Budding Solar Entrepreneurs

By |2024-07-30T17:43:35+00:00January 14th, 2020|

Brothers, 15-year-old Christopher and 11-year-old Tristan, were inspired by the Consol Solar Jar to start their own small business. They are spreading sunshine across South Africa! Chris emailed us:

Dear Suntoy,

Three months ago, my dad and I discovered the Consol Solar Jar. My brother, Tristan, and me came up with the idea to start a business selling these solar lights. We bought 24 jars and we sold them to people in our neighborhood of Camps Bay. We realized that this is a unique product that sells well.

Over the holidays, we visited Hermanus. We sold 100 solar jars to restaurants. Creation Wine Estate invited me to a night market to sell the solar jars. I sold 50 in three hours!
 We then bought another 100 and sold them to buyers in Cape Town.

Tristan and I visited our Grannie in Durban. The Book Boutique bought all our remaining jars. I hope to continue selling more jars in KwaZulu Natal because it is an untapped market.
 We believe in the Consol Solar Jars with great passion and think they have great potential.

Thanks for publishing my story.
Regards,
Christopher

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Infographic Poster

By |2024-07-30T17:43:35+00:00January 14th, 2020|

Sierra Salvione studied Graphic Design at Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago (Ai Chicago) and graduated in June of 2012. An assignment in her sustainable design class lead Sierra to research innovative eco-friendly products and she discovered the Consol Solar Jar while surfing the net. We emailed Sierra to find out more about her infographic poster showcasing our Consol Solar Jar.

“I chose the Consol Solar Jar because it’s practical and beautiful. The first thing that I remember coming across was the numerous design awards it had received in 2011. Once I saw the photos of the jar at work, I immediately started thinking of how many I would like in my backyard someday. I have a strong love for anything that lights up the night. These jars are a beautiful hybrid of vintage design meets modern technology. When designing the poster, I went with a vintage aesthetic and a technology infused layout. I feel absolutely honored to be featured on the Suntoy blog! I am thrilled that my poster design caught your attention in South Africa and that it led to this blog post. I am very grateful for this opportunity!”

Sunny congratulations for a design well done, Sierra!

Download a high resolution version of Sierra’s poster in PDF format.

 

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Colour Filters and Solar Panels

By |2024-07-30T17:43:36+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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ScopeX Exhibition

By |2024-07-30T17:44:01+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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The Big Five

By |2024-07-30T17:44:02+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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Fun in the Sun at School

By |2024-07-30T17:44:02+00:00January 14th, 2020|

Steering our planet towards a greener sustainable future lies in the hands of our youth.

Mr Sunshine, also known as Harald Schulz, has created SunFan and SunCar assembly kits as practical learning resources for teaching the concept of renewable energy. In the classroom, these solar powered toys bring to life alternative concepts for electricity.

Parktown Senior School in Johannesburg invited Mr Sunshine to facilitate a workshop. Students in Grade 5 learnt to assemble their own hand-held SunFans. As the plastic blades spun in the sun, they excitedly cooled themselves. That’s a fun science lesson!

Each SunFan is made with a recycled tin – the type found in a supermarket. So, in addition to solar power, students learn about recycling too.

Mr Sunshine has visited approximately 16 schools and enjoys encouraging potential solar enthusiasts. Fun in the sun is what education should be!

Want to learn about solar energy? Invite Mr Sunshine to your school! Email: admin@suntoy.co.za

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Meet the Chief

By |2024-07-30T17:45:05+00:00January 13th, 2020|

Yvonne Cossa was one of our first factory employees. She initially joined the Suntoy team as a product assembler. Yvonne had no previous knowledge of solar technology or photovoltaic applications yet she learnt quickly and was promoted to factory supervisor of which there are five.

Yvonne’s drive, determination and tenacity shone along with her leadership skills. She is now Chief Supervisor in the factory with 43 assemblers. She manages production runs, controls quality and meets orders on time. She is currently studying part-time for a certificate in Operations Management at the University of Witwatersrand.

Yvonne is excelling at her ‘queen bee’ role in her sunny chiefdom!

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Namibian School Pupils

By |2024-07-30T17:45:05+00:00January 13th, 2020|

The Young Achievers Empowerment Project, a Namibian youth organisation, has launched a project entitled Promoting Renewable Energy in Informal Settlements which aims to encourage the use of solar lights by youth that live off-grid in Namibia.

With a small commencement grant, they chose the Consol Solar Jar as their preferred choice of solar light. “Many young people do not have electricity at home and it is not safe to use candles at night because of shack fires. We hope to help less privileged children who cannot study at night because of lack of electricity,” said Johannes Mulunga.

The pilot phase reached approximately 80 school pupils between Grades one and seven from informal settlements in Khomas, Oshana, Oshikoto, Erongo and Kavango. Phase two of the project invites the general public to purchase a Consol Solar Jar for N$160 (Namibian currency), which will be gifted to a school pupil.

“We call on the public to help those in need to prosper in their schoolwork. Buying this solar light for a child will allow them to be as competitive as a child from an advantaged family,” said Johannes. “Our project is going so well and the response has been overwhelming. An article about our story even appeared in the local Namibian newspaper,” emailed Michael Mulunga.

Interested parties who wish to purchase a Consol Solar Jar for this worthy cause can contact Johannes Mulunga at 081 385 3749 or Israel Ndilipunje at 081 436 0497.

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