new rule: no one can work beyond their day. The fault is “Neijuan”. No, Neijuan It is not the name of the company’s Human Resources Manager. The term could translate to something as “involution” and, as they explain in SCMP, It refers to the need to reduce excess competition in certain areas of the economy. The measure is imposed as a New economic policy of China in which it is intended to reduce the excess of competence that makes companies in certain sectors such as The technological either Renewable energiesinvest an unnecessary amount of resources without obtaining an improvement in their profitability or in their R&D in return. Therefore, it implies outbound templates without registering a significant advance generating inefficient competition. It is something unpublished in China. Until recently, it was common to see the offices of DJI illuminated until the early hours of the morning with employees who lengthened their days until infinity. Now, the image is very different and has impacted many who have commented on social networks. The Asian media highlighted the publication of a worker surprised by the measure that commented “it was the first time they threw me from the office.” Other technological giants are adding. Although the work culture 996 has the support of prominent names of the Chinese technology industry Like Jack Mamore and more international companies such as Haier or Measure They are adding to the call of the Chinese government of limit the days of its employees. According to sources of SCMPHaier would have ordered all the staff of his headquarters to respect the breaks of two days of the weekend, while Midea has begun to demand that the workers file their departure at 6:20 p.m., instead of 9 pm. In Xataka | Working more than 60 hours a week is not healthy: Japan is starting to learn by force In Xataka | To motivate its Chinese workers, it has opted for a prize. His name is Caracol, and it is a public humiliation Image | Unspash (Duc Dao)

The greatest enemy of Perovskita’s solar panels is heat. Some researchers have found a solution: titanium

by

The commercial viability of Perovskita solar panels is getting closer, thanks to the different solutions over time. However, there is still a big problem to solve to be able to install them, but a team of engineers has managed to solve using titanium. Short. Researchers from the Technological Institute of Georgia in the United States They have achieved That Perovskita’s solar cells are more stable and support high temperatures. The solution was to incorporate titanium into one of the layers. The problem. The incorporation of Perovskita panels to the market has been a challenge because they do not last long when they are exposed to high temperatures. The reason is in one of its internal layers, known as the hollow transport layer (HTL), which allows the movement of electricity within it. This layer, usually made of a material called spiro-feet, begins to crystallize and lose efficiency when the temperature exceeds 70ºC. The solution. The technique used In research is steam phase infiltration (VPI). In this process, the solar cell is exposed to a titanium gas in a low vacuum environment. This allows titanium oxide/hydroxide (Tiox) to integrate into the HTL layer of the solar cell. In this way, titanium acts as a thermal stabilizer, preventing it from crystallizing and ensuring that panel efficiency is not degraded by heat. As a result, solar cells have preserved more than 80% of their original efficiency after 200 hours of 75ºC tests. An alternative to silicon. The study of the study to continue working the Perovskita panels and not those of silicon has been for several reasons. On the one hand, a cost of costs and energy consumption because silicon cells are much more expensive than those of Perovskita. On the other hand, the study has been conducted with financing from the Office of Solar Energy Technologies of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the United States Energy Department, so alternatives have been sought for do not depend on Chinain a context of Tariff war. More solutions for Perovskitas. The American study is not the only one who is looking for alternatives in this line. An investigation in the United Kingdom has managed to go one step further developing a method that makes solar cells more resistant to external factors such as humidity, heat and physical wear. Forecasts Until now the technology developed by the American engineers group is in patent. Commercial implementation will be pending if researchers manage to find partners and the future of Solar energy in the United States. Image | Georgia Tech Xataka | How a new study has achieved cheaper Perovskita solar panels and more efficiently by capturing light on both sides

Eggs are so expensive in the United States that there are people opting for a desperate solution: rent chickens

by

If you have bought eggs these last days, surely there is something that has caught your attention. The price has increased, 25% in some casesand curiously its price is a Good economic thermometer. An increase in the price of eggs affects sectors such as hospitality, pastry, bakery or precooked products, and in the United States escalation The price of eggs is nonsense. And given that crisis of the eggs, there are those who opt for what before it could seem crazy: the rental of chickens. Egg-gate. There are various factors that have led to this situation. One of them is long: a gradual decrease in egg productionbut the problem that has triggered the current situation has a name and surname: Aviar flu. The North American country has been suffering a serious epidemic for months that has left us as discouraging news as the first Mild infections in humans or the First pig spread. Although it is affecting more in the US, other countries, such as Spain, started the year Taking measures To stop an epidemic. 2025 complicated. The avian flu outbreak considerably affected eggs in the country because they have had to sacrifice Millions of laying hens, reducing the offer of eggs in the market and, of course, increasing their price. As if this were not enough, the crisis is not expected to be resolved soon. The United States Department of Agriculture esteem that the price climb will continue during the next months, with increases of more than 40% in the remainder of 2025. Such is the impact that there are already restaurants that begin to charge supplements in their dishes if they carry egg. Solutions. Given the needs and crises, there are those who turn on the bulb. In this case, to whom they have thought about a “And if we set up a laying chickens rental service?” One of those companies is Rent the chickn And, really, the situation is not new. It has been operational for several years And what he offered was the possibility of “renting” chickens and poultry to offer therapies in care centers for elderly or for educational purposes for classrooms. But as if it were a Diaper company in Japanwhere they have seen business is in the possibility of offering a complete package to have chickens to put the breakfast eggs. Chicknbuster. The company does not operate in all states, but in which it is present it offers a service consisting of: Portable chicken coop with two or four chickens that already put eggs and equipped with everything necessary. Sufficient food and advice on their care. And it would be, to produce already to have even a dozen eggs a week with a couple of specimens. Jenn Tompkins is the co -founder of the company and, recently, commented They are living a high season in the business. He price of renting the chickens? About 600 for the kit and two chickens, about 800 for four chickens. And the corresponding food, of course. And it also varies depending on the area and if it is more or less remote … and has a surcharge of 25 dollars per additional week. Compensate? Let’s say that the price of the dozen reaches five stable dollars (it is already at a higher price in some places, but to have a fixed amount). In that case, if they put 12 eggs a week, there are 312 eggs in those six months, united in 26 dozen. Five dollars the dozen, there are $ 130. The accounts do not come out, there is a situation that can compensate: there are establishments that exhaust cargoes in ten minutes. As if it were toilet paper or yeast in pandemicthere is messages In social networks that show that in some shops the eggs fly, so, with your chickens at home, you would not have that problem. Now, seen that there are about 600 dollars for rent for six months, perhaps what compensates is to invest first in a chicken coop and animals … and enjoy the morning eggs without the Caduque rental. Beyond all this, the amazing thing is that all this It arose 10 years ago with a night search on Google of “crazy business ideas.” Image | Rent the chickn In Xataka | In Alicante there is a city invaded by chickens. So you have prepared a plan of 26,000 euros to get rid of them

We have a problem with used wind blades. A German startup believes to have a solution: make them wood

by

At some point he had to arrive, because in the end, everything comes to an end, even the materials for renewable energy. First it was the turn of the solar panels, which now have Recycling centers. Then, it was the turn of the wind energy that their blades have found a second life in different structuresfrom mini homes even jelly beans. But so far, no one had achieved what he has achieved in the wind sector: starting from scratch with completely recyclable materials. 100% recycled. The German company Voodin Blade Technology has developed The first wind turbines made of laminated wood. This material has represented a recyclable alternative to the traditional carbon fiber, fiberglass and epoxy resin. In addition, the most curious thing is that it has greater fire resistance and a rigidity-pepper relationship similar to fiberglass, which allows you to resist all climatic conditions. As of 2026, the German company has been associated with the Indian company Senvion for install some blades of more than 50 meters In 4.2 MW turbines. The tests will be held in Europe at the end of next year and beginning of 2027. The goal. The German startup has found a rather big problem within the wind industry. While in the solar sector there are already recycling centers for photovoltaic panels, such as European photovoltaic recycling center (CERFO) In Teruel. I asked that it was around the company was: What about the wind turbines? The investigation took them to A study by the University of Cambridgewhich revealed that by the year 2050 there will be 43 million tons of shovels worldwide. The reason was none other than conventional materials are very difficult to recycle, so they reached the rolled wooden blades. This solution that is based on reuse to prevent them from ending up or are incinerated. In addition, the use of a natural material such as wood has a lower impact on the product life cycle, since it can be replaced and managed more responsible. Manufacturing. The process to get LAMINADA WOOD It goes on presses and laminating, as the name implies, wooden panels, creating resistant and durable materials. This type of wood is already used in the construction of skyscrapers and other important infrastructure, which demonstrates its reliability. Laminated wood offers a greater flexibility In the design, which allows to create longer blades and higher towers, optimizing the efficiency of the turbines by taking advantage of stronger wind currents. This advance not only provides a more ecological alternative, but also makes the production of blades more economical. In addition, in the manufacturing process eliminates the need for molds, which further reduces production costs, and makes the process more efficient and accessible. In fact, wooden blades can be up to 20% cheaper than traditional ones, according to The German company declared to Recharge. Although something if it had been recycled. While some advances have already been achieved in the recycling of traditional blades, the VOODIN BLADE TECHNOLOGY approach goes one step further. Although it should be noted that the Danish company Vestas has developed A chemical process capable of decomposing epoxy resins and then reuse in new blades, preventing them from ending in a landfill. And fire resistance? It is quite curious because they can even be replaced, but resist fire. In the first place, laminated wood can support high temperatures because being a natural material, it has a Greater self -extinguishing capacitywhich means that it is less prone to burn or spread rapidly in case of fire. In addition, advances in their treatment make it more lasting and stable in front of the fire. On the other hand, traditional materials, such as fiberglass and carbon fiber, although strong and light, do not have high fire resistance. In the end these components, together with the necessary resin to unite them, are more susceptible to decomposition and the release of toxic gases when exposed to high temperatures, which can compromise the structural safety of the turbines in a fire. The future of the big shovels, but … The German startup was news last year when installed 19.3 meters blades In Germany. Now seeks to overcome that milestone with blades of more than 50 meters in lengththe largest manufactured to date with laminated wood. However, in the field of wind energy, China continues to lead the race in large infrastructure. Recently, the Asian giant He has managed to install A Qihang wind turbine, with a 151 -meter tower and a 260 -meter diameter rotor. If mathematics does not fail, we would be talking that the length of a shovel is 130 meters, of course it is not laminated wood. And if I get more searching in the newspaper library, the discussion about the size of the wind turbines would give for an article itself. Just point out that at the moment none has surpassed the wind turbine to take advantage of the strength of the typhons with A 310 meter blade diameter. What we know so far is that laminated wooden blades could mark a before and after in wind energy, reducing costs and environmental impact. If the tests confirm its efficiency, this advance will open the way to more sustainable turbines. Image | VOODIN BLADE TECHNOLOGY Xataka | The tariff storm that affects Spain: Trump’s blow to the wind and steel

We have centuries contaminating the seas with mercury. We did not expect the solution to be genetic engineering

by

There is something that have volcanic eruptions, oil combustion, waste incineration, chemical substances or gold extraction: they release mercury in the environment. A mercury that ends up deposited in the waters, transformed into methylmercury for millions of microorganisms, stored in fish and, finally, served in our houses at lunchtime. We have a problem with methylmercury. That is obvious. The problem is that it is very difficult to solve. And that is not forcing ideas in another place. What exactly is methylmercury? Mercury is already a global concern due to its persistence in the environment, its ability to bioaccumulation in ecosystems and their important adverse effects on human health. But methylmercury, the most frequent organic form in the marine environment takes the palm. None of this would be a problem if it were not because, in addition, methylmercury is the form “more toxic and the most easily absorbable For living organisms, since it is highly liposoluble and has a great capacity to fix proteins and also shows a high degree of bioaccumulation. “ Is it dangerous? Well yes. High doses of this compound They are very toxic to the central nervous system and especially “for the brain in development of the fetus and in early childhood.” It can cause “mild behavioral problems, language disorders, memory losses, vision and auditory, learning difficulties and development delays.” And we do nothing to avoid it? Yes, we have tried several approaches. In 2013, governments around the world adopted the Minamata Agreement to try to control the “anthropogenic liberations of mercury and other compounds” derivatives. In fact, in the last decade the European Food Security Authority (and its national equivalents) They have been establishing increasingly strict criteria for food with risk of exposure to these compounds. The problem is that it is not easy to control that release and, for now, we cannot do much more than reduce risks. A solution … original. Now, some Australian scientists say they have discovered a new effective way to clean the methylmercury. The Macquarie University Research Team and the Australian Csiro has managed genetically fruit flies and zebra fish to transform methylmercury into a much less harmful gas that is dispersed in the air. The team has modified the DNA of these two animals to insert variants of bacteria genes that make them create two enzymes that can convert the methylmercury into elementary mercury. In general terms, we could say that they inactivate it. It does not become harmless, but its toxicity and bioaccumulation falls very significantly. Oh really? “It still seems to me that we can use synthetic biology to convert the most harmful form of mercury and evaporate it,” Kate Tepper explainedsynthetic biologist and main author of the article. And, indeed, almost science fiction sounds. It must be said that, obviously, we talk about an investigation in the early development phases and much remains to be checked. However, it is a very interesting result. Very dangerous and very loaded with ethical issues, but very interesting for the development of the genetic engineering of the future. Another thing is that we dare to get so far. Image | John Cameron In Xataka | This researcher has been poisoning a lake with mercury for 15 years to see what happens to the fish living inside: now, he finally has an answer

Sending the ID to a stranger is dangerous. This new app has a free solution: put water brand

by

The DNI is a document as important as dangerous is to share it with third parties without taking concerns. Surely we have all ever faced someone, whether a person or establishment, who asks us for a copy of the ID to, for example, complete a reservation or a purchase. It is an extended practicebut not sure. The consequences can be disastrous, so it is recommended edit the document Before sending it. There are several optionsbut This tool It promises more security and put it more difficult for the IAS for the modest price of zero euros. The most interesting thing is that, although it works through the browser, there is no cloud in between. Everything works at home. His name: Saferlayer. “Hey, the copy of the ID …”. A scammer can use our ID to commit crimes (such as impersonation of identity), access to an betting house or ask for a loan in our name. Nothing good, of course. Therefore, it is important that if we are forced to share a photocopy of the DNI we do it prior edition. This type of DNI -related scams They are relatively known on the purchase and rental platforms. The lack of supply, the enormous demand and despair to find a floor can make, with the rush, let’s forget to take the necessary precautions and we will find two negative things: that the announced floor did not exist and that a total unknown has Our ID. The general recommendation is never to send a copy of the DNI or passport without editing What is the problem? Not everyone knows, wants or can use dedicated tools like Photoshop. Pixelar an image or a piece of an image It is very simple (and not as sure as it seems). Also add text or a watermark, but you have to know. Not only that, but these water marks can be edited and removed afterwards and leave the image as if nothing had happened. The solution: a dedicated tool. Carlos Sánchez, Head of Product in Real Madrid, and his “Compi de Side Projects“Guido Fioravantti, got to work after Carlos had to send a copy of his email documentation. In telephone conversation with Xataka, Carlos Sánchez explains that” you take any traditional water brand and pass it through some tools for some tools Specialized artificial intelligence, you’ll see that they take it off in seconds. What we wanted was to avoid that. “ After several tests and iterations, they found a “water mark that covers the entire document, which deceives the AI; makes it difficult to differentiate the water mark from the background image, so when you try to remove it, load it is loaded part of the document and is proof that it has been manipulated in some way. “ Copy of the original ID (above) and edited with Saferlayer (below) | Image: Saferlayer The water brand. It consists of a wave pattern with a degraded one that goes from fuchsia to green. “This has been a very proof and error process,” explains Carlos. “In that process we detected that this undemed undulating pattern, that flag effect waving, made it difficult for the AI. These color changes throughout the pattern also complicate it. In the end, we had to find the balance between whatever Very difficult to remove for AI, but also that it was readable, “he says. For Carlos, it was important that it was “evident to the person generated by the document and for whom he receives that there is a watermark that can be read, especially so that the person who receives it does not have incentives to use it for purposes Fraudulent “. This is the document edited with Saferlayer when we pass it through one of the many existing tools to eliminate the water mark | Image: Saferlayer, Xataka Everything at home. One of Saferlayer’s keys is that It works at homenothing leaves the browser. The image we are going to edit does not climb any server. This can be easily verified with the inspector of the browser itself or, simply, adding the Webapp to the home screen and putting the mobile in plane mode. We will verify that it continues to work without problem. When you upload an image, we simply have to specify the use that the copy has, for example, “Valid copy only to confirm the ABCDE hotel reservation.” Once this is done, the tool is responsible for adding the watermark. It is practically instantaneous. The tool works with all types of documents in image format (JPEG and PNG), but not with PDFs. Water brand detail | Image: Xataka A success. The tool was launched on Sunday afternoon and spread mainly Through x. It soon went viral and that can be seen in the figures. As Sánchez confirms us, “right now we are doing a water mark every nine seconds.” To the elderly, the idea of ​​the creators, their vision, is to develop a tool that allows the “total traceability of the document. That allows the individual to protect their document add a water mark, but we also have the idea of ​​covering the other part , to the company that receives the document and wants to make sure whether it is legitimate or not. ” In Carlos’s words, “we would like to evolve this to verify that the documents that have Saferlayer water mark have been manipulated in some way, or if it is the water mark as it has been generated by the tool.” “Right now we are doing a water mark every nine seconds” In that sense, Carlos tells us that a hotel in the center of Madrid has contacted them because he was “very interested in exploring tools that facilitate these processes (in reference to the new lodging record) since it generates a brutal administrative burden and makes Check-in the process more uncomfortable for customers. “According to Carlos, the hotel wanted to talk to them to see if Saferlayer could” potentially help them. “ … Read more

Our rivers have been contaminated with medications for years. The EU has a solution: let the pharmaceutical companies pay

by

When we read that one of the great environmental challenges of our time is the state of our rivers, our imagination travels directly to the fecal waterindustrial pollution or, lately, microplastics. In what we don’t usually think It’s in the medications. But the problem is real and the European Union is determined to solve it. How can medications ‘contaminate’? Drugs (whether for medical or veterinary use) have a very long life after consumption. And, inevitably, a good part of the medications end up being expelled from the body and entering wastewater. From there, despite the efforts of treatment systems, they reach rivers, lakes and seas. An increasingly solid scientific consensus. Although it is difficult to get a complete idea of ​​the impact of this type of pollution on the environment, the investigations that are appearing They make it clear that it is very far from being an anecdote. In fact, at least 631 pharmaceutical substances (human or veterinary) have been found in more than 71 countries on five continents. Many of them, at levels higher than those considered safe. In 2022, the CSIC analyzed 258 rivers and, after cataloging the Manzanares River as “the most contaminated by drugs in Europe”, warned that we were in the face of “a global threat to the environment and human health.” “Global threat (…) to human health”? Are we not exaggerating? In the case of antibiotics, to use an example we are all familiar with, this is clearly seen. We have been warning for years that the abuse of these medications leads to the emergence of multiresistant bacteria. That’s true on the consumption part, yes; but also in the part in which enormous quantities of them are dumped into nature every year (with the problems that this causes for ecosystems and the risks that it poses). Why is this news now? Because the European Union wants to take action on the matter and, as Oriol Güell explainsis introducing a whole new battery of measures in the renewed Directive on Urban Wastewater Treatment. The goal is to “reduce the compounds discharged into the environment by more than 80%”; the environment, the introduction of a whole series of “quaternary treatments” (ozone, activated carbon, new membranes, etc…) in the treatment systems. The problem? that the EU wants them to pay the affected industries: above all, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. An idea that the sector has not liked. As expected, the application of the “polluter pays” principle in these terms has not pleased the sectors involved. Above all, because of the costs. According to the employers’ associations of both sectors, the application of the European directive would lead to an increase of about 500 million euros in Spain alone. And, beyond the expected conflicts between companies and administration, it is true that the movement is paradoxical. Not because it is not reasonable to charge the costs of water treatment to those who produce them; but because just a couple of years ago, Europe announced its intention to bet on having drug factories on the continent (and thus reduce its dependence on international supply lines). Towards a culture of responsible drug use. Be that as it may, in the end we always return to the same thing: the drug industry is heading straight into a very complex crisis in which health, economic, environmental and cultural issues intermingle so as not to lead us to a dead end. One in which we risk our health, the future and our lives. Image | manuel mv | Joshua Goge In Xataka | The Ozempic boom is so big that US pharmacies have decided to do something unusual: start manufacturing it themselves

A solar solution to supply the world with 22 Energy TW

by

A recent Ember report explained how Europe had eliminated coal as an energy source in 2024 and gave way to renewable energies, such as solar. In fact, in the same analysis, Spain registered a continuous increase in photovoltaic generation, reaching 21% of its electricity almost double that the European average (11%). So far everything is fine, but this boom of the solar is carrying that alternatives for the installation of panels in other surfaces, such as aquatic. International investigation. A study group, led by Carlos D. Rodríguez-Gallegos, has evaluated The state and potential of floating photovoltaic facilities (FPV) worldwide. For this analysis they have used the largest global database that collects the information of 1,142 commercial FPV systems from 2022. In addition, they took the geographical references of reservoirs, which cover a total area of ​​more than 2.2 million square kilometers. The object of study is to analyze its implementation and performance, in addition to studying advanced configurations such as bifacial panels, inclination angles and monitoring systems. The investigation had contributions from researchers from the You will be Singapore and from the National University of Singapore (NUS), as well as the Polytechnic Higher School of the Litoral de Ecuador, the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, the Concordia University of Canada and the University ofokin of Australia. Asia, the leader. Almost 90% of the installed floating solar capacity is in the Asian continent and China leads it with almost half of the accumulated capacity. This world predominance is due to favorable, ambitious objectives focused on renewable energy and regulations designed to support the expansion of FPV. Although Asia leads the development of floating solar panels, Africa is also exploring this technology. Zimbabwe advance with a 250 MW plant In the Kariba dam, projecting to reach 1 GW. In Ghana, A 5 MW system In a reservoir it will be expanded to 15 MW, while Cape City, in South Africa, has completed several smaller projects. With abundant sun and limited water resources, Africa seeks to meet your energy needs through these initiatives. Take advantage of water areas. The installation of photovoltaic systems on aquatic surfaces has presented different benefits, according to the study. First, optimization of limited space in areas with scarcity of earth. In addition, FPVs help reduce the evaporation of water in reservoirs and to maintain the temperatures of the lowest solar panels, improving their efficiency. On the other hand, this technology avoids related conflicts about land use. To give an example, in the Swiss Alps, They have demonstrated that these facilities can prosper even in adverse conditions, reaching higher performance regardless of altitude. The study results. From the analysis that the average size of the FPV has increased in the last ten years of 0.09 MW in 2013 to 1.40 MW in 2022, and, in parallel, the average power density has gone from 82 W/m² at 123 w/m². Researchers have identified optimal configurations to maximize electrical performance, such as the use of solar monitoring systems and bifacial panels, which capture the reflected light, thus improving energy generation. In economic terms, FPVs have proven competitive. For example, the project director has signed up for an Indian initiative that achieved a cost of installation of just $ 0.41 per watt, which reinforces the economic viability of this technology against other renewable energy options. However, these facilities also face certain challenges such as the initial cost can be very high by infrastructure. In addition, technology adaptability to different bodies of water (sweet or salty) and logistics complexities can also increase costs. Looking at the high seas. Looking ahead, the research team plans to explore FPV applications on the high seas, investigating its energy potential, innovative designs and the challenges that costs and maintenance present. According to its estimates, covering only 10% of the surface of 249,717 continental reservoirs could generate a capacity of up to 22 TW, sufficient to satisfy all world consumption of electricity and up to 5% of the global water demand. Image | Chn Energy Xataka | China is ready to inaugurate an ambitious floating solar plant. Its objective: solve a big pending problem

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.