Cheap Solar Lighting with a Two Liter Water Bottle

An ingenious solar lighting idea is spreading across the slums of the Philippines. This solar light design requires neither a solar panel nor a light bulb, however. In fact, all it requires is the sun and a two liter water bottle.

Light bulbs are only for the very fortunate in the Philippines, as they are not as easily or readily accessible. You can imagine the difference a little bit of light would make in a place where it is hard to find or expensive to purchase a light bulb. Amazingly, this two liter solar light requires nothing more than a water bottle filled with water:

The bottles function as 60-watt lights powered by 100% solar energy. Refraction is an amazing thing, if you drilled a hole in your ceiling light would drop directly through the opening in a straight line casting a shadow on the ground in the shape of the hole. By placing a bottle filled with water into the hole, the light is refracted by the water and emitted at 360 degrees like a light bulb.

This is truly a simple, beautiful piece of ingenuity. What makes it even more appealing is that it gives folks an opportunity to use something that would ordinarily go straight to the trash.

Do you want cheap solar lighting for your home? Then look no further than a bottle of water!

Image credit: flickr via rishibando

Tags: appropriate technology, lighting, philippines, reuse, soda bottle, solar, solar lights

About the Author

ziggy I'm a 26-year-old currently living at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in northeast Missouri, an intentional community devoted to sustainable living and culture change. Things you might find me doing here (other than blogging) are building with natural materials, gardening, beekeeping, making cheese, candlemaking, and above all else, living simply. You can read about my on-going natural building projects at: http://www.small-scale.net/yearofmud

http://Web Cdancer

Great invention, though, how does this work at night?
- http://Web stephen karlo
  
  it wont
  - http://Web Arturo Velez
    
    yeah!
Pingback: Solar Lights Made of Plastic Bottles & Water | CleanTechnica()
http://dlcommunicates.wordpress.com Deb

Interesting, but then you have a hole in your ceiling?
- http://craftknowitall.blogspot.com Nana Jones
  
  There is caulk put around the bottle so no leaks, and if you live in a little one room house with no windows and no electricity, a hole in your roof to provide light during the day is a little thing. I think it is brilliant!
http://muslimsguide2thewelltrainedmind.wordpress.com Umm Sakina Sara

This is too cool thanks for posting! This would benefit so many people, why doesn’t everyone know about this?! It is amazing something so simple, just discovered, while plastic bottles have been around awhile! I was thinking about building my kids a treehouse with roof but worried how dark it would be, i could just use this!
http://www.accurateelectricalservices.com Ricahrd Kenny

Amazing invention. If this would push through and and everyone would use this technology we can all minimize or elimanate usage of plastic water container being use everyday…
I think proper authorities should pass a bill urging the people to use this technology…Nice and very informative post…

Richard Kenny
California, USA
Pingback: An Innovative and Cheap ‘Solar Bottle Bulb’ Solution Lights Homes in Manila | Ecopreneurist()
gerhard

simple and effective