"Chris Hogg" wrote
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote
How does Eden rate on the conservation scale? I haven't been there,
and know nothing about it, but all that glassware looks dodgy from an
energy-consumption point of view.
Mike.

Its not glass, its a double skin of some sort of high tech plastic with air
between (they are really quite thick when seen close to, 1' or more) and is
extremely energy efficient, the individual panels behave rather like
magnifying glasses.

In fact it's a triple or quadruple layer of a plastic related to PTFE,
so it's non-stick, dirt washes off very easily and it's more
transparent to sunlight than glass, as well as being very strong and
highly insulating. The 'cells' are lightly pressurised with dry air to
give that lens or fly's eye appearance, and they're about two metres
thick apparently. But there is no focussing or lens effect, as the
refractive index inside the lens is the same as outside, i.e. air. But
I'm always amazed when they have firework displays there. All those
glowing embers from spent rockets falling on pressurised plastic
sheet.....
Chris

Been watching the BBC special on Eden. WOW - it's come a long way in a few
years!
We were there when it was being built.........
Pity I'm not keen on bulbs. We might postpone our visit till later in the
year:~)

Jenny