Litre of Light
Isang Litrong Liwanag can be translated in English as ‘Litre of Light’. This is a project brought about by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The product a sustainable light bulb that uses no source of energy except the sun! The main purpose of this light project was to benefit the developing communities who are affected by fires caused by dodgy electricity and many who have no light at all.
There are currently three million households that are ‘powerless’ in the Philippines; hopefully this project can help brighten up their homes. MyShelter Foundation, established by Illac Diaz, aims to brighten up one million homes in the Philippines by 2012.
But how does it work? My crude description is: you fill a clear plastic bottle with water and add a little bit of bleach. You then cut a small hole in the roof to fit the bottle snuggly half in and half out. The outside light streams through the bottle and refracts around 55 watts of light into the otherwise dim house. The bleach prevents algae building up, meaning the Solar Bottle Bulbs should last about five years after only taking an hour to install.
While the lights are obviously functional only during the day, they're a great step toward reducing poverty, not to mention energy independence.
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