One Plastic Bottle Can Light Up My Life
One of the goals of education is to teach students to apply the knowledge they’ve acquired in the classroom to solve problems that exist around the world. Inspired by the Appropriate Technologies Collaborative principles, students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) took heed to this concept and developed the “solar bottle bulb.”
In Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, there is a remarkable contrast in the quality of life between the rich and the poor. Specifically, there are millions of homes in the poorer areas without a single light source because very few of these homes have connections to electrical grids, and even fewer families have the resources to pay for lighting and electricity. In addition, the metal roofs of these homes block out all the light.
Source: Eco Ideas Net
An illustration demonstrating the capabilities of the solar bottle bulb.
To combat this problem, students at MIT developed a solar bottle bulb to be inserted into the roofs of these homes. It is a one-liter, plastic bottle filled with water and three tablespoons of bleach. In contrast to developing a single hole in the roof that would supply light to a single spot – picture shining a flashlight onto a wall in complete darkness – the water diffracts light 360° and is capable of illuminating an entire room. The solar bottle bulb is able to emit as much light as a 55-Watt light bulb. Furthermore, the added bleach prevents algae, mold and bacteria growth within the bottle.
Because the materials to build a solar bottle bulb are readily available in these communities, installation is simple. It requires sealant, one sheet of metal with a hole (of the same diameter of the bottle) cut in the middle and an equivalent hole cut in the metal roof it is to be installed in.
To make this sustainable innovation accessible, Isang Litrong Liwanag (A Liter of Light), a Philippines-based organization, plans to supply indoor lighting to one million homes throughout the country by 2012. They have currently installed over 10 000 solar bottle bulbs. Moreover, the Manila city government has helped fund the expenses of lighting homes in their city respectively.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ms-oX-kdb8&w=640&h=385]
A video by Isang Litrong Liwanag reposted by SaurabhMore introducing the solar bottle bulb.
Although one of the cons of this innovation is its inability to store energy and generate light at night, we need to recall that many of these homes do not have access to light during any time of the day. To this end, any illumination is helpful. Also, this design does not create any harmful pollutants and prevents electrical fires due to the faulty electrical connectors that exist in some homes.
Overall, we should remember not to take lighting and electricity for granted. If it is possible for countries overseas to find sustainable resources and limit their carbon footprint, we should follow in their footsteps and stay green as well! Next time you are the last person to leave a room, turn off the lights and save some energy!
Further Reading:
http://www.gizmag.com/pop-bottles-provide-light/19829/
November 10th, 2011 at 11:08 am
I read about this in the paper a while ago and was blown away.
It’s such a simple and easy solution for so many people, and can be used anywhere in the world! What a brilliant idea.
November 10th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
I was amazed at how much that plastic bottle looks a light bulb in the video!
I often think of complex technology and equipment used in science, but it’s an eye-opening experience to see that common materials and
some knowledge of light properties may be the solution to a large scale problem.