How To Turn a 2-liter Bottle Of Water Into a 50-Watt Lightbulb

[Duncan Grant]

I found this over at wisebread.com -- very cool.

It's not often that I'm taken aback by the simplicity and power of an invention, but this one does it for me. It's cheap, anyone can make one and it literally changes lives. Welcome to the water-bottle lightbulb.

The inventor's name is Alfredo Moser, and his idea is spreading like wildfire through his neighborhood in Brazil. Like all really great ideas, it was born out of necessity. During a 2002 energy blackout in Brazil, Alfredo's workshop was plunged into darkness. And so, using a simple 2-liter bottle of water, two capfulls of bleach and an old 35 mm film canister, he created this lightbulb.

By cutting holes in his workshop roof, the new water-bottle lightbulbs could shine the sun's rays directly into his dark workplace, bathing it in light that enabled him to work again. And friends and neighbors have been using his invention to light their homes without having to pay for electricity. Obviously, this isn't a solution for your average home in America, but it could easily work in your garden shed or another type of workshop.

See how it works at YouTube.

[hippywife]

1. That is a totally awesome idea!

I love it! What a great use for something that would be trash. :hi:

[Duncan Grant]

2. I thought so too!

A totally inspired idea. :thumbsup:

[robinlynne]

3. why the film canister and bleach?

[tsuki]

4. Guess on the bleach. To clarify the water? The clip said that the film

canister protects the lid from UV rays.

[robinlynne]

5. ahh.

[Warpy]

6. The bleach will prevent algae from growing

and cutting down on the light transfer.

The best part about this is that some of those lights have been there for years. The roof hasn't leaked and they haven't needed replacement.

It was very touching to see the lady who finally had enough light in her bathroom to see what she was doing in there. I can't imagine the frustration of having 3 AM conditions 24/7.

[mntleo2]

7. I Don't Quite Get It ...

...Is this only useable in the day time or does it "store" light for night use too? I doubt that it is useable at night but I just had to ask ...

Cat In Seattle <---where it is VERY rainy, so they say, lol

[Warpy]

8. It provides light during the daytime

when a lot of businesses are open and houses are being cleaned.

The woman with the bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling was a pretty typical homeowner, someone with electricity but limited funds to pay the bill. The soda bottle lights will give her a 50% break on that bill, at least.

For people living in third world poverty, this is a great invention.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

9. I want one for my desk!

:silly:






Really neat idea.

[kestrel91316]

10. It's a low-tech "skylight" of sorts. Unfortunately, my landlord won't

let me cut holes of any kind in my a partment roof, and neither will my business landlord, where the ceiling is dropped anyway.

[demmiblue]

11. Thanks for posting this, DG

Hands-down, this is one of the neatest things that I have seen in awhile!

:D

[sandnsea]

12. Kind of like solar tubes

I don't know why these don't collect energy for night use too.