March 22, 2007

Fancy a swim?
Solar hot water heaters can be a cost-effective way to heat the swimming pool at your off-grid palace. Even multi-million dollars homes in places like Monterey, California, have installed solar hot water heaters to reduce the potential energy costsof their swimming pool.
This isn’t just a celebrity trend, though – you can buy ready-made solar pool kits to that are easy to install in the off-grid shop starting at $220 (J125) - whereas you'll have to dish out around Ł700 on ebay, and for US customers kits start at around $600 going up to $1,175.00. You'll need to provide the PVC piping, diverter valve and a support or rack system for some of these.
It’s even possible to build your own from a discarded radiator and a can of black paint.
»Keep reading 'Solar pool heaters'
March 21, 2007

Mine, all mine
Richard Branson’s got himself another island to play with. There won’t be a huge hotel complex or golf course – instead, Branson is hoping to make Moskito Island into an eco-resort. Or does that sound too good to be true? Branson's first tourism venture was the Residencia Hotel in Majorca where his people famously barred the public from using the local beach, cutting down old trees as a barrier.
Branson's new island takes its name from the Moskito Indians who lived in the area from before the 1500s – and not from an excess of mosquitoes as it might suggest. It’s only 124 acres in size – and one mile away from another Branson celebrity retreat, Necker Island. Branson wants his latest purchase to serve as an eco-friendly example to the rest of the resorts out there.
He said: "I was terrified that Moskito would end up in the wrong hands and be ruined.
»Keep reading 'Branson’s New Toy'