Providing Energy with Solar Lighting from Empty Plastic Bottles
By Marsha H
Living in the U.S., we tend to take cheap and plentiful energy for granted. Our electricity is supplied reliably, and, in comparison to other countries, affordably.
And our lives tend to move along, unaffected by things that don't impact us directly. Which is why most of us are oblivious to the fact that, even in the 21st century, there are over 3 million households without power in the Philippines alone.
I don't know about you, but I can't even fathom daily life without electricity.
Imagine what that would mean. No alarm clocks, no programmable coffee makers, no refrigeration, no washing machines, no dishwashers, no microwave ovens, no... well, you get the picture. It boggles the mind. Just getting ready for work each morning would present more challenges than we know how to cope with.
Now imagine living in a house with no electricity AND no windows. Even if you had windows, it wouldn't matter, because the houses are built so close together that natural light could never find its way in. Envision living your life in a house without light, day in and day out, with no money to make improvements.
Neccesity Really is the Mother of Invention
What if you could generate as much light as a 50-watt light bulb, using just a discarded soda bottle, some water, a little bleach and the sun? Sounds like science fiction, doesn't it?
But that's exactly what the Isang Litrong Liwanag (A Liter of Light) project is doing; bringing an eco-friendly solution to those underdeveloped communities by providing light through the use of solar bottle bulbs.
This short video explains the project and will give you a fresh appreciation for the everyday conveniences we've come to expect.
A Liter of Light Project
It's pure genius in it's simplicity; taking a plastic bottle that would otherwise be discarded, and using it to refract enough light to brighten a room, for less than we pay for our daily mocha latte.
Human ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.
The projects goal is to provide this solar energy to a million homes by 2012. If they can do so much for so many, with so little, then the least I can do is help spread their story.
Don't Be Shy...
Awesome! I frequently publish articles (on other sites) about solar power. Solar lighting should be used more often, in my opinion. Very cool idea to make them with empty plastic bottles - which most people do not recycle anyway.
You must continue to bring these ideas to the fore front of our thinking as, I believe we all are going to be without power for a loooong period of time.
Pay attention to the power outages occurring all over the world and here in the US also, with very flimsy explanations given.
Love your photo as it reminds me of the World my parents grew up in.
Movie Master,
It is amazing that something as simple as this solar lighting could improve the lives of so many people.
I've got my fingers crossed that they meet their goal too.
Absolutely fasinating, I hope the project achieves it's goal that would be amazing.
Thank you for sharing.
@snakeslane - It is a brilliant idea at that! The simplicity of it astounds me.
@The Dirt Farmer - We've never gone without power for more than a couple of days, and it's not something I care to do again. It's funny, isn't it, that even when you know the power is off, you automatically hit the light switch when you walk into a room?
@Maren Morgan - I think the bleach works to control algae.
Wow - it reminds me of the glass prisms in the decks of sailing vessels to provide light to the cabins below....BUT, what is the purpose of the bleach? Voted up!
Fascinating! Makes me think of those clay batteries archeologists have found in the Middle East. Having had no power for many days earlier this month because of the hurricane, I definitely agree that life without electricity is ... very uncomfortable and boring!
This is amazing, what a brilliant idea, literally. Makes my heart warm to see this, thanks for sharing Marsha H!
Drenguin, that makes two of us. :)
This is really incredible. I can't believe that something so simple could do something so incredible.
ktrapp 7 months ago
I found this so fascinating that I had to do some more reading about it. It seems that some MIT students came up with the bottle bulb idea. I love how the ingenuity of students can make such a big difference for those in need of light or cheaper light sources. Great hub! Voted up and awesome, of course.