Colour Filters and Solar Panels

By |2025-02-24T15:48:52+00:00January 14th, 2020|

Fourteen-year-old Katie Fitzgerald was introduced to the Consol Solar Jar (CSJ) by her dad. The solar powered light instantly intrigued her. At school, Katie was learning about the relationship between light, colour and the visible spectrum. She began to explore ideas for incorporating the CSJ into her project submission for the Grade 7 Science Expo Competition. Katie discovered what effect colour filters have on solar light.

Katie placed sheets of coloured cellophane – red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet – over the solar panels that are embedded in the lids of Consol Solar Jars. The cellophane acted as a colour filter. She placed the CSJs in the sun to charge for two hours. Katie then measured the burning time (in hours) of each light.

Results showed that different coloured filters had different effects on the burning time of a solar powered light. This is an interesting observation. Suntoy congratulates Katie on her findings. Check out Katie’s school project, The Effect of Colour Filters on Solar Panels, and download her presentation: The Effect of Colour Filters on Solar Panels.

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Green Belts and Pylon Parks

By |2025-02-24T15:48:52+00:00January 14th, 2020|

Green belt promenades bordered with trees and bathed in sunlight are more appealing than any pylon park with steel lattice towers and power lines.

South Africa anticipates an energy crisis as Eskom confirms that the national grid faces strain. Dwindling abilities to cope with electricity demands, coupled with obstacles in the construction of the new Medupi Power Station, threaten load shedding and rolling blackouts.

The publication of the Electricity Governance Initiative – Smart Electricity Planning speaks of the vital need for adopting alternative energy resources, such as solar, if our country is to be resilient in the face of energy depletion. South Africans must collectively commit to harness efficient energy consumption.

Africa is inundated with a radiant, natural and free power resource – sunshine. With clean solar energy, there’s the option of living off the grid. By embracing solar technology, rural communities needn’t live without electricity. City dwellers will reduce their household energy consumption and electricity bills may not soar as high as forecasters predict.

Solar energy inspires innovation, is inexhaustible and achievable. With increased demands for solar products, such as our Consol Solar Jar, costs will lower resulting in an even more affordable retail price. Suntoy reaffirms our commitment to actively participating in the realisation of a ‘smart’ future. We all benefit from a greener grid. Go solar.

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Living Off Grid

By |2025-02-24T15:49:20+00:00January 14th, 2020|

Eco-friendly is a lifestyle worth pursuing. In his book Off The Grid, Nick Rosen writes: “The era of 40 acres and a mule has been replaced by the era of half an acre, a laptop and a solar panel.”

Leshiba Wilderness is an eco game and nature reserve in the Soutpansberg Mountains. It is off-the-grid, without any connection to an electrical transmission grid. Nature plays an important part here and the sun is the primary power source. Leshiba is a perfect location for our Consol Solar Jars to light up starry nights and morph into lanterns on walking trails, just enough so that wildlife aren’t disturbed.

Kathryn Straughan, general manager of Leshiba Wilderness, wrote us: “We have used our Consol Solar Jars every day for nine months and we love them! We started off with two and ordered 50 for our lodge, camps and shop. They are in each room as bedside lamps, along our pathways and hanging in trees. Living off-grid, we have to conserve power. The solar jars are fantastic especially if the main solar power runs out and we need quick access to light. In the middle of the night, I get up for sick kids, taking the puppy out, checking on the horses or to see which animal is munching my garden. The solar jar is brilliant for this!”

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ScopeX Exhibition

By |2025-02-24T15:49:20+00:00January 14th, 2020|

Join us at the ScopeX Telescope and Astronomy Exhibition. We’re honouring the star at the centre of the Solar System, the Sun. Have fun learning about this hot plasma that gives us Earthlings solar energy.

Saturday, 20 July 2013
9h00 – 21h00
Star Party Lighting Ceremony at 18h00
National Museum of Military History
Erlswold Way, Saxonwald (adjacent to Johannesburg Zoo)

Visit our exhibition stand and assemble a SunFan or SunCar.
Check out our Solar Cooker.
Meet the Suntoy team.
Consol Solar Jars with RED LEDs will set the scene for optimum telescopic vision of sky charts.

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be know. ~Carl Sagan

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Stargazing Skywatchers

By |2025-02-24T15:49:20+00:00January 14th, 2020|

The ScopeX Telescope and Astronomy Exhibition invited us to escape the urban jungle while still in its midst. Our Suntoy stand was a palette of yellows with golden sunflowers and cadmium lemons inside Consol Solar Jars. Solar powered SunCars zoomed by and SunFans spun.

Amateur astronomers with portable telescopes observed a sunspot on the photosphere of the Sun. At sunset, Consol Solar Jars with red LEDs and a cloudless sky offered optimum viewing conditions for sky chart reading and stargazing. We observed the Moon and its rocky mantle of craters, Venus, the Southern Cross, the Jewel Box star cluster and the ringed planet, Saturn. The perfect way to end a sunny day.

Interesting fact: Red light preserves night vision as it is the only light that doesn’t adjust the retina or contract the pupil of the eye. Our Consol Solar Jars are an astronomers best friend.

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Pin with us on Pinterest

By |2025-02-24T15:49:20+00:00January 14th, 2020|

A seek and find sleuthing mission has been accomplished! We’ve diligently surfed the net and discovered all the unique stories featuring the Consol Solar Jar.

Our ongoing intention is to organise the multitude of links to articles, awards, interviews and guest blog posts – all in one place. Pinterest offers us a clear and concise platform to do just that and is accessible to all our customers, media mavens and eco-conscious friends.

Follow us on Pinterest and find out more about how people worldwide are using the Consol Solar Jar. We’d appreciate you letting us know of new or existing online stories we’ve missed. We will constantly be updating our pin boards too, so check back for more interesting solar news on bottling some South African sunshine!

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Branded Corporate Gifts

By |2025-02-24T15:49:20+00:00January 14th, 2020|

For any business, recognition is of importance in thanking staff, suppliers and customers. Here’s a wow-worthy idea that does just that.

Imprinting your corporate logo on our Consol Solar Jar creates a branded gift that’s both functional and eco-friendly. It’s an innovative choice portraying thought and care for a green economy while supporting a locally manufactured South African product. There’s no better way to show commitment to the environment than by the gifts you choose to give.

Suntoy can sandblast your company logo onto the glass jar. We prefer to receive a vector file (.eps or .ai) or a high-resolution jpeg. Our art department assists with artwork. Orders are accepted in quantities per carton, each carton containing 12 Consol Solar Jars.

Please email for the price list: branding@suntoy.co.za

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Freight Container Europe Bound

By |2025-02-24T15:49:21+00:00January 14th, 2020|

Intent on crossing land and sea, our first freight container – packed with 5 940 Consol Solar Jars – has commenced its long-distance journey. Sonnenglas and European resellers in Germany, Spain and France await. Our solar lights have also reached Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Our team has spent the last year ensuring all factors pertaining to international trade and worldwide distribution are in place. Export packaging was tested; labelling, documentation and insurance finalised; an international freight forwarder was appointed and a network of global resellers established. Additional factory staff were hired and trained to meet the upscaling need.

As the exporter, Suntoy is excitedly tracking this shipment. We’re proud to design and manufacture a South African solar product that’s lighting up the world. A significant milestone for our team and worthy cause for celebration.

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Shining on Amazon in Europe

By |2025-02-24T15:49:21+00:00January 14th, 2020|

The Consol Solar Jar is now offered for purchase on amazon in Germany amazon.de, United Kingdom amazon.co.uk and France amazon.fr. Harald Schulz evaluates its impact:

The Consol Solar Jar is known as the Sonnenglas in Germany and is shining on European markets. The important thing to note on the amazon.de page is the customer reviews. It has the most customer reviews – or should we say customer applause – than any competitor product. Currently, out of 74 reviews, 72 give it five stars.

The recurring themes in the customer reviews are (translated from German):

Easy to use/operate
Light not too bright, not too dim, romantic/beautiful
Practical, versatile, good runtime, good quality, waterproof
Easy to decorate (seasons, weddings, birthdays etc), decorative object
Great gift
Never fails to delight, best idea in a long time
Used indoors/outdoors
More expensive than others though money well spent
“Made in South Africa!”
The only two non-five star reviews were:

A German tourist who experienced the jar in Namibia (at Namib Desert Lodge) but battled to find it in Germany and eventually bought one on amazon via Sonnenglas. He gave it four stars and was awaiting delivery.

One consumer complained that no automatic on/off or day/night switch was integrated.

“We could not wish for better! On behalf of the Suntoy team, thanks to all involved. You make us proud!” – Harald Schulz, Suntoy Technical and Managing Director, Johannesburg.

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The Big Five

By |2025-02-24T15:49:21+00:00January 14th, 2020|

A visit to South Africa’s game reserves is incomplete without spotting the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros. Yet, with a surge in rhino poaching leading to possible extinction, South Africa could be left with just the Big Four. That’s not a sunny outcome.

Intent on protecting the rhino, we learnt of an initiative to fundraise for RhinoSA – lead by a group of savvy 12 year olds. Suntoy donated 50 Consol Solar Jars to these scholars and they sold them at their school. They made a donation to RhinoSA at their Enviro Assembly in front of the National Geographic film crew. There is a huge demand for the Consol Solar Jar at their school now, so Suntoy is donating more jars to these budding fundraisers.

Their teacher, Mr Hansen, emailed us: “I would like to thank the children for their participation and congratulate them on their contribution to save the South African rhino. I applaud their innovative thinking and practical approach. I would also like to express my gratitude to their parents, who have awakened in them a sense of responsibility for their environment and the animals and people in it.”

Well done Gaby, Chanel, Alex, Nina, Kirsten, Courtney, Klara and Katrina! Suntoy looks forward to you selling more solar lights to save the rhino. What would South Africa be with only the Big Four? Let’s make sure it stays the Big Five!

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