Solar Bottle Bulb
Introduction
"A "light bulb" now exists that does not use any conventional energy.
Introducing the Solar Bottle Bulb -- an alternative source of daylight powered by the sun. It is made from an old soda bottle. By filling it with water and sealing it into the roof, the water refracts the sun's rays and provides about 55 watts of light to a darkened room.
This was invented in 2006 by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It can be built and installed in less than 1 hour, and uses inexpensive or recycled materials. The water is mixed with some bleach and does not need replacing for about 2 years."
Most of us take lighting for granted, flicking the switch on and off as many times as we please, or leaving it on long hours and wasting energy. However, this isn’t the case for many poverty stricken place around the world where people can’t even afford to light their own homes.
Demi (aka Solar Demi), who comes from a very small village (San Vicente) in the Philippines, came up with a solution to bring light to his village.
His invention, the solar bottle light bulb, is an alternative source of light powered by the sun. It is inexpensive, made from recyclable materials, easy to assemble, and can provide light equivalent to a 55-Watt bulb.
Objectives
The solar bottle bulbs started as energy-saving supplemental light in classrooms but was then applied to surrounding communities.
According to Diaz, the technology is as simple as it could be. Each bottle contains water and bleach. When placed into a purpose-built hole in the roof, the homemade bulb refracts and spreads sunlight, illuminating the room beneath.
Today, the project has expanded to more than 15,000 solar bottle bulbs in 20 cities and provinces, benefiting more than 200,000 families.
It aims to reach 1 million beneficiaries by 2012.
The UN's Momentum for Change highlights innovative, replicable, on-the-ground projects that help to mitigate or adapt to climate
"A "light bulb" now exists that does not use any conventional energy.
Introducing the Solar Bottle Bulb -- an alternative source of daylight powered by the sun. It is made from an old soda bottle. By filling it with water and sealing it into the roof, the water refracts the sun's rays and provides about 55 watts of light to a darkened room.
This was invented in 2006 by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It can be built and installed in less than 1 hour, and uses inexpensive or recycled materials. The water is mixed with some bleach and does not need replacing for about 2 years."
Most of us take lighting for granted, flicking the switch on and off as many times as we please, or leaving it on long hours and wasting energy. However, this isn’t the case for many poverty stricken place around the world where people can’t even afford to light their own homes.
Demi (aka Solar Demi), who comes from a very small village (San Vicente) in the Philippines, came up with a solution to bring light to his village.
His invention, the solar bottle light bulb, is an alternative source of light powered by the sun. It is inexpensive, made from recyclable materials, easy to assemble, and can provide light equivalent to a 55-Watt bulb.
Objectives
The solar bottle bulbs started as energy-saving supplemental light in classrooms but was then applied to surrounding communities.
According to Diaz, the technology is as simple as it could be. Each bottle contains water and bleach. When placed into a purpose-built hole in the roof, the homemade bulb refracts and spreads sunlight, illuminating the room beneath.
Today, the project has expanded to more than 15,000 solar bottle bulbs in 20 cities and provinces, benefiting more than 200,000 families.
It aims to reach 1 million beneficiaries by 2012.
The UN's Momentum for Change highlights innovative, replicable, on-the-ground projects that help to mitigate or adapt to climate