In many less fortunate communities, lights aren’t easy to come by. Many times these communities revert to dangerous paraffin sources that use kerosene or even traditional candles to get the light they need. In some countries, in order to light these lamps, it costs people about 25% of their income in fuel for just one hour of light.
The solution
South African inventor Michael Suttner sought to find a solution to this real-world problem using a soda bottle and a solar-powered light that looks a lot like a test tube.
Suttner called the lamp “The Lightie” and constructed it so that the solar-powered test tube light would screw directly into the mouth of a soda bottle. The lighting unit consists of both photovoltaic panels and rechargeable batteries that can store energy from the sun after only being exposed for 5 to 8 hours. At the end of the lamp sits a 300-lumen Cree LED that can last for 3 hours on the brightest setting and as many as 6 to 8 hours on a lower setting of 120 lumens.
How it works
Lightie easier and more cost effective to use because it uses lithium battery technology, outputs 12 times more light than a paraffin lantern, and even charges under cloudy and rainy conditions.
According to Suttner’s website, “every day two billion people are forced to live in complete darkness.” He hopes his lamp is the solution to worldwide darkness.
Learn more about The Lightie here.
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