A shack in a Stellenbosch informal settlement is the envy of its neighbours because it has been fitted with insulation and a solar panel, it was reported on Monday.<\/p>\n
The improved zinc shack, or iShack, had a solar panel on the roof which allowed for three lights, a cellphone charger and a motion sensor security light, the Cape Times reported.<\/p>\n
Its walls were lined with recycled cardboard boxes sprayed with a fire retardant paint. It was also insulated with inside-out milk cartons so the shiny material could reflect heat.<\/p>\n
The shack’s floors were bricked with old bricks from a nearby landfill site.<\/p>\n
The pilot project was the result of 18 months of research by the Sustainability Institute and Stellenbosch University. It was funded by the National Research Foundation.<\/p>\n
A grant by the Melinda and Bill Gates foundation would allow it to be tested to scale.<\/p>\n
Single mother Nosango Plaatjie lived in the shack.<\/p>\n
“My old house was very cold. Cold air would come in while we were sleeping and make my children sick. This house is beautiful and very warm,” she told the newspaper.<\/p>\n
Free 100Mbps bandwidth and free online radio<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n No speed limits or caps: WUGs are growing<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Free, high speed community network shows sustainability<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Free wireless network \u2013 thousand and counting<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n