Latest news with #JamesSweeney
RTÉ News
21-05-2025
- Science
- RTÉ News
How solar power forecasting can help maximise your solar panels
Analysis: As solar becomes a significant part of our energy system, there are challenges in effectively forecasting and managing solar energy production By Maeve Upton and James Sweeney, UL In recent months, Ireland has seen a rapid surge in solar energy production. A new record for grid-scale solar power was set on the March 25th last, reaching 750 Megawatts at a single moment - enough to power about 750,000 homes at once. But as electricity from solar becomes an increasingly significant component of our energy system, challenges arise in effectively forecasting and managing variability of solar energy production, at both household and national levels. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, there has been a significant growth in solar capacity in Ireland Solar panels convert sunlight or solar irradiance, into electricity, which varies throughout the day. The amount of power produced depends on several factors, including the characteristics of the panel and the solar irradiance it receives. There are many different solar panel systems available with varying panel characteristics. If you're considering installing solar panels, check out this guide which covers everything from panel selection to financial incentives. Solar irradiance is the amount of sunlight reaching the ground and is the biggest drivers of variability in electricity production. During the day, the three main sources of variability are the sun's position, cloud cover and panel temperature. Position of the sun The sun follows a predictable daily (diurnal) cycle—rising in the east and setting in the west —and also changes with the seasons. In the northern hemisphere, the sunniest months are typically May and June. From RTÉ Brainstorm, all you need to know about putting solar panels on your roof Cloud cover Cloud cover can block or scatter sunlight, significantly reducing the amount of solar irradiance reaching the surface of the solar panel. Solar power output drops each time a cloud passes over the solar panel. Unlike the sun's position, cloud cover is much harder to predict, especially in Ireland's temperate maritime climate. Higher temperatures Higher temperatures can reduce the efficiency of the solar PV panel. Though weather forecasts can quantify this, the effect on solar power output requires local-level estimates. What is solar power forecasting? Solar power forecasting is the process of predicting the amount of solar radiation (sunlight) reaching Earth's surface at a specific location and time. This is crucial for managing solar energy production, integrating renewable energy into power grids and ensuring energy system stability. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, can Ireland reach solar targets set out in Climate Action Plan? How does it work? To forecast solar power at a specific time and location, we need three key components: input data (solar PV system such as orientation and weather), astronomical calculations on the sun's position and a model combining them. The input data provides information about weather conditions, while astronomical calculations determine the position of the sun. These elements are combined within a forecasting model to estimate the solar power output. The input data has three main sources. The most accurate is ground-based measurements from meteorological stations managed by Met Éireann. They record high quality solar irradiance data in real time, but are limited to their 20 stations around Ireland. An alternative source is reanalysis datasets, which provide estimates of solar irradiance by blending historical weather observations with advanced numerical weather models. While reanalysis data offers consistent and spatially complete coverage, it is not available in real time and typically lags by about five days. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Teagasc's Barry Caslin on a renewed push for rooftop solar on farm sheds The final source is satellite data, which provides valuable observations of solar irradiance and cloud cover. However, these measurements can vary significantly if the instruments are not regularly calibrated and maintained, an effort that requires consistent investment and funding. In addition to these data sources, astronomical calculations are performed to determine the sun's position in the sky and day length based on the time of year. These calculations are essential for accurately estimating the potential solar irradiance. Once we've selected our input data and calculated the sun's position, we apply models to convert solar power observed on a horizontal (flat) surface to that received on a tilted surface—matching the orientation and size of the specific solar panel system. This step is crucial for estimating how much power a real system could generate. If you're curious about what your solar panels could do, check out the GREEN-GRID app. This uses advanced data-driven modelling tools to estimate real-time solar power, giving hourly insights for homeowners across Ireland. What are the challenges for solar power in Ireland? While Ireland's progress in solar power adoption is promising, several challenges complicate accurate forecasting and integration into the grid. These challenges highlight the need for better forecasting and more flexible grid systems to ensure that the growing share of renewable energy is fully captured and effectively used. From a forecasting perspective, models can be highly effective but their accuracy is limited by the quality and resolution of the input data the integration side, one significant challenge is dispatch down, when renewable energy, particularly wind and solar, is reduced or curtailed because the electricity grid cannot accommodate all of the power being generated at a given time. As a result, some renewable energy is available but not used, which can reduce the overall efficiency of the system and delay the full benefits of clean energy investment. Another issue is the limited visibility of microgeneration, such as roof-top solar, which is often excluded from official reports. Similarly, embedded generation, which refers to electricity generated and used locally, is not consistently measured, though recent reports suggest improvements are planned.
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Gold House Celebrates the Most Impactful Asian Pacific and Multicultural Leaders at the Fourth Annual Gold Gala
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / May 13, 2025 / Gold House, the home of collective power where global leaders unite to change culture, hosted its fourth annual Gold Gala at the historic Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. Convening over 600 of the most influential Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders across industries, the Gold Gala celebrated special honors for indelible cultural change, as well as the 2025 A100 List of the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific leaders over the past year. Program highlights included: Ang Lee, Academy Award-winning director, received the Gold Legend Honor to multiple standing ovations, presented by filmmaker James Sweeney, filmmaker and screenwriters Nisha Ganatra and Andrew Ahn, and Academy Award-winning producer Samantha Quan, recognizing his extraordinary achievements in cinema and his role in elevating Asian Pacific stories to global Grammy Award-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion was honored with the One House Honor, with members of Multi-platinum Music Group, Far East Movement (James Roh and Kevin Nishimura) presenting, for her unwavering support of Asian Pacific culture and creatives through music collaborations, fashion looks, TV/film projects, and anime Ishihara, CEO of the Pokémon Company, alongside Pikachu, was awarded the Gold Legend Honor, presented by Comedian and Actor, Naomi Watanabe, for shaping a multi-generational cultural phenomenon that transcends Jin Lee, New York Times best-selling author of Pachinko, accepted the Gold Legend Honor, presented by Award-winning Actress and Producer, Sandra Oh, and Award-winning Filmmaker, Lee Isaac Chung, celebrating her literary achievements and impact on global commemorate the 25th anniversary of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Zhang Ziyi accepted the Gold Generation Award on behalf of the cast and director, which was presented by Academy President Janet Yang, Chairman and CEO of East West Bank, Dominic Ng, and President of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Amy cast and directors of Moana 2, including Auli'i Cravalho, Dana Ledoux Miller, and Dave Derrick Jr., were celebrated with the Gold Ensemble Honor, presented by actress Brenda Song, actress and star of The Wedding Banquet, Kelly Marie Tran, and actress from the upcoming Sony film, Karate Kid: Legends, Ming-Na Wen, for their groundbreaking representation of Pasifika received the Billboard Gold Music Honor from CEO of Billboard, Mike Van, and Award-winning Filmmaker, Kogonada, recognizing her profound artistic impact in contemporary music and anticipation of her forthcoming album. She performed a stunning acoustic set of her newest single from her forthcoming album, Silver .Paak was awarded the Gold Mogul Honor, with rapper and actor Jonnie "Dumbfoundead" Park presenting for his multi-hyphenated success spanning music, film, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy. Also known as DJ Pee .Wee, .Paak DJ'd the Billboard Founders Party with a live trumpet and started the celebrity Karaoke Room with Tayme M. Chu, Gold House co-founder and #GoldOpen movement pioneer, received the A1 in Entertainment and Media for his historic accomplishments directing Wicked and its anticipated sequel, Wicked: For Good, presented by Academy President Janet Yang, two decade-long friend and collaborator actor-dancer Harry Shum Jr., and filmmaker mentee and actor-musician, Hayley Srinivas was recognized with the A1 in Business and Technology, awarded by CEO of Business Insider, Barbara Peng, Managing Partner at Kleiner Perkins, Mamoon Hamid, and General Partner of Gold House Ventures, Eric Feng, for Perplexity's groundbreaking leadership in democratizing access to the world's Mukherjee received the honor for A1 in Fashion, Lifestyle, and Fine Arts for his visionary creativity and commitment to preserving traditional craftsmanship from Prabal USA athletes and gold medalists Suni Lee, Lee Kiefer, Chuck Aoki, and Torri Huske were celebrated with the A1 in Sports and Gaming, presented by Five-time Olympian and Co-Founder of Saysh and Always Alpha, Allyson Felix, and Olympic Gymnast, Jordan Chiles, honoring their historic achievements at the Paris 2024 Olympic LA Wildfire Heroes, represented by Ann Lee of CORE and Natalie Tran of CAA Foundation, were honored with the A1 in Social Impact, with Chrissy Teigen and Television Star and Style Expert, Tan France, acknowledging their bravery, resilience, and dedication to rebuilding Los Angeles after this year's devastating were treated to an exclusive first-look at the upcoming Apple Original series "Chief of War," starring, executive produced and written by Jason Momoa, and premiering globally on Apple TV+ on August 1. The world premiere of the teaser trailer was presented by actor Luciane Buchanan, Executive Producer Doug Jung, and Executive Producer and Co-Creator Thomas Pa'a Atsuko Okatsuka was joined by the cast of "Deli Boys", Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, and Poorna Jagannathan to share an exclusive first-look of Atsuko's new comedy special "Father", which premieres on Hulu on June also saw a sneak peak of Amazon MGM Studios' upcoming documentary "Lee Soo Man: King of K-Pop" which will be streaming globally on Prime Video May Koshy brought guests back from intermission with a hilarious sketch. Additional notable attendees included: Mindy Kaling, Daniel Dae Kim, H.E.R., John Legend, Agnez Mo, Alex and Maia Shibutani, Alysa Liu, Amanda Nguyen, Anjula Acharia, Bryan Greenberg, Carol Lim, Chloe Flower, Chloe Kim, Daniel Martin, E-40, Eileen Gu, Elodie Yung, Eric Nam, Eugene Lee Yang, Humberto Leon, Jamie Chung, Jeannie Mai, Jhené Aiko, Joel Kim Booster, Kelly Marie Tran, Kim Shui, Kimora Lee Simmons, Kelsey Meritt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Laufey, Leah Lewis, Lee Issac Chung, Lilly Singh, Lisa Ling, Liza Soberano, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Megan Suri, Nik Dodani, Nikko Remigio, Priya Krishna, Rahul Mishra, Rowoon, Shay Mitchell, Sherry Cola, Siwon Choi, Sohee Park, Stephanie Suganami, Taecyeon, Tayme Thapthimthong, Tiffany Young, and Utkarsh Ambudkar. Additional notable CEOs in attendance included: Debby Soo (OpenTable), Richard Dickson (Gap), Derek Chang (Liberty Media), Aaron and Albert Yang (Din Tai Fung), Alfred Chang (Everlane), Imran Amed (Business of Fashion), Imran Majid (Island Records), Faye Iosotaluno (Tinder), Jenny Ming (Rothy's), Karthik Rao (Nielsen), Ken Ohashi (Brooks Brother), Mariko Silver (The Lincoln Center), Michael Mente (Revolve), Rahul Purini (Crunchyroll), and Will Lee (Adweek). The theme for this year's evening, First Lights, honored those who provided glimmers of hope in uncertainty and darkness, lighting the path for all to follow. Guests were immersed in a multi-dimensional stage featuring digital designs representative of the birth of humanity from darkness. Gold auras representing the resounding impact and power of the Asian Pacific community embraced guests throughout various portions of the evening, including the grand step and repeat. Wearing "heritage-inspired black tie" from Asian Pacific designers, guests entered the Gold Gala by ascending a stunning gold staircase and elaborate Gold Carpet, with a media room presented by The Walter and Shirley Wang Foundation. Before honorees and presenters graced the stage, they were treated to hair and make-up touch-ups featuring brands from across the L'Oréal Groupe portfolio. During the program, Gold Gala guests dined on a three-course dinner, presented by OpenTable, with a menu highlighting Filipino cuisine created especially for the Gold Gala by James Beard Award-winning chef Lord Maynard Llera and his team at Kuya Lord in Los Angeles. The menu featured dishes showcasing Chef Llera's inventive take on his favorite regional dishes from his childhood, including an Ensalada Talong, Humba (Sweet Adobo) short ribs and tofu, and a Calamansi Mango Cake to end the meal. The dishes were accompanied by hydration provided by Smartwater and wine from Silver Oak. Throughout the night, Hennessy provided bespoke signature cocktails designed by mixologist Ash Miyasaki, such as the "Seoul Sparkler" and "Bangkok Blush" with Hennessy V.S.O.P and the "Night Bloom" with Hennessy X.O. Guests posed at the return of the "GoldBOT" camera, a special video experience with Cole Walliser presented by Genesis Motor America and featuring the new 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe. Guests also took center stage at the Reflections Photo Booth from Maybelline, as an extension of their #FacetheDifference campaign, and the group portrait station by Lounge Booth. As they left, Gold Gala guests received gift bags featuring the Imperial Youth Skin Cream from The Whoo, an Everlane ReNew Transit Backpack, assorted beauty products from the L'Oréal Groupe, a custom "24K" Gap hooded sweatshirt, Prabal Gurung's new memoir Walk Like a Girl provided by GoldenTV, and more. The Gold Gala was immediately followed by the Billboard x Gold House Founders Party that featured a headlining DJ performance by Grammy-nominated artist, DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak). The first-ever presentation of the Hennessy X.O La Carafe in Los Angeles kicked off the evening, and DJ Hu Dat kept the energy going throughout the evening. Guests were thrilled by the new Rakuten Viki arcade corner, featuring specialty claw machines themed to popular K-drama genres., and the return of the Bopomofo boba bar and comforting American Chinese favorites from Panda Express. In a true "Have you eaten yet?" fashion, the Panda Express Aunties served up care and karaoke as they kicked off the crowd-favorite Celebrity Karaoke Room, setting the stage for rousing performances that capped off the evening. The Gold Gala was also made possible with the generous support of East West Bank, HYBE, Invisalign, Nielsen, Pop Culture Collaborative, TikTok, and Visa. The Gold Gala was produced by long-time industry leader Sequoia Productions; the name behind prestigious events including Emmys Governors Gala, Oscars Governors Galal and G'Day USA Gala. Stage creatives were produced by Aura Studios. ABOUT GOLD HOUSE Gold House is the home of collective power where leaders unite to forge culture. We foster spaces where established and emerging makers gather to amplify their impact. We shape public perceptions by consulting on, investing in, and marketing society-defining media properties. We create new economies by backing the boldest entrepreneurs and scaling them internationally. By fueling unity, visibility, and economic mobility, success becomes our shared world. With roots in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Singapore, Gold House operates with the heart of a nonprofit and the scale of a world-class enterprise. We don't just change culture-we make it. SOURCE: Gold House press release
Irish Independent
24-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Golfgate is now ‘more a curiosity than anything else' as profits rise at Clifden Station House Hotel
Today at 21:30 A director of the firm that operates the Clifden Station House hotel in Connemara has said some hotel guests still mention the Golfgate controversy, 'but it's more a curiosity now than anything else'. Company director Frank Ford made his remark when commenting on new accounts showing that hotel operator Western Railway Operations Ltd recorded a 54pc increase in post-tax profits to €676,006 in the 12 months to the end of last May as revenues increased by more than 10pc. The 2024 fiscal year profits followed post-tax profits of €437,972 in the prior year. The Co Galway hotel was the location of the Golfgate controversy in August 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic. It resulted in two political figures, Phil Hogan and Dara Calleary, resigning from senior posts. Asked if guests still mention the controversy, Mr Ford said: 'Yes, some people still mention the event but thankfully people have moved on from blame and it's more a curiosity now than anything else. 'The hotel was found to have acted in accordance with all guidelines and laws, and at this point it does not negatively impact our business.' There are international uncertainties which will impact later in the season Two directors of the firm, hotel owner John Sweeney and his son, James Sweeney, were two of the four defendants in a criminal prosecution concerning the staging of the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner on August 19, 2020. All Covid-19 breach restrictions charges against the four were dismissed by a judge in February 2022. The hotel has recently undergone a €2.5m renovation. 'Bar some final touches, the complete refurbishment of the public areas on the ground floor was finished two weeks ago,' said Mr Ford. 'The previous fit-out was 28 years old and the next generation of the family, with James Sweeney as general manager, was keen to elevate the standards of the hotel. 'We have increased the size of the restaurant and provided much improved entrance, reception, bar and lounge areas by utilising space previously given over to conference and banqueting facilities. ADVERTISEMENT 'The design and construction team, led by Studio Duffy and Carey Developments, has given the hotel a fantastic new look. With high-quality design and materials throughout, we are hopeful it will prove to be a landmark and lasting improvement of the hotel. It was a significant investment of just over €2.5m – but in the life-cycle of the building, we feel it is an appropriate investment.' Numbers employed at the hotel increased from 49 to 53 and the director was bullish about prospects for the current year. 'We are satisfied with the business on our books – but we are mindful that there are international uncertainties which will impact later in the season and possibly into the next number of years.' Asked about the driving factors behind the increased profit, Mr Ford said: 'We managed to increase our rate and occupancy, primarily in the shoulder season.' Accumulated profits totalled €2m. The company's cash funds increased from €672,437 to €950,259. The profit takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of €272,393.
BreakingNews.ie
23-04-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Profits surge at Connemara hotel at centre of Golfgate controversy
A director of the firm that operates the Clifden Station House hotel in Connemara has said some guests still mention the Golfgate controversy but see it as "more of a curiosity than anything else". Frank Ford made the remark on Wednesday after new accounts showed Western Railway Operations Ltd recorded a 54 per cent increase in post-tax profits to €676,006 in the 12 months to the end of May, as revenues increased by more than 10 per cent. Advertisement The fiscal 2024 profits followed post-tax profits of €437,972 in the prior year. The hotel was the location of the Golfgate controversy in August 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic that resulted in two public figures, Phil Hogan and Dara Calleary, resigning from their senior posts. Asked if some guests still mention Golfgate, Mr Ford said: "Yes, some people still mention the event but thankfully people have moved on from blame and it is more of a curiosity than anything else." "The hotel was found to have acted in accordance with all guidelines and laws and at this point it does not negatively impact our business." Advertisement Two directors of the firm, hotel owner John Sweeney and his son James Sweeney, were two of the four defendants in a criminal prosecution concerning the staging of the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner on August 19th, 2020. All Covid-19 restrictions breach charges against the four were dismissed by a judge in February 2022. The hotel has just undergone a €2.5 million revamp, with the complete refurbishment of the public areas on the ground floor finished two weeks ago. Mr Ford said: "The previous fit-out was 28 years old and the next generation of the family, with James Sweeney as general manager, was keen to elevate the standards of the hotel." Advertisement He added: "We have increased the size of the restaurant and provided much improved entrance, reception, bar and lounge areas by utilising space previously given over to conference and banqueting facilities.' "It was a significant investment of just over €2.5 million but in the life-cycle of the building, we feel it is an appropriate investment.' The numbers employed at the hotel increased from 49 to 53 last year. On business prospects for the current year, Mr Ford said: "We are satisfied with the business on our books but are mindful that there are international uncertainties which will impact later in the season and possibly into the next number of years. Ireland Golfgate: Charges against all four defendants dism... Read More "Our domestic, UK and European income is strong, and the continued success of the Wild Atlantic Way marketing campaign is a great boost to the Clifden Station House and, we hope, other regional properties. Advertisement Asked about the driving factors behind the increased profit, Mr Ford said: "We managed to increase our rate and occupancy, primarily in the shoulder season." "We continue to invest significantly in the marketing of the Clifden Station House, and the events of Clifden and the wider Connemara region. Clifden is certainly providing a better year-round experience to visitors and this has improved our occupancy in the shoulder season." At the end of last May, the hotel firm had accumulated profits of €2 million. The company's cash funds increased from €672,437 to €950,259. The profit for fiscal 2024 takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of €272,393 and interest costs of €104,642.
