I don't think we have to be poor or even off-grid to use this idea. From students at MIT and being implemented in the Phillipines. I'm going to try this in Guatemala, and this could be one of our projects for the artisans we work with around Lake Atitlan. Many of them work by candlelight or with very little light at all. Maybe we can even try this here in NC in some of the outdoor sheds and garage! The bottles should emit light for about two to five years. Because the light spreads out through the water it acts like a light bulb, instead of just a shaft of light straight down from a hole in the ceiling. Sounds terrific!
Reuters News:
http://www.reuters.com/video/2011/07/11/bringing-light-to-the-poor-one-liter-at?videoId=216968892
Bringing light to the poor, one liter at a time (2:56)
July 11 - A bottled liter of water with a few teaspoons of bleach is proving to be a successful recipe for dwellers in the light-deprived slums of the Philippines. The simple technology is spreading sunlight in places where it has never been, and saving residents money at the same time. Gemma Haines reports. ( Reuters News
Video Transcript:
In the slums of Manila, an innovative project is shedding light on the city's dim and dreary shanties. Plastic bottles jut from the roofs, bringing light to the dark dwellings below. The technology is as simple as it could be. Each bottle contains water and bleach. When placed snugly into a purpose-built hole in the roof, the home-made bulb refracts and spreads sunlight, illuminating the room beneath. Eco-entrepreneur Illac Diaz is behind the project. SOUNDBITE: ILAC DIAZ, ISANG LITRONG LIWANAG (A LITER OF LIGHT) PROJECT, SAYING (ENGLISH) "What happens is, the light goes through the bottle, basically a window on the roof, and then goes inside the water. Unlike a hole which the light will travel in a straight line, the water will refract it to go vertical, horizontal, 360 degrees of 55 watts to 60 watts of clear light, almost 10 months of the year." The initiative, known as "A liter of light", aims to bring sustainable energy practices to poor communities, an idea originally developed by students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The bottles are designed to emit clear light for about five years, as the bleach prevents algae from building up in the water. For Erlinda Densing, a mother of eight, the technology has made a big difference to her small home. SOUNDBITE: ERLINDA DENSING, RESIDENT OF PAYATAS COMMUNITY, SAYING (FILIPINO) "'That's only water?!' my neighbours were asking. 'That's only water!' I said to them. Basically, the sun's rays are really bright. A lot of neighbours came and got curious. They were like, 'can we see? can we see?'. Maybe they also wanted to have lights installed. 'It's really bright,' I said." The device can be built and installed in less than an hour. A sheet of corrugated iron serves as a support structure to hold the bottle in place, and prevent any leakage. SOUNDBITE: ILAC DIAZ, ISANG LITRONG LIWANAG (A LITER OF LIGHT) PROJECT, SAYING (ENGLISH) "Liter of Light, lights up the house, saves a lot, but at the same time improves the standard of living across the board, of the bottom 90 per cent of this country." Working with low-income communities, local governments and private partners, the project has installed more than 10,000 bottle lights across Manila and the nearby province of Laguna. Rey del Mundo is a volunteer. SOUNDBITE: REY DEL MUNDO, PROJECT VOLUNTEER AND ENERGY UNIT HEAD AT SCHNEIDER ELECTRONICS, SAYING (FILIPINO) "This is very important. Because at present, we're too dependent on fuel that we don't produce. Although we have some local production, it's not sufficient for our needs. So if we strive to develop alternative sources of energy, which are the energy sources, this will help our country a lot." For residents, it means less money spent on electricity to power lights during the daytime, and more money on food. While for Diaz and his volunteers it's quite simply a bright idea. Gemma Haines, Reuters.
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Also on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9fpolCvM-8
Via Reuters UK
Reposted from this blog:
http://www.renjie.ca/2011/07/13/bringing-light-to-the-poor-one-liter-at-a-time-in-the-philippines/
In the slums of Manila, an innovative project is shedding light on the city’s dim and dreary shanties. Plastic bottles jut from the roofs, bringing light to the dark dwellings below. The technology is as simple as it could be. Each bottle contains water and bleach. When placed snugly into a purpose-built hole in the roof, the home-made bulb refracts and spreads sunlight, illuminating the room beneath. Eco-entrepreneur Illac Diaz is behind the project.
An interesting idea that not only provides a better quality of life for people in the slums of the Philippines, but also puts to good use the plastic bottles that are consumed en masse every single day.
We should be seeing more of these simple, yet effective ideas that help to improve the standard of living for the estimated 4 billion people that live on less than $2/day around the world.
[PDF]
Ilac Diaz
www.chij-sisters.org/writeups/Illac%20Diaz.pdf
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An eco-entrepreneur, Illac Diaz, has been able to help the bottom. 90 percent of his fellowmen in the Philippines with the project. “Isang Litrong Liwanag,” which ...
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The idea was developed by students at MIT.
MIT: Bringing Light To The Poor, One Liter At A Time - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLY1_ELaSbs3 min - Aug 2, 2011 - Uploaded by TrendGuardian
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In the slums of Manila, an innovative project is shedding light on the city's dim and dreary shanties. Plastic bottles jut from the roofs, bringing.
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