Liter of Light is a global open source movement

aiming to provide ecologically sustainable and

cost-free lighting for simple dwellings with thin
roofs. The device is simple: a transparent 1.5–2 L
plastic bottle, as typically used for carbonated
drinks, is filled with water plus a little bleach to
inhibit algal growth and fitted into a hole in a roof.
The device functions like a deck prism:
duringdaytime the water inside the bottle refracts
sunlight, delivering about as much light as a 40–60
watt incandescent bulb to the interior. A properly
installed solar bottle can last up to 5 years.
 TECHNOLOGY DISCRIPTION
The Solar Bottle Bulb, as it has also been called, is installed in the roof
of homes with the purpose of refracting sunlight in order to light up a
room. The project’s innovation lies in its utilization of cheap, durable
and readily available materials to produce high quality natural lighting
enabling the urban poor to have access to an affordable,
environmentally friendly long-term alternative to electric light for use
during the day.
Most of the plastic bottles used are recycled 1.5-2 liter bottles. After
being filled with water and a little bleach, the bottle is pushed through a
steel sheet that serves as a metal lock to prevent it from slipping. It is
then embedded into a corrugated iron roof. A small part of the bottle is
left outside while the rest of it protrudes into the house. Sealant is put
around the hole made in the roof to keep it weather proof. The refractive
properties of water ensures that the light from the sun that reaches the
inside of the bottle becomes omni-directional mimicking an electric
light bulb and emitting the same amount of light as a 40–60 W
incandescent bulb depending on the amount of solar insolation
available. Adding bleach to the water prevents it from turning green
with algae and ensures a high quality light keeping the water clear for a
longer time. In order to facilitate use of the invention through open
source mechanisms, step-by-step guides on materials and installation
are available online.
Materials: