The best watch

A black watch is perfect for diving in deep dark waters, and it looks great on dry land, too. In this feature from WatchTime’s June 2017 issue, we test Tudor’s popular model in its recently launched all-black version: the Heritage Black Bay Dark.

Over the past five years the Tudor Heritage Black Bay has grown into an important and attractive watch collection. It was launched in 2012 with a retro-look model in stainless steel with a red dive-watch bezel, followed in 2014 by a more reserved version with a blue rotating bezel, and then one year later with the simplest version so far, in black.

Tudor set off a new round of reworks in 2016 with the introduction of the Heritage Black Bay in bronze, in a 36-mm case, and with an ultra-sporty completely black version. Plus all new and existing Heritage Black Bay models will use the in-house MT5602 movement instead of the ETA 2824, which was previously used. (The MT5602 was introduced in 2015.)

A wide range of different straps and bracelets continues to add variety. Each watch comes with either a three-row stainless-steel bracelet or an antiqued leather strap, and a fabric strap is always included with either option. The boldest choice is the 36-mm 2016 Tudor model with an “urban camouflage” fabric strap.

The watch (like CITIZEN ECO DRIVE TITANIUM ) we tested has a black, brushed PVD-coated stainless-steel bracelet that matches the case. While the dial has a matte finish, the rotating bezel stands apart with a shiny aluminum track. The fact that the ring is not made of ceramic, and is therefore susceptible to scratches, is rather difficult to overlook in a watch that costs more than $4,000.
The Black Bay Dark’s sturdy and functional in-house movement has minimal decoration.

But an entirely positive feature is the movement, especially in light of Tudor’s traditional values of precision and sturdiness. This little brother to Rolex meets initial expectations by ensuring the inspection of every movement by COSC, the official Swiss testing institute for chronometers. In addition to other criteria, COSC certification requires that the watch’s average rate deviation remain within -4 and +6 seconds per day.

Our test on the electronic timing machine confirms this precision. However, in contrast to the official test, we also tested the sixth position, crown right, which revealed a minor outlier in the minus range. While this position is rare during everyday use – it occurs only when raising the wrist to read the time – it is essential for people who store their self-winding watches on watch winders because many of these machines might leave timepieces in a vertical position during rest periods that can last several hours.

Various technical properties of the “Movement Tudor” MT5602 fulfill the second part of the brand’s philosophy: sturdiness. First of all, the robust nature of the 6.5-mm-high movement ensures that no functional problems will occur due to minor tolerance variations. Secondly, the balance is not supported just on one side by a cock but instead lies completely straight and secure beneath a bridge. And thirdly, the silicon hairspring ensures that no deviation in rate will occur in the event of a disturbance or impact resulting from centering errors or deformation.

Additional quality features of the manufacture movement include the long, 70-hour power reserve and the variable inertia balance with four regulating screws. The rate is no longer regulated by changing the active length of the balance spring, as was the case when the Heritage Black Bay had an ETA movement. Even though Tudor used a different fine regulator in the ETA 2824, a stable variable inertia was possible only with the switch to its in-house movement.
The watch’s link bracelet ends in a functional folding clasp and safety lock.

The brand has invested very little effort or cost in decorating the movement, which is consistent with the philosophy of providing reliable watch technologies at a reasonable price. Mechanical watch enthusiasts who may be driven to open the fully threaded caseback (with the correct tool, of course) will discover minimal decorations, limited to a skeletonized and brush-finished rotor engraved with the Tudor name.

Tudor has omitted a date display for the Heritage Black Bay Dark, which we see as a positive change. This sports-design watch follows in the tradition of the Tudor Oyster Submariner of 1954, which also had no date display; its clean, unadorned dial simply has eight round and three rectangular hour markers and one triangular marker at 12 o’clock. The striking hour and seconds hands with their distinctive “snowflake” shapes can be traced to the second Submariner generation, which was presented by Tudor in 1969. The watch’s water resistance today is 200 meters, as it was in 1958. This was an impressively high value at the time of diving pioneers and remains sufficient for most recreational divers today.

In this way, the Heritage Black Bay Dark unites the best of various classic models – now in the casual black outfit of a very trendy sports watch. It’s the coolest way to dive – not to mention the best way to bring diving history into the beach bar.

SPECS:
Manufacturer: Montres Tudor SA, Rue François Dussaud 3-7, 1211 Geneva 26, Switzerland
Reference number: 79230DK
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Movement: In-house Caliber MT5602, automatic, chronometer, 28,800 vph, 25 jewels, hack mechanism, silicon balance spring, fine regulating screws on variable inertia balance, Incabloc shock absorber, power reserve = 70 hours, diameter = 31.8 mm, height = 6.5 mm
Case: PVD-coated stainless steel, uni- directional dive bezel with aluminum track, curved sapphire crystal with nonreflective coating on the inside, screw-down crown, fully threaded PVD-coated caseback, water resistant to 200 m
Strap and clasp: PVD-coated stainless-steel bracelet with one-sided safety folding clasp, additional fabric strap with PVD-coated stainless- steel pronged buckle
Rate results (Deviation in seconds per 24 hours):
Dial up +3
Dial down 0
Crown up +1
Crown down +3
Crown left +3
Crown right -1
Greatest deviation 4
Average deviation +1.5
Average amplitude:
Flat positions 290°
Hanging positions 252°
Dimensions: Diameter = 41 mm, height = 15.5 mm, weight = 170 g
Variations: With antiqued leather strap and additional fabric strap ($4,150)
Price: $4,475

SCORES:
Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): Superior finishing of the steel bracelet and one-sided folding clasp with safety bar; links have screw connectors, not pins. 8
Operation (5): Hack mechanism and large, grooved screw-down crown. One drawback: The bezel is di cult to use when wearing diving gloves. 4
Case (10): The steel case is water resistant to 200 meters and has a nicely ratcheting rotating bezel. The aluminum dive-time track and PVD coating are not the sturdiest solution. 8
Design (15): The black Heritage Black Bay is the sportiest, though not the most unique version of the popular dive watch. 13
Legibility (5): Reading the time is simple both day and night. Dive time is easily legible only under good lighting. 4
Wearing comfort (10): Weighing in at 170 grams, this watch is comfortable and not at all top-heavy on the steel bracelet. 9
Movement (20): The in-house movement has a sturdy design and runs with chronometer-level precision; minimal decoration 15
Rate results (10): Gain of only 1.5 seconds per day on the timing machine and on the wrist; the greatest deviation was only 4 seconds. 9
Value (15): The price of $4,475 is not too high for such a well-designed manufacture watch with highly developed robust and functional qualities. 13
Total: 83 POINTS

Ameren Missouri to add 100 MW of solar over next 10 years

Ameren Missouri announced a forward-thinking plan to dramatically increase the amount of wind and solar generation to provide cost-effective and sustainable energy for its customers.

Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation, plans to add at least 700 megawatts of wind generation by 2020, representing an investment of approximately $1 billion. The potential exists to add even more wind generation in the coming years as a result of improving technology and economics, as well as renewable energy initiatives with large customers.

The company also plans to add 100 megawatts of solar generation over the next 10 years, with 50 megawatts expected to come online by 2025.

“This is Ameren Missouri’s largest-ever commitment to clean, renewable energy,” said Michael Moehn, president of Ameren Missouri. “We are committed to bringing our customers innovative solutions that are both cost-effective and environmentally responsible while maintaining the reliability our customers expect.”

Wind generation

The new wind generation is expected to be located in Missouri and neighboring states using American-made turbines. The source, location and cost of the new wind generation is still under negotiation with several developers.

“We expect this tremendous growth in wind generation to provide great value to our customers, who will save money on energy costs,” Moehn said. “Because of significant advancement in technology, harnessing wind is less expensive than other forms of new generation.”

The planned generation is expected to be operational by 2020.

“We believe it is in our customers’ long-term best interest for Ameren Missouri to own this wind generation,” said Ajay Arora, vice president of environmental services and generation resource planning at Ameren.

Solar generation

The addition of 100 megawatts of solar generation over the next 10 years is expected to be developed in multiple phases.

Planning is underway on two projects. Earlier this year, Ameren Missouri announced plans to build a solar generation facility at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. That facility is expected to be complete in 2018. A separate project creates partnerships with business customers to locate an Ameren Missouri-owned solar generation facility on their property.

“These innovative solar programs have great promise,” Arora said. “Moving generation assets closer to where the energy is needed most is one of the ways we’re making the grid smarter, stronger and more resilient.”

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Carbon Reduction

Further, the company is establishing a goal of reducing its carbon emissions 80% by 2050 from the 2005 level.

“We are the first investor-owned utility in the state, and among the first in the country, to announce a carbon emissions goal of this magnitude,” Moehn said.

To meet this goal, Ameren Missouri is targeting a 35% carbon emissions reduction by 2030 and a 50% reduction by 2040 from the 2005 level. Since 2005, Ameren Missouri has significantly reduced emissions, including a 26% reduction in carbon emissions in 2016.

Specifics of Ameren Missouri’s plan also include:
Managing the largest, most comprehensive energy efficiency program in Missouri’s history. The plan consists of a comprehensive portfolio of programs for business and residential customers. The energy savings goal for the current three-year plan is 570,000 megawatt-hours, equivalent to the energy used by nearly 45,000 homes, and representing a carbon-emissions reduction equivalent to taking 115,000 cars off the street. These programs give residents and businesses tools to save money and help make costs more predictable.
Retiring over half of Ameren Missouri’s coal-fired generating capacity. This includes retiring the Meramec Energy Center in south St. Louis County by the end of 2022.
Addressing the need to transition to a smart energy grid that can support more renewable energy, universal and private solar and customers’ desire for more timely information. In the next two decades, the energy grid will be the lifeline for cleaner energy connecting hundreds, if not thousands, of small and regional renewable energy generators to the grid in real time while maintaining the energy reliability demanded by customers.

Ameren Missouri’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a 20-year outlook that supports cleaner energy in Missouri, was filed today with the Missouri Public Service Commission, and is consistent with Missouri’s Renewable Energy Standard. The IRP, which is filed every three years, examines electric customers’ projected long-term energy needs and describes Ameren Missouri’s preferred approach to meeting those needs in a cost-effective fashion that maintains system reliability.

“The IRP is developed with the input of a wide variety of stakeholders and is consistent with Ameren’s goal of transitioning its energy generation in a responsible fashion to ensure reliability while keeping customer rates affordable,” Arora said.

In order to add these resources to its generation portfolio, Ameren Missouri is required to seek certificates of convenience and necessity from the Missouri Public Service Commission for projects located in Missouri and to obtain interconnection agreements so that it can use transmission services of the appropriate Regional Transmission Authority.

meeco to equip 57 roofs in Guyana with sun2roof solar energy installations

The government of Guyana, through the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), continues with taking up the challenge of climate change by implementing environment-friendly renewable energy solutions. oursun Guyana, a joint venture of the Swiss-based clean energy provider The meeco Group, assists the government in this endeavour. After completing successfully the 43 kWp solar rooftop installation on the State House in Georgetown in Guyana, meeco was contracted to equip further 57 roofs of government-owned buildings with its clean energy solution sun2roof.

"We are delighted to have been awarded the tender for the installation of in total 740 kWp on diverse roofs of government-owned facilities such as schools, police stations, administration buildings, health centres and ministries", states Thomas Beindorf, Chief Technical Officer of The meeco Group.

"The management and execution of a clean energy project also depends on the quality of cooperation with local colleagues and partners. The cooperation with the government of Guyana and the local teams during the installation phase of the sun2roof system for the State House has been very rewarding and highly professional and together with the support from our local staff we could ensure the commissioning of the state house sun2roof even ahead of the tight contractual time schedule for the installation. In appreciation of this excellent partnership, Guyana's efforts to an environment-friendly energy supply and the deployment of renewable energy technologies, we look forward to the new projects ahead of us."

sun2roof is one of the most successful clean energy solutions of meeco, comprising of complete flexibility in terms of design requirements and customisable roof-mounted solar energy modules, a power inverter with an interface to meeco's energy monitoring system sun2see and the possibility to connect the solar solution to the national grid. This environment-friendly approach enables Guyana a further step on the path towards a greener energy supply and a decreasing dependence on polluting fossil fuels, such as diesel and gas.

Further to the partnership with the government of Guyana, meeco has submitted a bid for an extension of the sun2roof system on the State House. Further 22 kWp grid-connected solar power are supposed to be installed within the next weeks. Moreover, a 45 kWh hybrid inverter and a 160 kWh energy storage facility are planned to be included as well.

The hybrid inverter refers to an inverter/charger that is primarily used for grid-connected purposes but also has the added feature to provide backup power to the facility when the grid fails.

The electricity generated from the sun2roof solar system will be used for primarily internal consumption and for recharging the batteries. The excess energy will be supplied to the national electricity grid. The project will also seek to demonstrate the applicability of photovoltaic system operation with energy storage and its energy contribution to Guyana.

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3 Tax Deductions Small Businesses Commonly Forget to Take

The saying goes there are only two things certain in life – death and taxes. It is difficult to find anyone who likes thinking about either. While you cannot do anything about death, you can certainly find ways to, at least, lower the taxes you need to pay to the government. As a small business owner you have number of things to worry about and keeping track of all the possible tax deductions you can take should not be one of them. This is what you hire accountants and financial planners for. However, it is your responsibility to understand what taxes your small business can claim so that you can plan your expenses accordingly. Below we discuss three tax deductions many small business owners usually forget to pay attention to. Study them to ensure you don’t overpay your taxes.

Home Office

The tax deductions relating to a home office can be significant, but it is one of the most overlooked. Over half of all small business owners operate out of their homes, but less than one-third of sole proprietors claim a home office deduction. Some people believe it raises a red flag for an audit, but as long as you are entitled to claiming the space, meaning that you use the space regularly and exclusively for business and that space is an acceptable place from which to operate your business, there is nothing to worry about.

Moreover, it doesn’t have to mean a room of its own. If you operate online with cloud-based storage and simply set up a desk in the corner of your den and use that area solely for business, you can count it towards tax deduction. Deduct the expenses attributed to your home office area as well as any office supplies, furniture, or other equipment (e.g. printer) that you use solely for work.

How Collaboration between HR and Marketing can Contribute to Business Success

Most large businesses have distinct departments that are responsible for taking care of their respective functions. This is required to provide a structure and avoid overlaps and gaps within the company. Small and medium businesses, on the other hand, function as one cohesive unit without having such distinct roles and responsibilities. This helps them take care of things rather quickly, which essential for the success of the business.

There are times when even large corporations can benefit from different departments working closely together. HR and Marketing are two such roles that have the potential to contribute to the business with effective collaboration. Here are some of the benefits of collaboration between HR and marketing departments.

Benefits for Human Resources

The biggest benefit to the HR department of collaborating with the Marketing is that the Marketing can help attract and retain employees that are enthusiastic about the company’s ethos and brand. This can help to attract best talent to any vacant roles within the business.

Financial and Environmental Benefits of Portable Buildings for Small Business

Many start-up businesses, and growing ones, face the challenge of having a building space to work from. While you can opt to build or rent a permanent building it takes time to get it ready for business use. It also requires significant investment and high operating cost. There is another alternative in terms of portable building that can provide cost effective solution. Portable buildings are just what the name suggests. They are not built to stay in the ground permanently. Rather they can be erected quickly and provide the solution that is not only cost effective, but also environmentally friendly. Here are some additional details on the benefits and types of portable buildings.

Benefits of Portable Buildings

Today’s portable buildings offer business owners a number of great benefits. When it comes to portable buildings, the environmental footprint is drastically reduced compared to a traditional structure. No ground displacement is required and buildings that are equipped with electricity and HVAC systems are typically engineered to make the most out of the power they have.” An eco-friendly construction is also a cost effective one, a definite benefit for budget-conscious businesses.