In a new whitepaper, “2011 Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments – Expanded Data Center Classes and Usage Guidance,” published by ASHRAE Technical Committee (TC) 9.9, Mission Critical Facilities, Technology Spaces and Electronic Equipment, a roadmap has been outlined to facilitate a significant increase in the operational hours during which economizer systems are able to be used, and to increase the opportunity for data centers to become “chillerless,” eliminating mechanical cooling systems entirely, in order to realize improved Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). The Green Grid created the PUE metric that is widely used to compare the total power to the IT power.

The major change that is introduced in the whitepaper is the addition of two new data center classes. The classes have been added primarily for facilities that are willing to explore the tradeoffs associated with the additional energy saving of the cooling system through increased economizer usage and what that means in terms of the impact to IT equipment attributes such as reliability, internal energy, cost, performance, contamination, etc.

“This whitepaper is truly ground-breaking in that it achieves alignment between representatives of the major IT equipment manufacturers on wider environmental tolerances for IT equipment while providing guidance and a methodology for owners and operators to optimize the operating environment of their data center based on the criteria most important to their business needs,” said Don Beaty, chair of the Publications Subcommittee for TC 9.9. “In order to most quickly meet the current demands of the industry, we are using a two-step approach to introduce this important information sooner rather than later. The information in this whitepaper will be incorporated into the third edition of the Thermal Guidelines publication.”

The standard was developed by ASHRAE in conjunction with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Two of the addenda relate to the heat island effect and one to condensate collection requirements.

Two addenda are open for public comment until June 20, 2011:

• Addendum k updates portions of section 5 (Site Sustainability) to improve requirements related to tree-growth rate and adds a mandatory requirement restricting invasive plants. The change extends the tree growth period to 10 years from five years.

“Ten years accounts for a wider diversity of trees across geographic regions to achieve a canopy that provides effective shading,” said Dennis Stanke, committee chair. “The current requirement of five years favors fast-growing trees, which may be more likely to lack stability in storms and to die at a relatively young age.”

• Addendum n improves the heat island reduction provisions in section 5 (Site Sustainability) to include aged values for solar reflective index and to include a reference to the Cool Roof Rating Council ANSI Standard. It also modifies the solar reflectance and emittance values in Normative Appendix D (Performance Option for Energy Efficiency).

Three addenda are open for public comment until June 5, 2011:

• Addendum l updates portions of section 5 (Site Sustainability), treating porous pavers and open graded aggregate, all of which mitigate the heat island effect, separate from other paving materials. Studies have shown that porous and permeable pavement systems store less energy and therefore less heat when exposed to sun over an extended period of time. The heat is not absorbed and therefore not emitted back into the environment, which results in lower daytime and nighttime temperatures.

• Addendum m clarifies condensate collection requirements in Section 6 (Water Use Efficiency), exempting dry climates where little if any condensate would be expected from air conditioning units.

• Addendum o adds a mandatory requirement to section 5.3 (Site Sustainability) to provide pedestrian friendly environments through the use of designated walkways. Vehicles negatively impact the environment through the generation of air pollution, traffic congestion, and issues associated with oil extraction and petroleum refining. The use of alternative modes of transportation helps reduce the energy demand for transportation and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

Session I (3.45 pm to 4.20 pm)

Presentation Topic: Reciprocating Compressors are More Energy Efficient Than Screw For Refrigeration Application

Presenter: Mr. Ramzan Sharif

Session II (4.25 pm to 5.15 pm)

Discussion Topic: Roles of Consultant , Employer and Contractor (Session-II)

Moderator: Mr. Arshad S. Sheikh

Date / Day: May 27, 2011 / Friday

Time: 3.30 pm to 6.00 pm

Venue: Conference Room, MIA Corporation
885-R-1 Shokat Khanam Road, Johar Town,
Lahore, 35291798

Following are some targets that could be announced:

ECONOMIC GROWTH
Pakistan’s economy is expected to grow 4.2 percent in the coming financial year, which starts on July 1, after what is expected to be growth of 2.4 percent this fiscal year.

The Asian Development Bank has forecast growth next year will be 3.7 percent. It expects persistent energy problems and security issues will continue to check Pakistan’s growth in 2011/12, with surging inflation posing a major risk.

REVENUE TARGET
According to reports, the government is targeting tax revenue at 1.95 trillion rupees ($22.7 billion) in the next fiscal year, compared with the Federal Board of Revenue’s estimate of revenues of 1.59 trillion rupees ($18.56 billion)this fiscal year.

Analysts expect the revenue board to collect 1.5 trillion rupees this year and some say its target for next year’s tax revenue could be unrealistic.

EXPENDITURE
Analysts said there is hardly any room to cut on the expenditure side as 75 percent of the Federal Board of Revenue’s tax revenue goes on debt servicing or interest repayments and security related expenditure.

However, the government could eliminate untargeted subsidies such as electricity subsidies. It has been reported that the government is going to increase electricity tariffs by 2 percent each month.

Another option would be to sell off loss-making public sector enterprises which according to analysts would cost about 300 billion rupees ($3.5 billion) this year just to run.

DEFENSE
According to finance officials, Pakistan is budgeting 495 billion rupees ($5.78 billion) for defense, an 11.7 percent increase from last year. Analysts said that was a realistic increase and was less than the annual rate of inflation which is at 13.04 percent.

DEVELOPMENT SPENDING
Pakistan is likely to allocate 280 billion Pakistani rupees ($3.3 billion) for development spending in 2011/12 fiscal year.

INFLATION and FISCAL DEFICIT
Inflation is being projected to come in at 12 percent next year while the fiscal deficit is expected to be contained to 4 percent of GDP.

STOCK MARKET
According to media reports, the government may decide to remove the capital gains tax. A 10 percent capital gains tax is imposed on stocks held for six months or less, 7.5 percent on stocks held between 6 months to a year.

Officials from the finance ministry declined to comment.

POSSIBLE REVENUE MEASURES
- Imposition of a gross asset tax or a wealth tax
- Imposition of a reformed general sales tax or a “plan B” which would include removal of exemptions. According to sources Pakistan and the IMF agreed to end existing exemptions on a general sales tax.
- Imposition of tax on agricultural income but that would be announced in provincial budgets. (Reuters)

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani in his first speech as prime minister had introduced a number of austerity measures: PM Secretariat’s budget will be cut by a wholesome 40 percent; all ministers will travel economy class; no minister will travel in a car of more than 1600 cc.

On 26 December 2009, PM Gilani had constituted a Special Committee to “prioritize and oversee the implementation process of the austerity measures.” On 21 December 2010, a meeting of the cabinet, presided by PM Gilani, approved “major austerity measures.”

Twelve months ago, our budget drafters had expected net revenue receipts of Rs1.37 trillion and current expenditures of Rs1.99 trillion-the budgetary deficit was set at Rs685 billion. Over the past twelve months, two things have happened: First, current expenditures at the Cabinet Division, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and the Household Allowances of the President have all gone through the roof. Second, there has been a massive shortfall in revenue receipts.

Twelve months ago, the Government of Pakistan (GOP) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had agreed on a budget deficit target of around 4 percent of GDP. Over the past twelve months, the GOP has ended up spending in excess of Rs1 trillion over and above its receipts and, as a consequence, the budget deficit may have crossed 7 percent of GDP.

Figure fudging at Block Q of Pak Secretariat, according to some insiders, is now in full swing. If the wizards at the Ministry of Finance can somehow inflate the GDP the budget deficit as a percentage of the GDP will look much, much smaller than it really is. That will be the best of both worlds-we will have a swollen GDP, pumped-up per capita income and a half bearable budgetary deficit. Only if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

At Block Q midnight oil is once again being burnt. Budget 2011-2012 is scheduled to be announced in a week’s time. Once again we will have inflated revenue receipts, a healthy developmental allocation, a constrained steam of expenses and an awfully alluring budgetary deficit. At Block Q the motto is: A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent making real budgets.

In return, Pakistan has so far received around $15 to $17 billion, including reimbursements of $8.2 billion through the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), an amount that cannot be termed assistance since it is payback for expenditures incurred by Pakistan in helping Washington in the terror war.

On average, the per annum economic assistance Islamabad has received is a mere $374 million while military assistance is in the same range against total losses of over $68 billion. The last Economic Survey for 2009-10 had given a figure of $43 billion loss to the national economy since 9/11, 2001, when Musharraf took the decision to stand with the US in the war against terror and launched an offensive against supporters of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

A top official at the Ministry of Finance confirmed to The News Tuesday that the government was revising the cost of war against terrorism in consultation with other ministries and divisions and preliminary estimates suggested it would be around $68 billion by the end of the ongoing fiscal year.

The Economic Survey for 2010-11, expected to be launched by the Minister for Finance, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, on June 2, will incorporate the latest estimates for the war against terror.

Former Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, Dr Ashfaque H Khan, had taken the lead in coming up with the figure in 2007-08. The last survey, launched during the tenure of former economic advisor Sakib Sherani, came up with a figure of $43 billion.

In the Economic Survey 2009-10 it was said that between 2002 and end-April 2010, a total of 8,141 incidents of terrorism had occurred in Pakistan, resulting in 8,875 deaths of both civilians and law enforcement personnel and injuries to at least 20,675 people.

In terms of the economic impact, the fallout on Pakistan has been immense. As a frontline state in the global war on terror, it is officially estimated that Pakistan has been impacted to the extent of over US$43 billion between 2001 and 2010. Since 2007-08, when the terror war moved to a qualitatively different phase with the Pakistan army mobilising and undertaking large scale military operations in the country’s North West (in Malakand/Swat, and the Agencies of South Waziristan, Bajuar, Mohmand, Khyber, and lately, Kurram and Orakzai), the negative effects on the economy have greatly increased.

A brief list of the areas where the economy has been impacted include decline in GDP growth, reduction in investment, lost exports, damaged/destroyed physical infrastructure, loss of employment and incomes, diversion of budgetary resources to military and security-related spending, cutbacks in public sector development spending, capital and human capital flight, reduction in capital plus wealth stock, exchange rate depreciation and inflation.

As an illustration of the magnitude of the direct costs, the additional expenditure incurred on security related and civil relief operations since July 2007 has amounted to an estimated US$4 billion (2.4 percent of average GDP). In addition, the cost of the humanitarian crisis spawned by this conflict has been the displacement of over 3 million people, at its peak, resulting in a budgetary outlay of US$ 600 million for the last fiscal year alone, for relief and rehabilitation of the IDP population.

As a result of the negative effects of the war on terror, growth and investment have stalled. Pakistan’s economy grew by 1.2 percent in 2008/09, with large-scale manufacturing (LSM) contracting to -8.2 percent for the year. The five-year annual average rate of growth of the economy was 6.6 percent in the 2004-2008 period, while LSM output had expanded at an average of 12 percent.

Hence, the change in the five-year average-to-2009 works out to over 4.5 percent of GDP. Cumulatively, the loss of potential GDP for 2008 and 2009 was estimated at 7 percent (approximately US$11.7 billion

According to the FBR sources, the increase in tax will be applicable to the electricity and gas bills of non-tax registered manufacturers, retailers and restaurants that can yield up to six billion rupees.

However, it has been advised to retain 17 percent GST on registered manufacturers, retailers and restaurants in the new budget.

The sources also told that strict action will be taken against tax defaulters and non-tax registered sectors in the new fiscal year.

Call for Presenters

ATLANTA – Building upon its 2009 Net-Zero Energy Conference, ASHRAE seeks to advance the industry’s efforts to change the energy-use aspects of the built environment through its High Performance Buildings Conference: A Focus on Deep Energy Savings, March 12-13, 2012 in Mission Valley, Calif.

This conference will guide building design professionals, building owner/managers, building operating staff and government officials about what works and what doesn’t when tackling major improvements in energy efficiency, renewable applications and operating practices.  With an attendance limited to 300, the conference will allow an exchange of ideas and dialogue to facilitate understanding of current energy saving efforts, share best practices and to establish an action plan to substantially improve energy efficiency in buildings.

The conference will offer two tracks: 1) a technical applications track focusing on strategies, technologies, tools, measured performance and optimal operations, and 2) a policy track with a focus on current and future legislation and related programs in the areas of standards, performance rating and labeling, disclosure laws, etc. The conference’s target facilities include both existing and new construction non-residential buildings. Case studies, especially from the region, are requested.

Call for Presenters

Presentation abstracts (300-500 words) are requested on the following topics:

• Applications results
• Energy audits
• Commissioning
• Benchmarking of utility consumption
• Economics, design and construction, and
• Energy efficiency strategies
  • Building envelopes
  • Lighting and daylighting
  • Passive
  • HVAC
  • Plug loads

Presentation proposals are due July 15, 2011. Decisions on presentation proposals will be sent in August 2011. 
For more information or to submit a presentation proposal, visit www.ashrae.org/HPBconference.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.

PARCO was shut for two weeks because of the floods. Due to the closure of the refinery, PSO has bought two jet fuel cargoes totalling 35,000 tonnes, and up to three parcels of gasoline totalling 105,000 tonnes for September delivery. PSO is also seeking two 16,500-tonne lots of jet fuel per month for October and November via tender, with an option for a third cargo in November.

Source said that PSO was expecting to receive payment from Hubco, Kapco and Wapda as they had increased power tariff, but it has not yet received any amount from the clients on account of fuel supply for the month of September. PSO management has informed the ministry about the current situation and urged it to take solid steps for release of receivables from the clients.

PSO receivables have swelled to Rs 144.689 billion as against the September 2 position of Rs 140.200 billion on account of fuel supply. As on September 8, 2010, PSO receivables are as follows: Wapda at Rs 47,131 million , Hubco at Rs 58,125 million, Kapco at Rs 27,446 million, PIA at Rs 489 million, OGDC at Rs 318 million and KESC at Rs 1,556 million.

PSO price differential claims on imported petroleum products and KESC under gas load management plan are Rs 8673 million. PSO is also facing difficulties in clearing the dues of local as well as international fuel suppliers due to non-payment of dues by power sector. PSO has to pay Rs 119,779 million to suppliers on account of fuel supply.

PSO is to pay Rs 90,376 million to local oil refineries, which includes Rs 37,108 million to Parco, Rs 13,842 million to PRL, Rs 9,442 billion to NRL, Rs 24,621 million to ARL and 4,694 million to Bosicor. PSO is also to pay Rs 29403 million to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and on account of L/Cs payments for oil imports.