"Are there any deals on upgrades?

Yes. If you have a PC running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, you qualify for a discounted upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $40. If you purchased a new PC with Windows 7 after June 2, 2012, you qualify for a $15 upgrade to Windows 8 Pro. Both offers expire on January 31, 2013. If you bought a new PC with Windows 8, your upgrade to Windows 8 Pro will cost a little more. "

"Key Questions Addressed:

What is the size of the global market opportunity for commercial CHP systems?Which countries offer the most attractive opportunities…"

Combined with recent developments in grid technologies and tie in to utilities, CHP is an attractive option worth exploring.  Improvements in energy efficiency & utilization, as well as resiliency in providing grid support and back-up resources.

"A National Renewable Energy Laboratory study found that the impact of community-owned projects on jobs creation during construction period is 1.1 to 1.3 times higher than corporate ones, and 1.1 to 2.8 times higher during operations period.

The employment and investment impact of community-owned projects can also go beyond a local community. Community ownership played a pivotal role in Germany and Denmark becoming global leaders not only in renewable energy generation but also in energy research & development and systems manufacturing. Currently, more than 50% of Germany’s renewable power is generated by community-based projects, and 80% of Denmark’s world-renowned windmills are cooperatively owned. …"

Clean Technica (http://s.tt/1xJmi)Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2012/12/28/community-power-renewing-communities-through-renewable-energy/#9BJDEsWlYydVVI10.99

"The “followers” number posted on a profile is not the best indicator of whether someone is helping other. It is one indicator of activity. Other indicators would be

The number of conversations you haveThe time you have recommended a good link that doesn’t point to a self serving sales pageHow often someone says “thanks for the help”The use of the retweet functions (RT) to share others tweets.  "

The growth of building energy management systems (BEMS) has driven significant gains in energy efficiency and the understanding of how buildings truly operate.  …. According to a recent report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant’s Energy Practice, the SBMS market will grow more rapidly over the remainder of the decade than the wider BEMS market.

Worldwide spending on these outsourced services, which include data acquisition and analytics, as well as building maintenance contracts, will grow from $291 million in 2012 to $1.1 billion by 2020, the study concludes.  That equates to a compound annual growth rate of nearly 18 percent, compared to the BEMS market rate of 14 percent.

"Responsive websites use a new variation of the traditional grid system called a "fluid grid."  A fluid grid system uses percentages to define column widths instead of pixels (fixed-width), letting the website adjust to the size of the device it’s being viewed on. As the device becomes narrower, it takes the content from each column (along with some additional code) and stacks it vertically, meaning the viewer only needs to scroll in one direction in order to keep looking at the site. … | … What does this mean to you?

Since it’s been predicted that mobile usage, via smartphone or tablet, will overtake desktop usage by 2014, it seems safe to bet that most website owners will want to offer a mobile experience of some sort. …"

"More from the IEEE Smart Grid/Zpryme report on energy storage: top-rated benefits are meeting peak demand, improving power reliability and reducing costs. Hurdles: costs, deployment and a lack of standards. Lithium-ion will see the most demand over the coming five years. Respondents think North America will see the most growth in lithium-ion-based storage in that period. Where’s the money? Respondents think government-backed R&D, industry R&D and private/venture capital will provide it. (See last week’s column, "Electric Vehicles: Looking Back, Looking Forward, Part II," for a new public/private partnership on R&D for energy density in batteries.) "

"AHJs report that installer errors and incomplete or inconsistent paperwork create extra work and delays for their staff. AHJs often operate in sub-optimal conditions that include strained budgets, lack of resources and high staff turnover; furthermore, in some areas where solar installations are less common, AHJ staff is simply unaware of existing practices or that problems even exist for installers.

Even if AHJs understand solar and want to work with installers, there is currently no channel by which they can communicate to installers about updates or process improvements, the company adds."

I have seen new materials developed and installed in other situations which ultimately fail as they have yet to undergo the test of real life conditions and are poorly installed. 

Ideally prepared test samples which manufacturer’s base data and promotional materials can be misleading regarding performance in the field.  Temperature and humidity at time of installation may play an important factor in the performance of the material over time as an example.