Patronus Light Project

A solar bottle light is made with an empty 1.5 liter soda bottle. Filled with purified water and a few tablespoons of liquid bleach, it can be used as an alternative to an electric powered light bulb. It is only useful during daytime (although that may be as long as ten hours in some parts of the world) but its luminance has been tested and shown to produce as much light as a 50W incandescent bulb. The lights will work in both cloudy and sunny weather. The materials needed are cost effective and readily available: 1.5 (or 2.0) liter soda bottle, 1’x1’ roof sheet material, purified water, camera film dispenser, chlorine and a rubber sealant. Step 1. Fill the 1.5 liter clear soda bottle with purified water then add 3 tablespoons of liquid bleach and tightly seal the cap. Do not use tap water because this will allow the growth of moss. Step 2. Make a hole in the 1’x1’ roof sheet material, just the same size of the bottle’s circumference and insert the bottom part of the bottle leaving it exposed under the sunlight. Step 3. Next, make another hole on the roof of the house (same as the bottle’s circumference) where you want to put the solar bulb and firmly fix the device. Step 4. Seal the roof with a sealant to prevent raindrops from getting inside the house. The camera film canister goes over the bottle's cap to keep the plastic from degrading. The solar bottle will produce a light when the water inside the bottle bulb refracts and scatters the light inside the house. It looks very much like the light from a patronus! The solar bulb is expected to last from two to up to five years before it needs changing. This idea makes a useful product from waste (plastic liter bottles), provides light for homes and businesses, aids education by providing light for children to study, and lowers energy costs for families so that they may buy other necessities, leading to more money being spent on priorities such as businesses, education or improved nutrition. It also lowers the danger of fires from costly illumination sources such as cooking fires, candles or kerosene. And quite simply, bringing light into people's lives keeps the dementors away. This is a simple, efficient, planet-friendly and cheap alternative that really works to better people's lives.