Ingenious Use of Soda Bottles Lights up the Darkness

 

Much of what we write about here at GeekMom is high tech gadgetry, so when I say ‘solar’ you might think of any number of modern solar powered electrical systems. What you probably didn’t think about is the super low tech but incredibly brilliant solar bottle bulb developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

In the Philippines, poor residents often live in dim, windowless homes that are dark inside even in the daytime – three million homes outside of metro Manila do not have electricity. Enter Isang Litrong Liwanag. Meaning a liter of light, the organization recycles plastic soda bottles to bring light to developing communities. Filled with water and a bit of bleach, these “light kits” are installed on roofs, catching the sunlight and refracting it through the water into the home below.

Such a simple solution. And yet one that’s a testament to creative problem solving.

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Via Ann Zeise of A to Z Home’s Cool.

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