Latest Comments

• Iana Aranda says: As per Bob: reliable source of power or electrical storage and/or backup power is required. This limits the application to where this type of power is available. UV if applied appropriately can be both a safe and effective means of sterilization.

  Sterilux Steribox and Control Station
  E4C.COMMENTS

• Iana Aranda says: As per Bob: Steam technology requires a source of water and steam – implying high power heating elements. Appropriate sources of clean, chemical free (Calcium, Iron etc.) water are necessary. Although in developed countries this is not a significant issue in developing countries...

  VIP V-10-40 Steam Engine
  E4C.COMMENTS

• Very helpful we too have a problem with elephants in Sri Lanka.

  Designing Elephant Repellent in Rural Botswana
  foni_pioneer@yahoo.com

• Hi John, thanks for the comment. The use of smoke to repel insects is actually one of the criteria we included in the protocol. There's a section dedicated to location-specific user needs like this one (which can be expanded to include other/uncommon, but important, needs we haven't identified).

  How to Design Improved Cookstoves with Users in Mind: A Usability Protocol
  nickdmoses

• One of the key issues involved in the roll-out of ICS is that swathes of households in low-income countries are convinced that, although they may not like it, a smokey house environment inhibits biting insects. I've had quite a few householders tell me why smoke is a good thing, for this and other r...

  How to Design Improved Cookstoves with Users in Mind: A Usability Protocol
  jcloke

• GoSun now has a full array of solar cookers and solar ovens, including a solar cooking solution during cloudy periods or night.

  GoSun Solar Cooker Sport
  garys@gosunstove.com

• Depending of the desired temperature and the way you want to heat the mealworm. For low temperature, a solar heater (like the ones for water heaters for homes) could be enough; but if you want a higher temperature, a solar concentrator must be used.

  Heating a mealworm farm without Electricity
  eduardo.gmora

• Interesting solution, some concern about vertical reinforcement being necessary for seismic and hurricane application getting lost -- shown in some drawings not others. All in all, a lot of good technical information and by highlighting the building material in the context of the application -- post...

  Good Earth Nepal Earthbag Construction
  Matt_Advisor

• No standards in design, requires engineering design. No windows, limited protection, unclear durability. Again, not a solution, more like an example of the use of pallets for construction in limited 1st world applications.

  I-Beam Pallet House
  Matt_Advisor

• I'm not sure this is appropriate as a "solution". It is certainly a concept and an innovative use of the pallet material. There have been no updates to the pallet house humanitarian design webpage since 2010.

  I-Beam Pallet House
  Matt_Advisor