OMFG - solar bottle lights in the Philippines

[malaise]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBWi3NtND68

How does this work DUers?

[Motown_Johnny]

1. simple refraction of sunlight through the water in the bottle

the chlorine is just to keep the inside sterile

[malaise]

2. Takes me right back to the physics lab in

3rd form at high school.
Geez why has this taken so long for us to save electricity.

[Motown_Johnny]

8. there are already similar products, this is just one the very poor can afford

http://perfectcube.wordpress.com/2007/02/25/sunlight-inside-no-direct-sunlighted-rooms/


^snip^

Sunlight inside no direct-sunlighted rooms


So, most people believe that a room full of daylight can be achieved only where the sun directly lits the space through the windows. Not true. With fiber optic cables, it’s now possible to make a windowless basement feel like a glass-encased penthouse and the feeling is touching.

The sunlight not only takes part in our metabolism processes, helping our bodies build essential hormones, but makes these homes more energy-efficient, helping the environment in a period when everybody is concerned with the climate warming and the green gas pollution.

[malaise]

10. Nice link

Thanks

[YellowRubberDuckie]

3. Amazing huh?

Necessity breeds invention...

[Denninmi]

4. The water and shape of the bottle focus the sunlight like a lens.

I suspect it would only work really well from mid-morning through mid-afternoon when the sun is high in the sky.

And, of course, cloudy day means little light.

But still, if its all you've got, better than nothing.

[Skidmore]

6. What if you added some solution to the bottle that "glows in the dark?"

Could you extend usage into night hours?

[Motown_Johnny]

13. that is a reasonable assumption (and may be a damn good idea)

although I am not sure about the cost or if it or if it would damage the plastic bottle




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorescence


^snip^


Commonly seen examples of phosphorescent materials are the glow-in-the-dark toys, paint, and clock dials that glow for some time after being charged with a bright light such as in any normal reading or room light. Typically the glowing then slowly fades out within minutes (or up to a few hours) in a dark room.

Common pigments used in phosphorescent materials include zinc sulfide and strontium aluminate. Use of zinc sulfide for safety related products dates back to the 1930s. However, the development of strontium oxide aluminate, with a luminance approximately 10 times greater than zinc sulfide, has relegated most zinc sulfide based products to the novelty category. Strontium oxide aluminate based pigments are now used in exit signs, pathway marking, and other safety related signage.





*edit to add* It may make more sense to use a phosphorescent device in conjunction with the traditional bottle light. There are advantages to the natural spectrum of sun light and adding a phosphorescent material to the water would not only dim the bottle light but also change the color.

[slackmaster]

9. My backpacking friends and I use plastic bottles of water plus flashlights to make "water lanterns"

They work very well.

[Lucinda]

5. Very very cool.

Thanks for the vid!

[slackmaster]

7. Old technology from the maritime world

A glass deck prism from a 19th Century sailing ship. (The pointy end would normally point down, below the deck, with the flat side flush with the desk surface on top.)

[Tx4obama]

11. Here's another thread on the topic.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x310988

[malaise]

14. Wow

A good friend who lives in the Philippines send me two links.

[ChandlerJr]

12. Solar tubes or Sun Tunnels

We have acrylic ones in our house in Arizona..

Pain in the azz at night though, have to send the grandkids up on the roof with flashlights.

http://www.skylightguys.com/index.asp

[malaise]

15. LOL

:evilgrin:

[Motown_Johnny]

16. you know the solution to that

is to simply keep the kids up there all the time





:sarcasm:

[Whisp]

17. jumping up and down with joy here.

what a fantastic idea!!!

thanks so much for bringing this here, malaise

[malaise]

18. It was posted in the energy forum yesterday

We should credit GliderGuider even though a friend sent me two links from the Philippines.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x310988

add

[JuniperLea]

19. Ha! I do something like this at night!

I keep a glass or bottle of water at my bedside... when I want to get up without too much light, I hit a button on my cell phone and lean it against the bottle or glass, and voila! Let there be light! And lots of it!

[malaise]

26. Pretty smart

:fistbump:

[NutmegYankee]

20. This has been around for years.

http://howsolarworks.1bog.org/solar-tubes/

They do work a bit better the closer to the equator you are.

[malaise]

23. Well it's reaching people who need new sources of energy

and I am truly delighted

[NutmegYankee]

25. No doubt.

The idea of using a soda bottle was genius.

[OneGrassRoot]

21. They're doing AMAZING things reusing plastic bottles...

Aside from the solar light innovation, they're being used to build structures. I'm collecting a list of these things.

People really are amazing. It's why I have faith that there can be some eureka moment out there for us, if we get the greedy/evil ones controlling things out of the way.

;)

[malaise]

24. Good will win

and yes people are amazing

[Shagbark Hickory]

22. This will come in handy in the future retubby America

[Harmony Blue]

I wonder if this could be used for the people of the Ozarks

and may be worth a shot to educate the populace with the use of solar bottles.

[Harmony Blue]

27. I wonder if this could be used for the people of the Ozarks

and may be worth a shot to educate the populace with the use of solar bottles.