Solar Bottle Lights: Transforming Plastic Bottle Waste to Light Bulbs
It’s surprising how simple the design of a solar bottle light is – take an empty plastic bottle, fill it with mineral water and a few drops of bleach, and cement it halfway through a small metal roof sheet (the kind used as roofs in Manila’s slum areas). Then cut out a small piece of the actual roof, place the sheet with the bottle on top of the hole, cement any cracks, and voilà! Let there be light.
This initiative, a project designed and developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and implemented by MyShelter Foundation, is already transforming lives of low-income people in the Philippines.
Aside from giving light, it reduces the risk of fire-related incidents involving faulty electrical connections, which are rampant in informal settlements like slum areas. MyShelter Foundation’s vision through “Isang Litrong Liwanag” (A Liter of Light) project is to brighten one million homes in the Philippines by 2012 with the help of various partners and volunteers.
Here at the Development Marketplace, we love innovative technologies like this: transformative, affordable, eco-friendly, and scalable. Check out their video below:
Printer-friendly version
Comments
What an Idea!
Excellent post, and what a brilliant example of turning waste to wealth and lighting the world in the same breath. This should be showcased in more decision-making fora across the developing world to bring light to millions. Maybe this will inspire someone to create a similar bulb that works at night too!
RE
Impressive video, thanks for sharing. I've learned more here.
Does it work at night too?
Does it work at night too?
@ Jonathan Davidar and Solar
@ Jonathan Davidar and Solar Lights: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the post and video. I believe MyShelter Foundation is taking this idea to India as well.
@ TV Somanathan: No, it doesn't work at night - it's powered by the sun, but it provides much-needed light during the day.
Thanks. I asked only because
Thanks. I asked only because there was a reference to reducing risks from electric wires.
@ T.V. Somanathan
Some of the houses in these dwellings do use regular (electric-powered) lights, but the solar bottle lights reduce their use of this during the daytime hours.
Thanks for the update
Myra, thanks for the update on the next steps in India. I would love to see more posts/updates like this and videos that clearly demonstrate the implementation and benefits of such technologies.
thanks for sharing
So simple, yet so effective.
Its wonderful
I'll try it
Why do we have to use mineral
Why do we have to use mineral water? Will it affect the quality of the light if ordinary tap water is used?
@Lila239 - I believe bleach
@Lila239 - I believe bleach and clean mineral water are used to preserve the life of the solar bottle and prevent the growth of fungi/algae for up to 5 years.
i believe this system works
i believe this system works on the principle of reflection in the presence of sun, let me know if i am wrong, is this system viable to be used at night??
@Mubbashir - yes, this system
@Mubbashir - yes, this system works only during daylight hours because it depends on the sun. However, as you can see in the video, the houses in the slum areas are still very dark during the day due to lack of windows and/or electricity.
Great
This is really great. Congs to the inventors. If it works at night, it would be perfect for my countrymen (Uganda) who live in areas that do not access electricity. Thanks for the innovation.
Solar bottle lights
To make this design also provide some illumination at night, you could consider adding a photoluminescent chemical to the water or the outside of the bottle. One safe and relatively cheap compound, strontium aluminate, can deliver up to 10 hours of luminescence after exposure to light.
Also, I wonder if soft drink companies would be amenable to using a clear platic bottle top, or make other minor improvements to the utility or efficiency of the concept? This could include modifying the shape of the bottle to reduce the need for sealants or optimising the light throughput.
Is the Chlorine different
Is the Chlorine different from Liquid Bleach??
Because the Chlorine solution is used to purify the water and in the video, its been said that we have to add bleach to the purified water.
So just a bit confused, plz Help
Post new comment