Nový Mlýn - green tech south bohemia

One good thing about being ill while visiting our house in the Czech Republic (with no running water, inside toilet & a wood burning stove for fuel), was that we both spend several days tucked up in bed (under FOUR quilts!!!) reading the New Scientist (as well as some dippy chick lit such as Olivia Joules).  As a result I’ve come across some interesting leads:

There was an item about the difficulty experienced by African schemes wanting to join Carbon Trading initiatives. The point was made that Africa was likely to be first and hardest hit by climate change, and communities could benefit from schemes to plant native forest, rather than mangetout to be flown in to Sainsburys. Therefore I’ve found a carbon neutralising scheme which has an operation in Africa to use to compensate for our flights to the Czech Republic. I’ve also added this as a link to bogblog. It just makes so much sense to plant trees in Africa. I hope they get the carbon trading thing with the EU sorted.

 There was an item about a new type of generator, which uses prisms so that light is concentrated onto a smaller area - meaning that the amount of the most expensive types of components in a solar electricity panel are reduced, dramatically reducing the overall costs.  The unit provides approx 175 watts (about three times the amount I could generate on my theoretical exercise bike!). The confusing thing is the name of the unit - Heleostar. I’m sure I’ve come across that name on a European product. Hmm, I need to check this out, though I’ve left said copies of New Scientist at the house in South Bohemia.

Well, Dragons Den finally called. However the very chipper man I spoke to said that they could take my application no further till I had a working demo of bog.  As I keep saying, I need the investment in order to prove the concept and put together the working model. Frustrating.   At least now my maths has been checked by Nick the Mathematician. Putting one decimal place out could have skewed all my calculations. He did point out that I’d have to be careful about the amount of water storage space I needed for the unit, depending on predicted rainfall for specific areas. Anyway, I’m incredibly grateful for his and Katy’s help - it was great to have some positive feedback from them. 

 I’m really glad that we’ll be able to start testing the component parts at Novy Mlyn - our ramshackle house in South Bohemia - from which I learnt about the technology which inspires bog.  So, we have rented a flat in Tabor, South Bohemia, from the beginning of March.  It will have Internet access, a shower & a washing machine & is 10 miles from Novy Mlyn (our eco house project).  It is also just upstairs from an amazing tea shop - where they have a green roof in the garden - so I’m hoping to talk to the owner who built it. The property backs onto the Botannical Garden in Tabor, so I’m hoping I can obtain some help selecting plants for the GROW2 system I will purchase from Chris Shirley Smith. 

GROW2 will be ready to go by May, approximately. I need to find a solution to minus zero temperatures - Chris suggests a pond heater & suitable local plants.   I can also experiment with rainwater collection and treatment at Novy Mlyn. I just wish my Czech language was better so that I can explain the eco project to people when I’m over there.

So, we’re back in England for 6 weeks before leaving again for CR.  Giving me the opportunity to earn a bit of cash temping & sort out the cats.  I think I need to put my worldly posessions on Ebay/Amazon in the mean time.

I’ve been cycling to the temp job again - using the Pedalite light up pedals. Unfortunately one of these is squeuiff & I’m concerned that it may break off at any moment. Will have to get the spanners out as soon as I get home.  In general, though they are doing their job & lighting my bike that bit more for the benefit of people in cars to whom I often seem invisible - even with my flourescent clothing.  So… lots to sort out in the next few weeks.