Great solar light project

Derfish

Gold
Jan 7, 2016
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So tell us a bit more about the solarness of the project. Is there a solar panel connected thereto? We've done the thread of where one cuts a hole in a corrugated tin roof and tried to make it so it doesn't leak a couple of times. As any plumber knows about 5% of the holes cut into roofs in a professional manner leak within 12 months. I can guarantee that if we have volunteers cutting holes in tin roofs who have no experience at it that will be 50% leaks within a month. Just as the volunteer gets back to NY and is buying a beer for his friend s bragging about how he helped those poor people to have light in their tin shack the roof is going to start leaking and the water come down on the bed or whatever is beneath it. But maybe if the liter bottle is sitting on a shelf with a wire running to a solar panel instead of sticking thru a crude hole in the roof it might be something worth looking into. So tell us about the solarness of these lights, OK?
Der Fish
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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This is a misguided, but well meaning, project that has been tried before and causes problems with the roof. Sorry, but it turns out all too frequently in a leaking roof. Just another example of feel good Voluntourism.
 

Abuela

Bronze
May 13, 2006
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I only know what I read and the youtube videos show them using sealants so maybe the naysayers might want to research the process before slamming it.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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I only know what I read and the youtube videos show them using sealants so maybe the naysayers might want to research the process before slamming it.

The same technique has been discussed at least twice before in my 14 years on DR1. The sealants do last for a short time. And then it leaks and the panels have to be replaced.
 

Derfish

Gold
Jan 7, 2016
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I only know what I read and the youtube videos show them using sealants so maybe the naysayers might want to research the process before slamming it.

In Munoz there outside of Puerto Plata I was involved in repairing several dozen leaking roofs caused by the Solar lights put in by a church group in the Haitian batey a few months before. If they actually have a solar panel and put wires to it it may be something viable. But give a city kid a pair of snips, hoist him onto a roof and have him cut a hole in a corrugated metal roof, and no one is going to be able to seal the hole no matter how much sealer he uses.
A roof has two purposes as I see it, #1 is to keep out the water and #2 is to keep out the sun, so cut a hole in it and you've defeated both purposes! So many of these do gooder project ideas sound good when talked about, but i have seen how much harm they can do.

Der Fish
 

Abuela

Bronze
May 13, 2006
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This Santiago group just won an 2017 Atabey environmental award so perhaps they have improved the models you knew in the past.
 

Derfish

Gold
Jan 7, 2016
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This Santiago group just won an 2017 Atabey environmental award so perhaps they have improved the models you knew in the past.

That is why I asked if there is more information.
It sounds like a great idea and if it is improved since the last project I saw it may be viable.
Der Fish