Bottle light inventor proud to be poor

[PETRUS]

Alfredo Moser's invention is lighting up the world. In 2002, the Brazilian mechanic had a light-bulb moment and came up with a way of illuminating his house during the day without electricity - using nothing more than plastic bottles filled with water and a tiny bit of bleach.

In the last two years his innovation has spread throughout the world. It is expected to be in one million homes by early next year.

So how does it work? Simple refraction of sunlight, explains Moser, as he fills an empty two-litre plastic bottle.

"Add two capfuls of bleach to protect the water so it doesn't turn green [with algae]. The cleaner the bottle, the better," he adds...

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23536914

[Go Vols]

1. Very cool

[VanillaRhapsody]

3. typical skylights don't use refraction to intensify the light...

[Cronus Protagonist]

5. Well, mine do

In fact, I live in a place with no windows and I have skylights, which light the place very well, during the day only. The light diffracts through the plastic translucent domes, scatters, and also some of the light reflects off the walls.

At night, though, nothing comes in. Not even moonlight because the plastic is not transparent.

And my skylights leak when it rains. Maybe I should install a hundred of these bottles instead...but I do like to open them in the summer and let the breeze in... hmm...

[VanillaRhapsody]

9. but thats not typical....as I noted...

and your skylights cost sooooo much more than these ingenious lights that also recycle. Most people in the world couldnt afford YOUR skylights. It's not really meant for you...they are for the poorest of the poor.

[whopis01]

17. No - this is more like deck prisms which have been used on ships for centuries. n/t

[jberryhill]

4. The primary application

....has been in shanty towns with corrugated steel roofs.



The difference between it an a skylight is the refraction of the light to provide area lighting which, yes, you could get with a frosted skylight, but the application areas are not exactly located down the road from a Home Depot. Since IR is absorbed, it also doesn't decrease the utility of having a metal roof in the first place - i.e. to keep out the heat in tropical and subtropical climates.

[CBGLuthier]

6. With Apologies to Steely Dan

While the poor people
sleep with roofs full of holes
Picky people with money say
It's not a lamp unless it glows.


They are, picky people, picky people, picky people.

Ever make a film about yourself?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

18. excellent

[BlueJazz]

16. There's a "Moon Kit" that comes with each bottle.

[BlueToTheBone]

7. Good Job, Alfredo!

[Autumn]

8. How cool is that. Bookmarking.

[peace13]

10. Wonderful!

Thanks for posting this.

[lumberjack_jeff]

11. Great idea in places where it doesn't freeze. Or rain. n/t

[allan01]

12. re: Bottle light inventor proud to be poor

[SeattleVet]

13. They caulk around them to seal out the rain...

here's a video of the inventor:

http://www.youtube.com/v/t28NY67OPIE?hl=en_US&version=3


and here's another installation, in Chile:

http://www.youtube.com/v/jAqYS3OIJFg?hl=en_US&version=3

[silverweb]

14. I read about this years ago.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]In Treehugger, I think. It's another example of how one person's idea can help light up the world -- quite literally this time -- and I'm so glad it's becoming an international norm.

[aikoaiko]

15. Very cool idea. I'm surprise cutting holes in the roof works out well

Probably best done in dry climates.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. very cool