Currently, millions of Filipinos live without any kind of light source at all, but a band of resourceful MIT students have begun changing that. The students found that a one liter plastic bottle filled with bleach water and installed on top of a metal roof is a surprisingly simple way to light homes that have neither electrical connectivity nor natural lighting. The plastic defracts light and pushes it to every corner of a small slum house instead of beaming it onto one area like a typical lamp might. As part of their Solar Bottle Project, the organization Isang Litrong Liwanag, which means “A Liter of Light,” has already installed 10,000 of these ridiculously basic but amazing lamps throughout Manila.
The roofs of many Manila shacks are painted black, preventing any kind of light from penetrating what are already depressing dwellings. The solution? Plastic bottles filled with bleach and water are inserted into a hole that is cut into the metal roof, and then sealed off; the bleach keeps the water both clear and free of potential germs. Although water is sometimes scarce in informal settlements, with just a liter, the equivalent of a standard 60 watt light bulb can be installed in less than a hour and works for as long as five years! It’s hard not to love a life-altering design that also happens to cost almost nothing.
+ Isang Litrong Liwanag
Via Fast Company
Neither MIT nor Brazilian, this is a very old style Ottoman Turkish method of Hammam Illumination.
In this link, you can clearly see the glass bottles of an Historic Ottoman Hammam.
http://www.sehirler.net/resim-tokat-resimleri-60-ali-pasa-hamami-5106.htm
I do not think MIT is claiming the invention as their own.
In this video, even MIT’s Amy Smith is making a “brazilian Solar Lamp”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYPBr0kutk4
I agree with Marcello, this invention has been around for over 6 years and originated in Brazil. It is a great idea and should be implemented everywhere, but give credit to where it is due. In fact using Marcello’s link above perhaps it would be a good gesture for the people at MIT to presents the actual inventor with a donation or plaque of recognition. But for MIT (or the author) to claim inventor-ship when this has been around for 6 years, is just lame and bad PR for MIT.
i think its amazing:)just interested to know how well it works at night time?
This idea needs to spread all over the world! Awesome
Sorry, but that’s not an MIT invention at all.
This invention was born in Brazil by the hands of a mechanic.
I’ll leave the link bellow FIY:
http://video.globo.com/Videos/Player/Noticias/0,,GIM681129-7823-LITROS+DE+LUZ,00.html