ILLUSTRATIONS Cecilia Andrade
It works as a kind of lens that illuminates the house without using electricity, just reflecting sunlight. The cool thing is that the lamp costs nothing, as it is made from recycled materials, and can save up to 30% on your electricity bill. Invented in 2001 by car mechanic Alfredo Moser, from Uberaba (MG), the idea caught the attention of the NGO My Shelter Foundation, in 2011. In partnership with students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he started to install the lamps in underserved regions of the Philippines and 15 other countries with the help of volunteers. It is estimated that, by 2015, Moser’s lamp has already benefited about 1 million people. But it can only be installed in houses without lining below the roof – something common in humble places where there is not even electricity.
+ Which type of light bulb is the most economical?
+ What is black light?
1) The lamp is made with a transparent 2 liter PET bottle filled with water and 4 tablespoons of bleach – to prevent algae proliferation and cloudy water.
two) It is installed through a circular hole in the roof, sealed with plastic putty or resin glue, to prevent leaks on rainy days. A small black plastic pot is placed over the lid to provide shade and prevent it from drying out and cracking in the sun.
3) The lamp doesn’t work at night, of course. But it is an excellent solution for homes in poor regions and without access to electricity. Where electricity already exists, it helps to save up to 30% on the bill. And it’s totally eco-friendly!
4) The rays of sunlight fall on the part of the bottle on the roof and travel by refraction inside the water – empty, it doesn’t work! The symmetrical and wavy bottom of the container makes the light evenly distributed throughout the room.
+ What is the weight of light?
+ Why do lamps attract insects?
PET BOTTLE LAMP
Watt power: 40 to 60
CO2 emissions/year:0 kg
INCANDESCENT LAMP
Watt power: 60
CO2 emissions/year: 200 kg
CONSULTANCY Alfredo Moser, mechanic and inventor of the PET lamp, and Daniel Pereira, USP physicist
SOURCES My Shelter Foundation and UN