Hey Pat, not sure about the mouse power thing, I chased all of our mice away with CAT power (5 barn cats) [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] The mice didn't keep the barn warm, but they sure did leave a BIG mess for me to clean up !!!

But depending on where this box is located, it might be a good place for a compost bin. Wouldn't that produce enough extra heat to keep things warm. As well as adding extra insulation. And you would always remember where it is. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I assume some sort of solar heat would not really be all that helpful as it would be hard to store the energy without getting really expensive? What about wind energy? Could you generate enough power from a small windmill to run some sort of heating device? Decorative and functional !

Or, how about a miniature propane heater designed to ignite automagically when the temp hits n degrees? Then you could enclose a 20gal tank nearby, above, or under ground.

Can you design a remote thermometer to alert you when it drops below a certain temp?

I think I hate frozen pipes and leaky roofs more than any other homeowner type problem. It's the kind of things that keep me awake at night [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]