text:
Hon. Frances Charlotte Guest1
F, #28631, b. 22 March 1869, d. 24 September 1957
Hon. Frances Charlotte Guest was born on 22 March 1869 at 12 Upper Brook Street, London, EnglandG.2 She was the daughter of Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne and Lady Cornelia Henrietta Maria Spencer-Churchill.3 She was also reported to have been married on 27 January 1894.3 She married Frederick John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford, son of Frederick Augustus Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford of Chelmsford and Adria Fanny Heath, on 27 July 1894 at St. George's Church, St. George Street, Hanover Square, London, EnglandG.2 She died on 24 September 1957 at age 88.3
Her married name became Thesiger. After her marriage, Hon. Frances Charlotte Guest was styled as Baroness Chelmsford of Chelmsford on 9 April 1905. She was Imperial Order of the Crown of India (C.I.) in 1916.3 She was appointed Knight Grand Cross, Order of the British Empire (G.B.E.) in 1917.1 After her marriage, Hon. Frances Charlotte Guest was styled as Viscountess Chelmsford on 3 June 1921.
Children of Hon. Frances Charlotte Guest and Frederick John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford
Hon. Joan Frances Vere Thesiger+3 b. 1 Aug 1895, d. 15 May 1971
Lt. Hon. Frederic Ivor Thesiger3 b. 17 Oct 1896, d. May 1917
Hon. Anne Molyneux Thesiger+3 b. 17 Dec 1898, d. 10 Aug 1973
Hon. Bridget Mary Thesiger+3 b. 7 Aug 1900
Andrew Charles Gerald Thesiger, 2nd Viscount Chelmsford+3 b. 25 Jul 1903, d. 27 Sep 1970
Hon. Margaret St. Clair Sidney Thesiger+3 b. 7 May 1911
[S37] BP2003 volume 1, page 760. See link for full details for this source. Hereinafter cited as. [S37]
[S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume III, page 159. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.
Frederick John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford1
M, #28632, b. 12 August 1868, d. 1 April 1933
Frederick John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford was born on 12 August 1868 at 7 Eaton Square, London, EnglandG.2 He was the son of Frederick Augustus Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford of Chelmsford and Adria Fanny Heath.3 He married Hon. Frances Charlotte Guest, daughter of Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne and Lady Cornelia Henrietta Maria Spencer-Churchill, on 27 July 1894 at St. George's Church, St. George Street, Hanover Square, London, EnglandG.2 He was also reported to have been married on 27 January 1894.3 He died on 1 April 1933 at age 64.3
He was educated in 1881 at Winchester College, Winchester, Hampshire, EnglandG.2,4 He was educated in 1887 at Magdalen College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, EnglandG.4 He was a practising barrister in 1893.1 He gained the rank of Captain in the 4th Battalion, Dorset Regiment.1 He graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, EnglandG, in 1904 with a Master of Arts (M.A.)2 He was member of the London City Council between 1904 and 1905.2 He held the office of Governor of Queensland between 1905 and 1909.1 He succeeded as the 3rd Baron Chelmsford of Chelmsford, co. Essex [U.K., 1858] on 9 April 1905.1 He was appointed Knight Commander, Order of St. Michael and St. George (K.C.M.G.) on 29 June 1906.2 He held the office of Governor of New South Wales between 1909 and 1913.1 He was appointed Knight Grand Cross, Order of St. Michael and St. George (G.C.M.G.) in 1912.1 He held the office of Chancellor of the Order of St. Michael and St. George between 1914 and 1916.1 He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) in 1916.1 He was appointed Knight Grand Commander, Order of the Star of India (G.C.S.I.) in 1916.1 He was appointed Knight Grand Commander, Order of the Indian Empire (G.C.I.E.) in 1916.1 He held the office of Grand Master of the Order of the Indian Empire between 1916 and 1921.1 He held the office of Viceroy of India between 1916 and 1921.1 He held the office of Grand Master of the Order of the Star of India between 1916 and 1921.1 He was appointed Knight Grand Cross, Order of the British Empire (G.B.E.) in 1917.1 He was created 1st Viscount Chelmsford, of Chelmsford, co. Essex [U.K.] on 3 June 1921.1 He held the office of First Lord of the Admiralty between January 1924 and November 1924.1 He was Agent-General in London for New South Wales between 1926 and 1928.1 He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Law (LL.D.) by Birmingham University, Birmingham, Warwickshire, EnglandG, in 1927.1 He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L.) by Magdalen College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, EnglandG, in 1929.1 He was appointed Knight of Justice, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (K.J.St.J.)1 He was awarded the honorary degree of Knight of Justice, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (K.J.St.J.) by University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Midlothian, ScotlandG, in 1932.1 He was awarded the honorary degree of Knight of Justice, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (K.J.St.J.) by Sheffield University, Sheffield, Yorkshire, West Riding, EnglandG, in 1932.1
Children of Frederick John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford and Hon. Frances Charlotte Guest
Lt. Hon. Frederic Ivor Thesiger1
M, #28633, b. 17 October 1896, d. May 1917
Lt. Hon. Frederic Ivor Thesiger was born on 17 October 1896.1 He was the son of Frederick John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford and Hon. Frances Charlotte Guest.2 He died in May 1917 at age 20 at MesopotamiaG, from wounds received in action.1
He gained the rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery.1 He fought in the First World War.
Hon. Anne Molyneux Thesiger1
F, #28634, b. 17 December 1898, d. 10 August 1973
Hon. Anne Molyneux Thesiger was born on 17 December 1898.1 She was the daughter of Frederick John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford and Hon. Frances Charlotte Guest.2 She married Donough Edward Foster O'Brien, 16th Baron of Inchiquin, son of Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron of Inchiquin and Ethel Jane Foster, on 13 December 1921.1 She died on 10 August 1973 at age 74.1
Her married name became O'Brien. After her marriage, Hon. Anne Molyneux Thesiger was styled as Baroness of Inchiquin on 9 December 1929.
Children of Hon. Anne Molyneux Thesiger and Donough Edward Foster O'Brien, 16th Baron of Inchiquin
Hon. Deirdre Jane Frances O'Brien2 b. 6 Nov 1924
Hon. Grania Rachel O'Brien2 b. 31 May 1928
Donough Edward Foster O'Brien, 16th Baron of Inchiquin
M, #28635, b. 5 January 1897, d. 19 October 1968
Donough Edward Foster O'Brien, 16th Baron of Inchiquin was born on 5 January 1897.1 He was the son of Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron of Inchiquin and Ethel Jane Foster.2 He married Hon. Anne Molyneux Thesiger, daughter of Frederick John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford and Hon. Frances Charlotte Guest, on 13 December 1921.2 He died on 19 October 1968 at age 71.1
He was educated at Eton College, Windsor, Berkshire, EnglandG.1 He was educated at Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Berkshire, England.1 He fought in the First World War.1 He gained the rank of officer in the 1st and 3rd Battalion, Rifle Brigade.1 He was educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford, Oxfordshire, EnglandG.1 He was Aide-de-Camp to the Viceroy of India between 1919 and 1920.1 He succeeded as the 16th Baron of Inchiquin [I., 1543] on 9 December 1929.1 He succeeded as the 8th Baronet O'Brien, of Lemeneagh and Dromoland, co. Clare [I., 1686] on 9 December 1929.1 He gained the rank of Captain in the 2nd Battalion, London Rifle Brigade.2 He fought in the Second World War between 1939 and 1942.1 He was awarded the Order of the Crown of Romania.2
Children of Donough Edward Foster O'Brien, 16th Baron of Inchiquin and Hon. Anne Molyneux Thesiger
Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron of Inchiquin
M, #28636, b. 21 June 1864, d. 9 December 1929
Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron of Inchiquin was born on 21 June 1864.1 He was the son of Edward Donough O'Brien, 14th Baron of Inchiquin and Hon. Emily Holmes à Court.2 He married Ethel Jane Foster, daughter of Johnston Jonas Foster, on 14 January 1896.1 He died on 9 December 1929 at age 65.1
He gained the rank of Lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade.1 He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) of County Clare.1 He held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for Shropshire.1 He was appointed Representative Peer [Ireland] between 1900 and 1929.1 He succeeded as the 7th Baronet O'Brien, of Lemeneagh and Dromoland, co. Clare [I., 1686] on 9 April 1900.2 He succeeded as the 15th Baron of Inchiquin [I., 1543] on 9 April 1900.1 He held the office of Senator [Irish Free State] in 1921.1
Children of Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron of Inchiquin and Ethel Jane Foster
Donough Edward Foster O'Brien, 16th Baron of Inchiquin+2 b. 5 Jan 1897, d. 19 Oct 1968
Hon. Katharine Beryl O'Brien2 b. 19 Apr 1898
Phaedrig Lucius Ambrose O'Brien, 17th Baron of Inchiquin2 b. 4 Apr 1900, d. 20 May 1982
Hon. Fionn Myles Maryons O'Brien+2 b. 28 Oct 1903, d. 2 Aug 1977
Hon. Griselda Etheldreda Clodagh O'Brien2 b. 19 Oct 1906
Hon. Finola Helga Laetitia Monica O'Brien2 b. 22 Sep 1910, d. 14 Jun 1975
Ethel Jane Foster1
F, #28637, d. 5 June 1940
Ethel Jane Foster was the daughter of Johnston Jonas Foster.1 She married Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron of Inchiquin, son of Edward Donough O'Brien, 14th Baron of Inchiquin and Hon. Emily Holmes à Court, on 14 January 1896.1 She died on 5 June 1940.1
Her married name became O'Brien. After her marriage, Ethel Jane Foster was styled as Baroness of Inchiquin on 9 April 1900. She was awarded the Medaille de Queen Elisabeth de Belgium in 1920.1
Children of Ethel Jane Foster and Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron of Inchiquin
Johnston Jonas Foster1
Johnston Jonas Foster held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.)1 He lived at Cliffe Hill, Lightcliffe.1 He lived at Moor Park, Ludlow, Shropshire, England.1
Child of Johnston Jonas Foster
Ethel Jane Foster+1 d. 5 Jun 1940
William Henry Ashe Holmes à Court, 2nd Baron Heytesbury of Heytesbury1
M, #28639, b. 11 July 1809, d. 21 April 1891
William Henry Ashe Holmes à Court, 2nd Baron Heytesbury of Heytesbury was born on 11 July 1809.1 He was the son of William à Court, 1st Baron Heytesbury of Heytesbury and Maria Rebecca Bouverie.2 He married Elizabeth Worsley-Holmes, daughter of Sir Leonard Worsley-Holmes, 9th Bt., on 3 October 1833.1 He died on 21 April 1891 at age 81.1
He was given the name of William Henry Ashe à Court at birth.1 He succeeded as the 2nd Baron Heytesbury of Heytesbury, co. Wilts [U.K., 1828] on 31 May 1860.1 He succeeded as the 3rd Baronet à Court, of Heytesbury, Wiltshire [G.B., 1795] on 31 May 1860.1
Children of William Henry Ashe Holmes à Court, 2nd Baron Heytesbury of Heytesbury and Elizabeth Worsley-Holmes
Hon. Emily Holmes à Court+2 d. 3 Jan 1868
Elizabeth Holmes à Court2 d. 20 Aug 1902
Gertruda Anne Holmes à Court2 d. 1 Sep 1933
Margaret Holmes à Court2 d. 21 Feb 1933
William Leonard Holmes à Court+2 b. 19 Jan 1835, d. 16 Dec 1885
Hon. Frederick Holmes à Court2 b. 24 Aug 1839, d. 1919
Captain Henry Holmes à Court2 b. 26 Jun 1841, d. 4 Jan 1885
Charles George Holmes à Court+2 b. 8 Dec 1843, d. 10 Jan 1924
Edward Alexander Holmes à Court+2 b. 23 Oct 1845, d. 23 Jun 1923
Arthur Wyndham Holmes à Court+2 b. 7 May 1848, d. 2 Oct 1915
Maria Rebecca Bouverie1
F, #28640, b. October 1783, d. 6 October 1844
Maria Rebecca Bouverie was born in October 1783.1 She was the daughter of Hon. William Henry Bouverie and Lady Bridget Douglas.1 She married William à Court, 1st Baron Heytesbury of Heytesbury, son of Colonel Sir William Pierce Ashe à Court, 1st Bt. and Lætitia Wyndham, on 3 October 1808 at St. George's Church, St. George Street, Hanover Square, London, EnglandG.1 She died on 6 October 1844.2
From 3 October 1808, her married name became à Court.
Children of Maria Rebecca Bouverie and William à Court, 1st Baron Heytesbury of Heytesbury
Hon. Cecilia Maria à Court+ d. 25 Dec 1889
William Henry Ashe Holmes à Court, 2nd Baron Heytesbury of Heytesbury+3 b. 11 Jul 1809, d. 21 Apr 1891
Hon. Frederick Ashe à Court3 b. 15 Dec 1818, d. 28 Jan 1840
[S15] George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume V, page 304. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Baronetage.


Lia Cecchin(Feltre, 1987; Lives and works in Turin) graduated in 2010 She in visual arts at the IUAV (Venice). Among the exhibitions he took part in: "Byts Bosch Young Talent Show", AKV ('s-Hertogenbosch); "Opera 2011", Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa (Venice); "Fuoriclasse", GAM (Milan); "It happened Tomorrow", Barrier (Turin); "Mediterranean 17", The Steam Factory (Milan); "Searching for comfort in an uncomfortable chair", Clog (Torino); "Susy Culinski & Friends ", Fanta Spazio (Milan); "Teatrum botanicum ", Pav Park Living Art (Torino); "Curator exquis ", Greylight Projects (Bruxelles), "That's it! Sull'ultima generazione di artisti in Italia e a un metro e ottanta dal confine", MAMbo (Bologna).


Internet is full of opportunities – for jobs, recreation, knowledge, learning and earning. These days, the internet has engulfed our thoughts and actions, and has penetrated deep into our life. Almost every problem has been attempted to be solved with the help of internet. Among them, online shopping of products and services is making waves currently. There are numerous companies competing fiercely against each other to grab the attention of ever-growing internet-savvy online customers.
Similarly there are many companies that are offering cashback for clicking though their sites when you shop online. They operate on the commissions received from the sites to whom they refer you. The pioneer among those sites and the most talked about one is GoPaisa . Here is an honest account of my experience with Gopaisa and a guide on how to earn real money as commission from Gopaisa.
PS: Sorry for the plain text. The Gopaisa guys didn't give me permission to post screenshots!!!
In simple terms, if you visit your shopping site (like Paytm, Amazon, Flipkart, etc) 'through' Gopaisa and end up purchasing in the same session, you will earn the specified percentage of cash back in your GoPaisa wallet. Yes, it means you have to have an account in Gopaisa.com.
You can redeem the accumulated cashback via various modes like recharge, Paytm cash, bank transfer, Mobikwik, shopping vouchers, etc.
You can watch this official Gopaisa Youtube video to know how it works.
My current balance in Gopaisa wallet since I began in May, 2015, is Rs. 886/-, i.e, my average earning is Rs. 150/-. Of course it depends on the amount of shopping you do through GoPaisa.
It is not about the drawbacks about Gopaisa, per se, but it's the case with all the cashback sites. The transaction can be considered only if authorised by the partner merchant sites. If they decline it without stating any reason, we will have to accept it. Even Gopaisa is helpless, as they too don't get any commission for that transaction!
Non-tracking of SNAPDEAL transactions cannot be questioned. It was the only transaction out of 25+ transactions so far that was not tracked. When I asked Gopaisa about it, I go the reply that Snapdeal doesn't entertain any questions regarding it.
Recently Gopaisa released its app to simplify its usage, as the app-based market is growing now. However, the app-to-app linking hasn't been done yet except for flipkart. We will have to use the merchant stores' mobile sites if we click from the Gopaisa App. As per Gopaisa, the app-to-app feature will be available soon for all the stores.
Gopaisa support team is frank and transparent. They reply to your queries honestly, and let you know if they are unable to help, unlike some sites where you are kept hanging without response. There is very less requirement of customer support if you have done the simple things right – clearing cache, logging in to Gopaisa, visiting your shopping sites through Gopaisa, and completing the purchase in the same session, as everything else is done by Gopaisa automatically.
Gopaisa claims to be the highest paying cashback site. In many cases, it is true. But what matters to me the most is the ease of using the site and the app. The stores and offers are easy to find as they are neatly listed and are always updated. The most used stores are on the homepage itself. If you need anything, the search box works like a charm. So, my take is that if a site can pay you the promised cashback even if it is after 2 months of your actual transaction, you can trust it! The summary of my using Gopaisa for 6 months is in the below table.
While the Snapdeal transaction wasn't tracked, other 12 are pending (waiting for confirmation from the merchants). Earlier it used to take 2 months for confirmation, but now it takes 3 months.
From my experience, you can surely GO for GOPAISA!


text:
Repowering: Turning up the Power
Where planning restrictions effectively rule out new power plant developments, repowering at existing facilities can simultaneously achieve both environmental and developmental goals. Wien Energie, which serves the Vienna region of Austria, has launched a programme to do just that at its Simmering facility.
David Appelyard
In the jewel of Austria, Vienna, power demand is steadily rising at between two and three per cent annually and demand for heat is also at the upper end of this range. As a result, capacity margins began to narrow and, as prices approached €20-30/MWh, utilities started to consider new power developments in order to meet demand and capitalize on larger margins.
Faced with such a situation Wien Energie, a major utility serving the Vienna region, launched a programme to increase its generation capacity. Its two-unit gas fired plant at Simmering, just outside Vienna, which was originally put into operation in 1978 was long overdue for replacement, given a typical lifespan of some 200 000 hours of operations.
Click here to enlarge image
Initial plans envisaged developing a complete new facility at the Simmering site, but this was not only deemed an expensive option but also would struggle to gain regulatory approval. Although high efficiency combined-cycle gas fired stations, which utilize combined heat and power technology are one of the most efficient, and therefore economic methods of generating energy, public perception regarding new build plant is a significant hurdle in much of Western Europe.
Vienna, in particular, has a notoriously difficult and tortuous planning regime. Compounding this factor, similar difficulties associated with siting new transmission lines curtail the possibilities for power imports to the Austrian capital. Therefore as a method of both controlling development costs and securing the relevant regulatory approvals, a repowering concept was considered that would effectively boost capacity without the need for a new power plant.
The repowering concept envisaged effectively doubling installed capacity at the site without apparently building a new power station within the city limits, almost like a conjuring trick. Furthermore, by utilizing almost the entire existing distribution infrastructure, including those for gas, ammonia and cooling water entering the plant and for the district heat and electricity that is distributed to Vienna in turn, development costs are significantly reduced. Indeed, the development of two new standard plants would cost around 30 per cent more than repowering, which is designed to achieve a similar improvement in the economics of existing power assets, while reducing both emissions and operations and maintenance costs.
The project for repowering Unit One was initiated in May 2004, with the contract subsequently awarded to Siemens in July of the following year after a Europe-wide public tender process. The power island will use Siemens' SGT5 – 4000F single-shaft gas turbines coupled to the company's two pole, air-cooled 1000 A generators. In addition, new heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), of a three stage vertical configuration with top mounted stacks, are to be installed for each turbine.
The use of existing plant infrastructure includes the steam turbine, condensers, generator, switchyards and transmission lines along with water, gas, and ammonia feed lines. In addition, retaining the existing Unit Two at the site allows the continued use of the 65 MW gas fired plant for peaking heat and power capacity.
Replacement of the existing gas fired steam generator at Unit One with two 260 MW gas turbines, each with its own HRSG, which are subsequently connected to the existing steam turbine, will roughly double net electrical output in full condensing operations from 430 MW to 820 MW. Under full district heating demand, electrical output increases from 360 MW to 700 MW. Thermal capacity, meanwhile, increases from 280 MWth to 450 MWth.
The three-stage steam turbine features high, intermediate and low pressure stages, and uses an intermediate take-off configuration to supply energy to the local heat distribution network. The repowering project will increase electrical efficiency by almost 15 per cent from 42.6 per cent to 57 per cent, and improve overall thermal efficiency to more than 80 per cent when operating at full district heating load and maximum power generation, compared with some 62 per cent previously.
Boosting efficiency to among the highest in Europe also allows net reductions in CO2 and NOx emissions, despite increased capacity. The plant is to be controlled using a Microsoft Windows XP-based Teleperm system allowing just six operators to control the entire site together with around ten or 15 maintenance staff on site.
Repowering concept
Siemens' standardized repowering concept provides several alternatives for integrating a gas turbine into an existing steam plant. In many applications the design lifespan of the steam turbine has been reached, requiring modernization taking the modified steam flow into consideration. A detailed assessment of the existing plant determines the optimal approach to repowering.
Full repowering, as at Simmering, is a complete replacement of the original boiler with a combination of one or more gas turbines and HRSGs, and is widely used with very old plants with boilers at the end of their lifetime. It is considered one of the simplest ways of repowering an existing plant. Repowering can also include modernization of the steam turbine and instrumentation and control systems.
In parallel repowering, the boiler remains in operation for peak and intermediate load. The steam from the existing boiler is added to the steam from the HRSGs at several pressure levels, depending on the condition and capability of the existing steam turbine.
Topping, also known as hot windbox repowering, involves the conversion of a straight steam cycle to a full fired combined-cycle, in which the gas turbine assumes the role of a forced draft fan in a conventional steam boiler-turbine unit. The exhaust from the gas turbine is used as preheated vitiated air to burn the main fuel in the fired boiler.
Boosting is a limited form of parallel repowering. The HRSG added to the plant is not designed to raise superheated steam for the existing steam turbine, but only to preheat the condensate and/or feedwater flows to the associated boiler.
Steam turbine output
For full repowering, the available HRSG steam defines the achievable steam turbine output. As a rule of thumb, the thermal cycle of the repowered unit is targeted to achieve around 70-80 per cent of the rated steam turbine output in order to achieve a reasonable amount of steam flow through the high-pressure section of the steam turbine. In combined-cycle applications, as well as for full repowering, the steam flow through the steam turbine is increased due to the added steam from the intermediate-pressure and/or low-pressure HRSG, and the fact that steam extractions for condensate feedwater are no longer required. Repowering therefore requires detailed assessment of the low-pressure turbine and the condenser's ability to cope with the increase flow.
For parallel repowering, the steam turbine capacity is selected arbitrarily. The steam flow characteristics enable full utilization of the steam turbine. The combined-cycle mode of operation corresponds to full repowering. In the hybrid mode the existing boiler supplies additional steam up to the capacity limit of the steam duct firing upstream of the HRSG.
The attractiveness of parallel repowering lies in the huge load reserve available at an efficiency that is far higher than for simple-cycle gas turbine or steam plants.
Repower or not?
Typically, an old steam plant has an efficiency of around 37-39 per cent, compared to a new combined-cycle power plant with an efficiency of around 52-58 per cent, depending on the gas turbine and the water/steam cycle configuration. Repowering using existing steam turbine and plant equipment that is not optimized to the new process, leaves the achievable efficiency slightly lower than that of a new combined-cycle plant. Nonetheless, an aging existing gas fired steam plant, which is operated at an efficiency of 38 per cent might raise efficiency to about 55 per cent through full repowering. Besides the performance increase, there is a direct impact on emissions, with CO2 intensity typically cut by around 30 per cent.
According to Siemens, repowering currently accounts for perhaps ten per cent of the European market for its combined-cycle gas turbine installations, although a large proportion of Eastern European plant is aging coal fired and gas fired steam capacity that would be well suited to repowering. With market reforms pressing competition on former monopolies, repowering not only provides an opportunity to improve competitiveness by extending the lifespan of existing facilities and improving performance, but also reduces operations and maintenance costs.
However, despite the very effective reduction in carbon emissions, repowering projects within Western Europe do not currently qualify for carbon certificates. A decision on the issue is expected this year which, if favourable, would significantly improve the economic case for what is already a commercially viable strategy.
For Wien Energie, repowering Unit One of the Simmering plant forms a significant part of its plan to increase its market share. By increasing capacity through repowering, the company has managed to increase its output, reduce emissions and cut operations and maintenance costs at a stroke, and at a cost around one-third less than a new build project. Using existing infrastructure not only cut costs but also improves reliability in a relatively short period of time.
In addition, the recently submitted Austrian National Allocation Plan allows the company to fully use the existing carbon emissions credits awarded to the older Simmering facility and as a further incentive to improve overall environmental performance. In Austria more efficient generation, such as gas fired plants, receive more carbon credits than older and less efficient plants such as those burning coal.
Ultimately, despite an active and engaged environmental lobby, not a single complaint has been lodged regarding the repowering project at Simmering. And after all, why should anyone complain about a reduction in emissions?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home » News & Trends » Gently's shopping aggregator aims to remove friction of locating secondhand apparel
Gently's shopping aggregator aims to remove friction of locating secondhand apparel
Samuel Spitz is a lover of secondhand clothing but found he was spending hours searching across dozens of resale sites to find certain items and coming up short.
"The market is very fragmented with all of the sites," Spitz told TechCrunch. "And once I would get on a site, it was really hard to find what I wanted, plus you only see a fraction of what is actually there. Oftentimes what I was looking for wouldn't be available right away, in my specific size or in my target price. I just keep searching, searching, searching every week, spending hours doing it because I love to find the deals."
That's when he got the idea of joining all of those secondhand listings together under one umbrella. In March 2021, he joined with fellow Rice University graduate Kunai Rai to start Gently, formerly Wearloom, in what Spitz referred to as "Amazon for secondhand," which enables users to shop across sites, including Poshmark, Depop and eBay, from one place.
The company's initial "technology" was a form that people could fill out that says the clothes they are looking for, and Spitz and Rai would manually compile the search results and respond via email. By the end of the first month, the pair was serving 500 to 600 people every day and it grew into the thousands in the second month.
When all of those manual searches became too much to keep up with, they started building the central platform for secondhand shopping online that Gently is today.
The company, now serving tens of thousands of users every day, partners with sites like eBay, ThredUp, Vestiaire Collective, Rebag, Grailed, GOAT, StockX and TheLuxuryCloset so that users can search, filter and get alerts from secondhand clothing sites. Gently makes a percentage of sales that it drives to those sites.
Gently's secondhand apparel marketplace Image Credits: Gently
"It's similar to how Kayak operates for travel," Spitz said. "We also bring in new customers that may have never shopped with them before."
In May, ThredUP reported in its 2022 Resale Report that the global secondhand apparel market was expected to grow 127% by 2026, which is three times faster than the overall global apparel market. In the U.S. alone, the secondhand market saw "record growth" of 32% in 2021 and was forecasted to more than double in the next four years to be valued at $82 billion.
In addition to those already listed, there are tons of marketplaces and startups working in this space, including Olive, Archive, Curtsy, Rebag and Treet, which all grabbed some venture capital funding in the past two years. Spitz considers his closest competitors to be Lyst and ShopStyle, which is a Rakuten brand.
Today was Gently's turn to announce its new capital infusion of $2 million in pre-seed money in a round that included over 20 investors like Jason Calacanis's Launch, Bloom Tech's Austen Allred, Shutterstock's Jon Oringer, RXBar's Peter Rahal, Dorm Room Fund and V1.VC.
Spitz expects to grow the number of everyday users to 1 million by 2024. He intends to deploy the new capital into technology development to improve search, launch SMS functionality and create a sizing function so users only have to input their size once. The company is also hiring additional people to join the six-person workforce and to expand from fashion into other categories, including furniture. He's also eyeing a Series A in 2023.
"The reason most people don't shop secondhand online is because it is super time-consuming and has a lot of friction," he added. "We can help those companies drive more sales and get more people shopping."
4 views on the future of retail and the shopping experience
Gently's shopping aggregator aims to remove friction of locating secondhand apparel by Christine Hall originally published on TechCrunch