Photovoltaic system criteria documents. Volume 2: Quality assurance criteria for photovoltaic applications

Quality assurance criteria are described for manufacturers and installers of solar photovoltaic tests and applications. Quality oriented activities are outlined to be pursued by the contractor/subcontractor to assure the physical and operational quality of equipment produced is included. In the broad sense, guidelines are provided for establishing a QA organization if none exists. Mainly, criteria is provided to be considered in any PV quality assurance plan selected as appropriate by the responsible Field Center. A framework is established for a systematic approach to ensure that photovoltaic tests and applications are constructed in a timely and cost effective manner

Semi-Annual Report to Congress for the Period of April 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009

[Excerpt] I am pleased to submit this Semiannual Report to Congress, which highlights the most significant activities and accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), for the six-month period ending September 30, 2009. During this reporting period, our investigative work led to 214 indictments, 221 convictions, and $123.1 million in monetary accomplishments. In addition, we issued 22 audit and other reports. OIG audits and investigations continue to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, economy, and integrity of DOL’s programs and operations. We also continue to investigate labor racketeering and/or organized crime influence against unions, employee benefit plans, and workers. From an audit perspective, the OIG is highly engaged in ensuring the integrity of DOL activities related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) funding. During this reporting period, we issued five reports to that end. Among our findings are that DOL implemented procedures for the accounting of Recovery Act financial activity, acted quickly to implement the premium-assistance provisions for workers who temporarily maintain their health insurance at group rates after losing their jobs, and effectively implemented the temporary program for additional unemployment compensation for eligible recipients. We also identified areas for improvement related to financial and performance reporting and programmatic coordination with states. An audit found shortcomings with DOL’s new iCert system, which is designed to identify inaccuracies in H-1B labor condition applications (LCAs) for foreign workers. We found that, because of missing electronic checks, manual reviews of the LCAs by analysts are necessary. However, increases in the volume of applications may result in analysts not being able to perform a 100 percent review. This increases the risk of LCAs being improperly certified. Our audits also continue to reveal that some Job Corps centers do not comply with requirements for reporting performance for student attendance and accountability. We also found that, at three centers, a contractor had not ensured compliance with procedures to address student misconduct. An audit of the handling of injured Federal employees’ reemployment status at two Federal workers’ compensation district offices found that the Department did not ensure that consistent intervention actions were taken toward removing cases from the periodic roll. This increased the risk of claimants continuing to receive full Federal Employee’s Compensation Act benefits after they were able to return to work or after their compensation could have been reduced. Our investigations continue to combat organized crime and/or labor racketeering involving the monies in union- sponsored benefit plans, internal union corruption, and labor-management relations. A major OIG investigation disclosed more than 30 years of organized crime control of the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1235, which represents port workers in New Jersey. In another investigation, the business manager for the Electrical Workers Local Union No. 3, who was a former New York State assemblyman, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on racketeering, bank fraud, and false statement charges involving a number of schemes carried out for personal gain. OIG investigations also identified vulnerabilities and fraud in DOL programs, such as the foreign labor certification (FLC) program. One OIG investigation led to the recent sentencing of Viktar Krus and his co-conspirators to various periods of incarceration for fraudulently obtaining visas for more than 3,800 foreign nationals and defrauding the government of$7.4 million in payroll taxes. Because of our investigative expertise, the OIG is a member of the International Organized Crime (IOC) strategy headed by the U.S. Attorney General. The IOC is committed to combating crime by international organized groups. Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to former DOL Inspector General Gordon S. Heddell, who is now serving as the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Defense. During his leadership of more than eight years, the DOL-OIG consistently achieved significant results similar to those presented in this report. As Acting Inspector General, I look forward to continuing to work with the Secretary of Labor and her management team in ensuring the effectiveness of DOL in delivering services and protecting the rights and benefits of American workers and retirees

Impact Assessment of Hypothesized Cyberattacks on Interconnected Bulk Power Systems

The first-ever Ukraine cyberattack on power grid has proven its devastation by hacking into their critical cyber assets. With administrative privileges accessing substation networks/local control centers, one intelligent way of coordinated cyberattacks is to execute a series of disruptive switching executions on multiple substations using compromised supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. These actions can cause significant impacts to an interconnected power grid. Unlike the previous power blackouts, such high-impact initiating events can aggravate operating conditions, initiating instability that may lead to system-wide cascading failure. A systemic evaluation of "nightmare" scenarios is highly desirable for asset owners to manage and prioritize the maintenance and investment in protecting their cyberinfrastructure. This survey paper is a conceptual expansion of real-time monitoring, anomaly detection, impact analyses, and mitigation (RAIM) framework that emphasizes on the resulting impacts, both on steady-state and dynamic aspects of power system stability. Hypothetically, we associate the combinatorial analyses of steady state on substations/components outages and dynamics of the sequential switching orders as part of the permutation. The expanded framework includes (1) critical/noncritical combination verification, (2) cascade confirmation, and (3) combination re-evaluation. This paper ends with a discussion of the open issues for metrics and future design pertaining the impact quantification of cyber-related contingencies

Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Parts Risk and Reliability User and Application Guide

All COTS parts are not created equal. Because they are not created equal, the notion that one can force the commercial industry to follow a set of military specifications and standards, along with the certifications, audits and qualification commitments that go with them, is unrealistic for the sale of a few parts. The part technologies that are Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) certified or Military Specification (MS) qualified, are several generations behind the state-of-the-art high-performance parts that are required for the compact, higher performing systems for the next generation of spacecraft and instruments. The majority of the part suppliers are focused on the portion of the market that is producing high-tech commercial products and systems. To that end, in order to compete in the high performance and leading edge advanced technological systems, an alternative approach to risk assessment and reliability prediction must be considered

Electrical distribution grid of Kirkuk City: A case study of load flow and short circuit valuation using ETAP

The load flow study and short circuit analysis can be considered as the backbone of the electrical power network. This study based on real data collected from 12 substations, each substation contains many feeders provide the electricity network of Kirkuk city (a city in Iraq located at the north of Baghdad). The methodology of this article depended on using the Electrical Transient Analyzer Program (ETAP) software in assessing the performance of Iraqi electrical distribution network (Kirkuk city as a model) by starting modeling and simulation in order to assess the reliability through testing the load flow, and short circuit test. A complete study of load flow assessment of an actual Kirkuk city power distribution network with actual load values is presented (data have been taken from the Directorate of Electricity Distribution of Kirkuk city). The results of modeling the whole city and the detailed reports of this study can give us a comprehensive assessment with the presence of actual loads values, including total demand, PF, transmission line parameters, and the weakness points of the electrical grid

Joint Legislative Audit Committee: 1999 Year End Report Volume 1

Assemblyman Scott Wildman, Chai

Greening Consumer Electronics: Moving Away From Bromine and Chlorine

Presents case studies of seven electronics companies that have engineered environmental solutions that eliminate the use of most brominated and chlorinated chemicals that generate toxic materials. Discusses global standards and regulations

A system safety model for developmental aircraft programs

Basic tenets of safety as applied to developmental aircraft programs are presented. The integration of safety into the project management aspects of planning, organizing, directing and controlling is illustrated by examples. The basis for project management use of safety and the relationship of these management functions to 'real-world' situations is presented. The rationale which led to the safety-related project decision and the lessons learned as they may apply to future projects are presented

Improvement of airworthiness retaining system of Boeing family aircrafts based on threat identification and risks management at maintenance

Робота публікується згідно наказу ректора від 29.12.2020 р. №580/од "Про розміщення кваліфікаційних робіт вищої освіти в репозиторії НАУ" . Керівник проекту: доцент, к. т. н. Хімко Андрій МиколайовичThreat identification and risk management are fundamental to safety, while safety is the foundation and roof of all aviation. The hazard to flight safety is the most basic issue, and this is exactly what each airline seeks to reduce. Despite the fact that aviation accidents and incidents cannot be excluded from aviation, since there is a human factor everywhere, risks and threats can be controlled and predicted. If we neglect the safety of flights in airlines, then the demand for aviation relocation will fall, which at the same time is simply unrealistic, paradoxical, people are simply accustomed to airplanes

Semi-Annual Report to Congress for the Period of October 1, 2000 to March 31, 2001

It is an honor to transmit to the Secretary and the Congress the 45th Semiannual Report of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG). This report, which covers the period from October 1, 2000, through March 31, 2001, details some of the OIG’s most significant accomplishments. During this period, the OIG continued to direct its audit, evaluation, and investigation resources to activities that support its goals of effecting positive change and reducing vulnerabilities in departmental programs and operations, producing a positive return on invested resources, and providing quality services to stakeholders. In my brief tenure at DOL, I have been impressed with the breadth of responsibility and the myriad issues of the Department. I have been equally impressed with the level of commitment of the OIG staff in providing constructive assistance to the Department. Their diligent work and dedication to serving the Department is commendable. Indeed, the work completed during this period demonstrates the OIG’s resolve in identifying weaknesses, recommending policies, and promoting integrity to assist the Department in its efforts to: • improve the economic prospects of the unemployed and underemployed; • turn around the lives of disadvantaged youth; • protect the lives, health, and rights of workers; • provide appropriate benefits to injured or unemployed workers; and • ensure accountability over taxpayer dollars invested in departmental programs. Moreover, the work of the OIG during this period resulted in nearly $63 million in investigative recoveries, restitutions, fines, and penalties; 184 indictments; 116 convictions;$2.1 million in questioned costs; and $1.8 million in funds that were put to better use. As the sixth Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor, my priorities will be to provide the Department and the Congress with sound and feasible recommendations to optimize the effectiveness of programs and operations; to vigorously investigate fraud by those who benefit from, service, or administer departmental programs; and to proactively support the Government’s efforts to combat labor racketeering, union corruption, and organized crime activity. Moreover, we will continue to work with the Department to resolve any previously identified management issues or areas of concern. My staff and I look forward to continuing to work constructively with the Secretary and the DOL team to further our common goal of ensuring the effectiveness, efficiency, and integrity of the programs that serve and protect the American workforce