testing

Spain wants to show that it can live without nuclear weapons. The problem is that he is still testing how

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Spain is experiencing a decisive moment in its energy policy. While the Government defends an orderly closure of nuclear power plants and relies on an experimental digital system to stabilize the grid, large electricity companies warn that the transition It is being faster than safe. At the epicenter of this tension is Almaraz, the Extremaduran power plant that refuses to turn off its reactors and that has once again divided technicians, politicians and neighbors. The nuclear dilemma. The closure of the Almaraz nuclear power plant in Cáceres is officially set for 2027 and 2028, but the debate over its future has returned with force. Iberdrola, Endesa and Naturgy agreed to present to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition a formal request to extend their activity until 2030. They will do so, they say, out of “responsibility with the supply” after the voltage failures recorded in recent weeks that “they reactivated the risk of blackout”. Companies have, for the moment, given up asking for tax reductions. Their message is different: Spain, they argue, is not prepared to disconnect from the atom. “Nuclear is the system’s anti-blackout shield,” says the CEO of Iberdrola Spain. However, the Government does not move. The Minister for the Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, has reiterated the commitment to the closure calendar agreed in 2019, which foresees the nuclear blackout between 2027 and 2035. Only if three conditions are not met: security, guarantee of supply and zero cost for the taxpayer, will the Executive would reconsider his position. A model in testing. The core of the controversy is not only political, but technical. The Executive’s plan involves replacing the stability offered by nuclear and thermal plants with a digital voltage and frequency control system based on renewables. In theory, wind and solar farms will be able to simulate electrical inertia —the ability to resist sudden changes in frequency— through advanced electronics. In practice, the model is still in the testing phase. According to Energy NewsRed Eléctrica (REE) is developing new control tools to integrate non-synchronous generation, but still without complete validation. Additionally, new digital control algorithms have not been tested on a national scaleand its reliability at high power has not yet been demonstrated. Sources from the Ministry of Ecological Transition cited by El Periódico They admit that full stability of the system “will only be possible when all renewable plants are digitally synchronized with the operator”, a process that – they acknowledge – “will still take time.” The network under surveillance. Aware of these risks, the CNMC approved an emergency modification of the operating procedures (OP 3.1, 3.2, 7.2 and 7.4) to reinforce the stability of the system. In practice, they are standards that determine how Red Eléctrica must react to variations in voltage and frequency, and allow it to act with more flexibility in times of risk. However, not everything went as planned. As energy expert Joaquín Coronado explains on his networksthe CNMC stopped the complete approval of OP 7.4 when it detected that the new model required responses that were impossible for many conventional plants to comply with. Several generators alleged that too rapid a reaction could damage the machines or generate additional oscillations, something the CNMC acknowledged in its resolution. The regulator asked Red Eléctrica to “intensify coordination and temporarily make the requirements more flexible”, making it clear that the problem was not one of inertia, but rather speed of response. A pulse of time. The electricity companies’ proposal to extend the first Almaraz reactor until 2030 and the second until 2029, would give three additional years to the current calendar. However, the Nuclear Safety Council requires that documentation be submitted before November 1 to begin the decommissioning process. In parallel, the Government of Extremadura has announced that it will reduce the regional “ecotax” by half if the plant remains operational, a gesture that the central Executive views with suspicion. “Taxpayers cannot pay more to maintain a plant that had to close,” recalled the Government delegate in Extremadura, José Luis Quintana, in statements to Canal Extremadura. Mobilization in the streets. While the technical and political debate becomes entangled, the residents of Almaraz took to the streets. Last Marchhundreds of people marched under the slogan “Yes to Almaraz, yes to the future,” in a protest supported by mayors of nearby municipalities and nuclear sector associations. In their arguments they defend their position in favor of nuclear power for fear of job loss, a population exodus and the fall of the local economy. But not everyone shares that enthusiasm. Ecologists in Action criticized the presence of local authorities at the protest and asked to accelerate a “just transition” that generates employment alternatives. “You cannot continue tying the future of a region to an industry that promotes environmental and health risks,” the organization said in a statement. Europe looks at Spain. While France and Belgium extend the life of their reactors until 2060, Spain remains firm in its nuclear closure. The Enresa fund to dismantle the plants drags a deficit of 11.6 billion euros. The electricity companies cite this as proof that closing early makes the system more expensive; The Government replies that extending it would jeopardize the ecological transition. The peninsula remains an “energy island” with only 3% interconnection with France, which amplifies any failure. And more and more experts repeat the same thing: the problem is not the speed of the transition, but that the network and the rules They are not getting stronger at the same rate.. A still uncertain future. Almaraz has become much more than a power plant: it is a symbol of the tension between climate urgency and energy security. The Executive insists that Spain will be able to sustain its network with renewable technology and digital control; Technicians and electrical companies ask for caution. Meanwhile, Red Eléctrica engineers fine-tune algorithms, the CNMC approves regulatory patches and the residents of Almaraz prepare for a future that, for now, continues to depend on its two reactors. Spain wants to turn on … Read more

What if we have made a mistake with the orientation of the panels? Two projects in the Valencian Community are testing it

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For decades, solar panels have looked to the sky with an almost religious inclination. But, what if the error was precisely that? What if the future of solar energy lies in putting them on their feet? Position is everything. The Norwegian company Over Easy Solar and its Spanish partner Albricias Energía have installed the first two vertical solar systems in the Valencian Community: one in the Elche business park and another on the roof of a residential building in Bétera. The idea of ​​raising the panels is not only aesthetic: it responds to a practical need. In cities there are more and more flat roofs and fewer sloping roofs, and in the countryside, agrivoltaics seeks to free up soil for crops. In this context, verticality is becoming a solution that is as logical as it is efficient. The logic behind the vertical panel. Its promise is as simple as it is disruptive: assembly in 15 minutes per kWp, without tools or ballasts, and with a design that does not pierce the roof or alter its tightness. The panels, manufactured with heterojunction (HJT) cellsreach an efficiency of 22% and a bifaciality of 92%, that is, they capture solar radiation on both sides. In addition, being in a vertical position, they dissipate heat better, which translates into better thermal performance. At the Elche facilitythe modules were placed with an east-west orientation, so that one side receives the morning sun and the other the evening sun. That generates two daily production peaks —one around 10:00 and another around 8:00 p.m.—, just when domestic electricity demand is usually highest. While traditional panels reach their maximum at noon and fall when more energy is needed, the vertical ones fill those production “valleys”, reducing dependence on batteries or the electrical grid. Production curves of the Elche facility Source: Over Easy Solar Beyond the angle. Furthermore, their shape and geometry make them almost immune to dirt, hail or wind, and as they do not require screws or ballasts, they can be easily dismantled if the roof requires maintenance. The Fraunhofer ISE Institute has endorsed that this configuration does not compromise structural stability, which reinforces its technical feasibility. According to Over Easy itselfvertical solar installations are becoming a value option for both urban rooftops and large-scale or agrivoltaic projects, and offer competitive capture rates and payback periods compared to conventional photovoltaics. The vertical spin expands. It is not an isolated idea. In California, the Sunstall company has developed Sunzauna system of vertical bifacial panels designed to combine agriculture and energy. The project, installed in a vineyard in Somerset, uses modules that generate electricity on both sides and allow cultivation under partial shade, reducing UV stress on the plants and taking advantage of the land for both uses. The principle is the same: more usable surface area, less heat, less maintenance and a more stable production curve. And, furthermore, with added value: keeping the land available to produce food. In urban environments, verticality also makes its way. The Canadian Mitrex SolarRail has launcheda bifacial solar railing system that turns balconies into small energy generators. With transparent and opaque versions, these modules integrate photovoltaics into the architecture without altering the design of the building or taking up additional space. The technology that makes it possible. With twist or without it, all recent proposals point in the same direction: bifaciality. HJT (heterojunction) cells combine crystalline and amorphous silicon to make better use of reflected light and reduce temperature losses. This symmetrical structure allows energy to be generated from both the front and rear of the panel, something essential for vertical systems or systems integrated into facades. And it doesn’t stop there. New advances, such as bifacial perovskite panels developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad, could make these solutions even cheaper and better. Will the future be vertical? Verticality does not seek to replace traditional photovoltaics, but rather to complement it. It allows energy to be produced when it is needed most, reduces the visual footprint and increases generation on already saturated roofs or in buildings without inclination. In the words of Pablo Sánchez-Roblesfounder of Albricias Energía: “Over Easy systems can complement already executed installations, increasing generation without changing the inverter.” Maybe in a few years we will look at the sloping roofs and think that the panels always wanted to be standing. After all, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Image | Over Easy Solar Xataka | Quantum find in Cambridge points to solar ‘Holy Grail’: single-material solar panels

Domotizing with sensors seemed good idea. After several days of testing, Ana has discovered what almost no one tells

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What can go wrong when you try to domote the kitchen and bathroom … even little by little? Well, many things, as you will discover In this new installment of ‘Domotize or die in the attempt’. Ana has proposed to move forward with her connected house, but what seemed a more or less simple installation of sensors It ends up becoming a succession of failed tests, network errors, double -sided tape and various frustrations. In this episode, the goal is clear: protect the water leak house and automate bath lighting, but the process will not be precisely fluid. Nor short. Not simple. Before entering flour, the first logistic obstacle had to be overcome: shipping. One of the packages with the essential sensors had been lost, which kept the entire process in pause. “It seemed that today’s video was not going to arrive, but finally the package appeared,” says Ana, resigned but relieved. With everything already at home, the installation starts: water sensors at key points such as sink or dishwasher, and a first attempt to leave the presence detection system ready in the bathroom ready. What follows, of course, is not a manual installation. Tape, tests and patience: Home automation is taking pace The first sensors to settle were those of water leaks, and the kitchen was the test field. Ana located the three most critical points: sink, dishwasher and washing machine. He prepared to make tests in real conditions. The result was a constant strip and loosen between theory and practice. “It has taken a little more than I expected”, Says after seeing how the sensor does not react instantly to contact with water. From there, homemade adjustments begin. Place the device as centered as possible, trust that it does not move with the passage of the aspirating robot and wait for the time, the time comes, it really works. Everything pointed out that the Valve Controller would be the perfect brooch: a system that, when detecting a leak, would automatically close the passage key. It made sense, it was well thought out and seemed to fit the logic of the rest of the sensors. But when trying to install it, the thing was twisted. Ana discovers that, despite having the pipes in sight, there is not enough space to place the device. “My joy in a well,” summarizes, with a mixture of rage and resignation. The concept was ideal, the impossible execution. It will touch it back. After the reverse with the valve controller, Ana focuses on the other great objective of the episode: install a LED strip behind the bathroom mirror and accompany it with a presence sensor that activates the light automatically at night. It sounds simple, but only in theory. You have to look for the exact placemake sure that you do not activate with cats, find free plugs, and deal with an app that does not want to collaborate. “Ok, great. It’s a bit slow, but it works,” he says when, finally, he gets everything to react … although not quite as he expected. From there, it is time to test, move the sensor, adjust settings and fight with home automation. Will you get it ready? That is another story. After so much effort, Ana manages to launch her night lighting routine in the bathroom. The sensor detects the movement and lights the LED strip … although not always with the desired speed or precision. Sometimes it takes, sometimes it is activated for no reason. “It works, I would tell you that between 85 and 90 % well,” he acknowledges. It is not perfect, but functional enough to keep it installed. Will it end by polishing the failures? Is it enough when they return from the trip? In the video we see how everything has evolved. With part of the system already underway, Ana begins to think about what is coming: a trip, plants, cats … and the terrace, which stays as a pending task for the next chapter. In the next episode we will see how the house prepares for be outwith automatic irrigation system. At the moment, there is something that is still unresolved: the happy water key controller. “I thank you infinite to leave me a comment to see if I can solve it,” he says, leaving the door open to someone having the answer she has not found. And yes, if you want to see how all this ends, The full video awaits you on the Xataka YouTube channel. Images | Xataka In Xataka | The supreme clarifies all doubts about placing gunshot with camera at home. It all depends on whether they record and where it points

Testing Tiktok’s most viral anti -manners seemed like a good idea. Until I did

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I am one of those people who, if there are twenty people with me and a single mosquito, will chop me. They worship me, what am I going to do? I actually try to do everything I can, because in addition to the standard itch, it makes me reaction and the bites are put ON FIRE. The Tiktok algorithm must know, because they often appear to me trick videos to prevent mosquitoes from picing you, All homemade, super simple and, according to their creators, infallible. Without too much faith, I chose the three that seemed more interesting and I prepared to try them. Everything is for science. Why mosquitoes bite us First of all a little science. The main reason why a mosquito chooses a dam to chop it is the blood group. It has been proven that people with type 0 blood have More lactic acid in the skin And this attracts mosquitoes more. But this is not the only factor, so is Carbon dioxide What do we emit. Mosquito females, which are the ones that bite, can smell the CO2 60 meters away. If our body temperature is also higher, for example by making an effort, we are the perfect target. Tiktok to the rescue During the summer, in my bag you can not miss the repellent spray, it is the only thing that works for me, but of course, it is not the most pleasant in the world because it smells very strong and leaves your skin as sticky. Over the years I have tried all kinds of things Like citronela candles, smoke spirals, repellent bracelets (luck if someone pretends not to pique a mosquito carrying one of these) and I have even planted citronela at home. Let’s see if Tiktok experts save me from this cross. Trick 1: Simple and with surprise He First trick I tried is the simplest. You just have to put half a liter of cleaning vinegar in a glass boat and add a lemon cut into slices. It smells a bit strong, but it doesn’t smell bad and it is quite decorative. I put it in the kitchen, which is where more flies and mosquitoes usually enter because the window is usually open and I waited. To my surprise, the best of all. A few days later I had my verdict in the form of three new bites. It does not seem to have a lot of the mosquitoes, but to my surprise it had an unexpected benefit: I barely saw flies. In the video they say that it is effective against flies and mosquitoes, but my perception is that, to work, it only works for the first. Nor does it look like a very durable method and after a few days it smelled. It would be necessary to renew it to maintain the effect. Trick 2: The spiritual In This video We receive a soft voice that promises that the trick will end with flies, mosquitoes, mosquitoes and cockroaches. A complete. The method consists of taking a glass bowl and putting coffee poses, half a cup of flavoring, clove and a wick of a candle. Must burn for an hour And our expert ensures that we will never see an insect again. Run, take the photo that goes out! In the explanation of the recipe I already began to lose faith because it does not even explain what that of the aromatizing is, so I had to skip that step. The truth is that I cannot say whether or not it is effective because I did not get the fuse to burn more than 1 minute in a row. I tried several wicks and nothing, when I arrived at the coffee he went out (and that was dry). From what I have read in the comments, the same thing happened to many more people. Of course, it smelled very well. Trick 3: The scientist He said that one of the reasons why mosquitoes are biting us is because of the CO2 that we emit and is precisely the basis of this trick. In the video it explains us How to build A carbon dioxide trap With water, sugar, yeast and a cut plastic bottle. The result is quite horrible from the decorative point of view, but it also smells weird. I gave him a vote of trust because it is the method that had the most scientific basis. A beautiful If I have to summarize the result in a word, it would undoubtedly fail. In the time I had the trap placed Not only did they chop me mosquitoes, it was not even one. In the comments of the video there are people who had similar results and also point something striking: at no time in the video teaches us the mosquitoes that have fallen into the trap (for whatever). I threw it three days. What does work and is endorsed by science I didn’t have much faith and my suspicions have been confirmed. None of the three methods have freed me from mosquito bites, but there are remedies that free us with a much higher success rate, mainly the Industrial repellent with Icaridin and Deet As an active substance. The DEET is the most common ingredient in the repellent spray. With a 20%concentration, it is effective in protecting us for 5 hours. The bad thing is that It has greater toxicity. He IR3535 It is a bit softer and equally effective against some mosquito species, although it would not be so much against others that transport dangerous diseases. There are also natural alternatives such as Essential oils of mint, basil or citronella that are much more respectful of the skin, the problem is that the softer, less effectiveness. Putting chemical substances on my skin is not excited, but they are the only thing that I am not going to end up bitter by itching. In addition, we must not forget that Mosquitoes are considered the deadliest animal that … Read more

He is already testing his 1.4 nm lithography and has announced when he will arrive

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2025 will be the year in which the 2 Nm chips will take off. During the next months TSMC, Intel and Samsung will start large -scale production of this type of integrated circuits. However, each of these companies is found in a very different situation. The Taiwanese TSMC leads the market with a fee of approximately 60% and has closed A very successful 2024. In addition, Apple, Nvidia, AMD, Mediatek, Intel and Qualcomm have already officialized their intention to formalize orders for their 2 Nm integration technology. Samsung’s starting point is less comfortable than TSMC’s. This South Korean company is reassessing your expansion plans and adjusting its template with the purpose of facing the future with the maximum possible guarantees. Of course, it is prepared to start large -scale production of 2 nm chips. Intel, meanwhile, is facing one of the most difficult stages Of all its history. Even so, Ben Sell, Vice President of Technology Development, confirmed At the end of last September that the 18A node already has the maturity necessary to enter large -scale production in 2025. Integrated 1.4 NM circuits of TSMC will arrive in 2028 TSMC has confirmed that the tests of its 2 Nm node are being successful, so you can start large -scale manufacturing of semiconductors using this photolithography during the second semester of 2025. However, its medium -term plans do not end here. Just a few hours ago this company has held its Technological Conference of North America and has anticipated which is also testing its next avant -garde integration technology. It will call it A14 (1.4 Nm), will enter large -scale production in 2028 and we already know some of its most interesting characteristics. TSMC has made public some figures that allow us to assess to what extent the arrival of the A14 node will be important One of its most important spots will consist that you will use transistors Nanosheet Gaa (Gate-alall-around) Second generation. The first generation will arrive next to the Lithography N2 (2 Nm) this year. In addition, this integration technology will land with the promise to make possible the manufacture of integrated circuits with higher performance, higher energy efficiency and a more flexible design. The usual. However, TSMC, fortunately, has been wet and in its event some figures have made public that allow us to assess to what extent the arrival of the A14 node will be important. And, according to this company, the integrated circuits produced with the A14 lithography will be 15% faster than the chips manufactured in the NEN N2 with the same consumption; They will reduce energy expenditure by 30% at the same speed, and, in addition, they will put on the table the possibility of increasing the density of logic by 20%. According to Kevin ZhangSenior Vice President and Deputy Director of Operations of TSMC, the A14 node will be attractive to make chips for consumption devices and for strictly professional applications, such as, for example, GPU for artificial intelligence (AI). As we have seen, TSMC hopes to start the large -scale manufacture of 1.4 Nm semiconductors in 2028, but at that time this integration technology will only have taken its first step. And it is likely that In 2029 a review of the lithography A14 is readyand presumably in 2030 the high performance and low cost versions of this node will arrive. This is the usual as long as TSMC sets a new integration technology. In fact, The nodes N4 nodes (4 NM), which is constituted by integration technologies N4, N4P and N4X, are improved Integration Technology N5 (5 Nm). Images | TSMC More information | TSMC In Xataka | Intel’s historical crisis continues to charge its price on the template: it will fire 20,000 people, according to Bloomberg

The maneuver Stellantis is testing in the United States

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Imagine the situation: you go with your car so quietly back home. It’s time to eat, you are tired, stop at a traffic light and in the Info -detached screen An ad appears to buy a car subscription. Now stop imagining it, because this is already happening in Stellantis vehicles. Specifically, it has jumped to light thanks to the complaints of vehicle users of the Jeep brand. And it is not a mistake, but a function. “Buy tranquility.” Marras’s controversy has occurred when a user has shared a photo In Reddit in which an announcement is shown that occupies the entire screen of the car in which the brand encourages us to “buy tranquility.” Surely tranquility is the last thing someone would feel when paying for a car and that advertisements appear on the screen, but this user’s announcement with a Grand Cherokee with a Uconnect system says: “Flexcare extended Care Premium plans are backed by the factory and offer you peace of mind in case of mechanical breakdown. Press the “call” button to talk to a specialist. The odometer must mark less than 57,936 kilometers to buy it. ” Marras pop-up A problem. If you have more of those kilometers in the account, you will see an advertisement that, in addition, it is useless. If you do not have them, they have interrupted an action such as looking for something in the music system or checking an address in the GPS. A equis appears in one of the corners to close the Pop-upbut it is evident that it is a situation that has gone control. It is something that bothers the experience, since you may want to use the screen for something fast and concrete and you have to be looking for the symbol to close the advertising box. Also, like indicate Users, these ads appear every time you stop the vehicle. And some do it with a software failure. It feels. It is not the first time Someone complains about this, but it may be the most popular. The answer It has arrived by two ways. When a user shared his surprise about this in the forum 4xeforums For Jeep enthusiasts, from the Jeepcares service it was replied that they lamented frustration, which recommended customers to click on the EQUIS and eliminate past notifications. But that “the ads are part of a contractual agreement with Sirius XM” On the Carscoop website they contacted Stellantis and a representative confirmed That it is a message designed to inform Jeep’s customers “about the extended caring options of the vehicle.” And the software failure? Well, among the options for the announcement to go, we have to call, the Equis and the “ok”. The problem is that it seems that a bug made pressing in “OK” not use of anything, but from Stellantis they also confirmed to Carscoops that they are working to solve this error. In The Drive They comment that these windows can be deactivated, but you have to go to the Jeep Connect website, create a user account with mail and password and navigate to a section in which you can disable emerging windows. And the most curious thing that has made the controversy jump is that the user Comment That, in two years, the announcement had not appeared, but last week it reached the mileage indicated and the advertising began to jump. Fatigue. In the end, the underlying problem is what is known as subscription fatigue. The services that, currently, work with subscriptions are countless, even if they do not need it, and in the case of advertising in cars, it is something similar to the advertisements in prime video: it is not a cheaper rate, but to the that you had before you put ads. And it is evident that automotive companies seek a more continuous cash flow than they simply have for the sale of vehicles. There are few cases of subscriptions to unlock functions installed in cars, such as BMW idea of charging $ 80 a year for using Carplay (initially were 300 dollars) the Annual Mercedes Subscription that, for more than 400 euros a year, allowed to expand the angle of turn of the directional rear wheels or the Klim smart airbag. US problem. Advertising is no longer so much, but the business model that many companies in the sector are pushing. Now, it seems something located in the United States with its subscription and insurance program. Jeep, and the cars of the Stellantis group are important both in the European and Spanish market. We have contacted a Jeep Spain representative who confirmed that they know nothing. “Spain is part of the G5 of Europe, of the strongest markets of Jeep, and it is not something that is being applied or that they have reported,” they confirm. And this is extrapolated to the rest of Europe. Therefore, although from the same group they already confirmed a few years ago that subscriptions would be very present in your business modelin Spain you do not have to worry about the moment about this advertising implementation on the cars screens. Images | Reddit In Xataka | Large car manufacturers have launched the subscription models. Volvo believes that they are precipitating

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