Selfsufficientish.com

Ok here's the deal. The boyfriend goes larping a lot (live action role play) is involved with a company called Legion Of Dreams which has just leased an Iron Age site (with real mud-huts etc) and area allowed to make improvements.

Most of the buildings are temporary structures (avoids planning permission apparently) and currently there's not electricity, no showers, composting loos, no heating, no telephones (and no mobile reception!! YAY! <kinda good for a weekend away!), and no interwebs ( ). Pics can be found here: http://www.legionofdreams.com/location.htm it's a gorgeous site in Gloucester and really lovely to be in having the whole weekend just to chill out and not being disturbed by anything outside the game or (even on just the works weekends) anyting that's not an immediate concern.

Here's the deal clincher, they're looking to install things like showers and electricity and would like to use alternative energy (someone's looking into 12V solar panels, I've directed them here!) but EVERYTHING is done on a VERY tight budget. Last time I was helping out we were attempting to make the crew hut less drafty using old bits of wood and hard board... luckily one of the guys is a contractor so kinda took control but apart form hims it's just volunteers with limited knoweledge of DIY. There's two huts on site the OOC Crew hut (which now has plasterboard walls, woo!) and the Tavern, both are just porter cabin type arrangements built by voulenteers.

So, any ideas form anyone how the power issues could be sorted on a very limited money and skills budget? No-one wants to ruin the feel of the "Village" Which currently holds 3 large round-houses made of mud and straw, a fire pit and a chicken coup (with no chickens...) but a little more luxury in the two huts would be lovely!

Thanks guys

PS if oyu see pics of the site, you'll know why I ahvn't been around much!

Then 12v is the way to go in term of solar PV, what do they want to power?

Hot water systems can be diy; large coils of black piping laying on the ground is a very simple solution, but you can't expect much on cloudy days. Perhaps if a diy solar hot water supply was somehow passed through one of the fire pits this would help.

Otherwise, an outdoor bath with a fire underneath (no I'm not joking) might fit right in with the surroundings!

Check out sites like ebay for cheap solar panels.

A tip for deep cycle batteries. Phone around fork lift truck suppliers. They change the deep cycle batteries every few years or so on rental vehicles and you may be able to pick some up very cheaply. They won't be perfect but if you are on a budget they will do the job.