check out http://www.cat.org.uk fopr all sorts of solar energy ideas . In the uk in the summer we have a lot of daylight but in thailand you never have much more than 12 hours so solar powered lights dont stay bright for to long I've not seen any articles but heating a big tank of water and then using a heat exchanger to cool a house seems a reasonable idea to me

Lee, the solar garden lights, just little ones you poke in the soil, yes 2nd floor of Robinsons, down by the baby ware dept. They were about 300bht each, no idea of quality though.

Thanks for the information Val, much appreciated. I'll take a look today or tommorow and report on my findings.

Regards,

Lee

lee wrote:

Lee, the solar garden lights, just little ones you poke in the soil, yes 2nd floor of Robinsons, down by the baby ware dept. They were about 300bht each, no idea of quality though.

Thanks for the information Val, much appreciated. I'll take a look today or tommorow and report on my findings.

Regards,

Lee

So Lee, did you purchase any of the small solar powered garden lights?

I have seen them in Robinsons for 399 baht each but was wondering what you thought of them before I splashed out (if indeed you did buy any)

If not I guess I will have to be the guini pig !

So Lee, did you purchase any of the small solar powered garden lights?

When I found out they were only two watt I didn't bother with them, I was hoping they were atleast 5 watt. Still they're not too expensive and would probably look good in the garden.

I was disappointed in the solar lights I bought for my driveway and garden paths. With the two watt limit, unless they are in full and strong light, they simply don't store enough energy to last the eight-plus hours that are advertised. Mu house is in a heavily wooded area, and the most I got was a faint glow.

lee wrote:

So Lee, did you purchase any of the small solar powered garden lights?

When I found out they were only two watt I didn't bother with them, I was hoping they were atleast 5 watt. Still they're not too expensive and would probably look good in the garden.

if they are the same as in the uk they are not very good, very little light, and the one's in uk had rechargeable batterys, (the sun charges them) ,and you , have to keep re-newing them, lights are about ฃ20 for 5 in uk, not a lot of cash but the results are poor. plus i think the plastic won't last long in the hot sun. did consider these a couple of years ago, but someone i knew brought them and i changed my mind soon as i saw them,or could'nt see them as the case maybe.

The only reason I was considering them is not to save on electricity costs- as its laughably cheap here anyway , but to avoid running electricity out into the garden - Looks like I might just do that anyway and get some decent lighting there.

just seen and advert 20 lights for ฃ19.99.
they are getting cheaper.
definatley stick with low voltage halogen though.

As an avid camper up untill a few years ago I always had a few solar showers in the camping gear. They are a 20 litre capacity plastic bag, black on one side and clear on the other, with a sealable filling hole at the top and a tap, short hose and small rose at the bottom.

Step 1 Fill with 20l of water.
Step 2 Insert plug
Step 3 Place on ground in sun, black up.
Step 4 Use hot water 3 hours later


Caution, water temperature can reach 48C

I saw some in the el cheapo store at home so no more boiling up the big pot on those cold winter mornings at christmas in UT.

John

so when you get up on those cold winter mornings (yes even here) and your bag has been outside all night soaking up the night sun - I bet that would make you sing in the shower when you realise the water is minus 5 degrees

Mr Paul, you are no doubt confusing me with someone else. I am a retired gentleman of leisure ( the less generous among us sometimes say 'Of ill repute") who does not let his feet hit the floor, (apart from visits to hong nam) untill the sun has been shining for at least 3 hours and my bag of water has absorbed enough ultra-violet, infra-red, x-rays and even ray23s to bring it to a temperature where it has to be cooled by the addition of -5C water from the tap.

It is not for the saved sitang but the greenhouse effect and all those lovely penguins.

John

Most excellently worded John

have you been taking lessons from Garnet