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Big Green Gathering - Solar Showers 2007

World's Largst Mobile Solar Showers - BGG 2007

Following the success of the Navitron Solar Showers at Glastonbury 2007 in June, the mobile solar shower unit has been deployed to this year's Big Green Gathering. This mobile unit is currently the world's largest solar-powered shower facility, and is capable of delivering up to 8000 litres of water per day - around 5000 showers over the course of the festival. The water will be heated by 16 Navitron vacuum tube panels, consisting of 320 individual vacuum tubes, which should deliver over 1000kWh of solar energy throughout the event.

This is the largest solar powered mobile shower facility ever attempted, built into a 44ft articulated lorry trailer, and is 100% funded by Navitron Ltd. The showers were first unveiled at Glastonbury on 20th June 2007.  The solar panels are able to generate more heat if the weather is sunny, but even if the weather is overcast, the vacuum-tube solar panels are still able to generate copious amounts of hot water.

New for the Big Green Gathering:

We are adding solar PV panels and wind turbines to the trailer to provide the electricity for the pumps, controllers and surplus to spare.

Navitron at the Big Green Gathering

As soon as we opened the exhibition trailer, we had a steady stream of people wandering over to talk to us

We were not ideally placed in the field, so we had to angle the panels as best we could to make the most of the sunlight available

Auxiliary power provided by a small Navitron turbine bolted to the side of the shower trailer (does that qualify as 'roof-mounted'?!)

Mick from Navitron proudly posing in front of the Navitron Solar Showers

We did not use the backup woodstove, but it did give us the option of topping-up the heat with biomass, if necessary

In order to provide electrical power, we used a 300W miniature turbine and 5x 55W solar PV panels. The controllers and pumps required very little power, but due to the topography of the site, it was necessary to pump waste water uphill - the bilge pump, shifting several thousand litres of water each morning placed considerable drain on the batteries.

The business-end of the shower unit. Ladies on the right, Gentlemen on the left....or is it the other way around?

Navitron Wind turbines at the BGG.

Several exhibitors used Navitron turbines for power, and there was even a 1kW Navitron turbine on an extendable mobile tower, near the entrance to the site, powering lighting.

1kW Navitron turbine aloft!

Another Navitron turbine providing power at the BGG

These turbines don't actually produce any power, but they provide a very colourful display and a useful landmark

A very large and impressive slow-speed turbine converted to charge batteries for topping up mobile phones!

Navitron sponsored Bridget Strawbridge's 'Big Green Idea' at the BGG

Let's see.....where to go now?

Nothing to do with me, here's the 'Ivan-Inversion' Entertainment

There are always novel recycled products to see - the vertical axis wind turbine on the left is produced from plastic drinks bottles (though I suspect it does not produce useable power!). The stove on the right is a recycled gas cylinder (I don't recommend you try this at home!)

Here's a more artistic recycled wind turbine

The competition - Solar Spiral showers.

A shaded seat providing around 400W of PV power

A collection of cut bottle outdoor lights. Very innovative - I was shown how to create these ornate lamps - it's very simple!

One of the ships washed up by recent floods

     
Interactive Art - recycled drums, and a very shiny thing
 

News:

Big Green Gathering Press Release 20th June 2007