Critics contend that keeping interest rates artificially low to encourage borrowing merely encourages companies to waste money and avoid improving their efficiency and competitiveness.

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Businesses are also jumping on the efficiency bandwagon, with an increasing focus on improving the efficiency of their buildings.

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The falling prices are forcing all manufacturers to put more effort into improving their manufacturing technology and module efficiency in order to get back ahead of the rapidly declining cost curve.

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"Their operations in some locations are improving in efficiency and organization, " the U.N.

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They are hoping that improving the structure of the cells will help to boost their efficiency, too.

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The case for starting from within starts to look even better when you consider the fact that many of the companies that have made internal efficiency improvements in order to achieve emissions reduction are not only improving their corporate image, but are also saving money.

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Whether improving system efficiency and safety or designing a vehicle that is more informative or fun, TI helps customers achieve their quality, reliability and cost goals and succeed in today's competitive automotive marketplace.

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Improving facilities, teaching quality and research takes money, and while schools theoretically could "aggressively try to increase their efficiency, reduce costs and get better by substitution rather than by growing expenditures, they don't do this, " Ehrenberg says.

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