Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The Construction of Solar Bottle Lights

                    


 

  I have no idea what a social entrepreneur really is, but if this is what they do, then the world needs more of them.  Illac Diaz is just such a person. He is the founder of Liters of Light  After completing his own university degree, he set out to help thousands of Filipino families who are living in substandard housing following the terrible storms and tsunamis of the past few years.  In a number of coastal housing settlements in the Phillipines, there is no electricity and no light by which to make food for the evening meal or do homework afterward.  This is Illac's simple and brilliant way of addressing the problem.

                   This method works on metal roofing both corrugated or otherwise. It can also work on outbuildings, barns, or for growing sheds.  Multiple bottles bring a great deal of daylight light into a structure.


Building a Solar Bottle Bulb

*PET soda bottle
*Galvanized Iron (GI) sheet
*Rubber sealant
*Bleach
*Filtered Water



Step 1: Cut approximately 9 x 10 inches of GI sheet (corrugated or flat)

 

 

 

Step 2: At the center of the GI sheet, draw 2 circles

 

 cut out the center circle, carefully.

Cut the 1 cm difference radially, making strips and bend upwards, perpendicular to the GI sheet

 

 

Using sandpaper, scratch the surface around the upper third portion of the soda bottle where the GI sheet will be placed, to allow the rubber sealant to stick better

 

 

Insert the bottle into the GI sheet until the upper third. Apply rubber sealant on the strips above and around the area below. Wait to dry

 

 

 

Fill the soda bottle with filtered water and ~10 mL (2 capfuls) of bleach. Cover with its original cap

 

Cut a hole on the roof, similar to the bottle circumference

 

 

 See more detail and installation instructions at:

 http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-SOLAR-BOTTLE-BULB/

 

Even modest donations sent to this organization can help people living in darkness, as Illac himself works to put this, and other inexpensive lighting means in the homes of those who have endured significant disasters:

 http://aliteroflight.org/