The i-Shack

The i-shack is a technologically improved shack aimed at bettering the lives of people who live in informal settlements. The main goal of the design is to equip informal homes with solar panels an- energy saving features that make them more liveable. With a rooftop photovoltaic panel, shelters can generate enough electricity for 3 lights, a cellphone charger and motion-sensitive alarm. The project, initiated by University student Andreas Keller and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is going to be based at Enkanini township in Capetown. The township is the largest in the area and has no electricity. A prototype has strategically placed windows that draw a cooling draft  in summer, a sloped roof to collects rainwater in winter, a floor made from recycled bricks and a wall made from mud, straw and sand to conserve energy. The dwellings are 2 degrees cooler during the day and 2 degrees warmer at night. This invention is also set to make its way to Tanzania and Ghana.