This article was taken from the November 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
The MyShelter Foundation is fitting bottle bulbs to homes in the Philippines -- it lights indoor spaces during daylight hours by refracting 55kW of light. Here's how to make one.
1. FILL THE BOTTLE
Fill a 1.5-litre clear bottle with purified water (unpurified water will turn green). Add three tablespoons of bleach. Screw the lid on and cover the bottle top to protect the cap from sunlight.
2. MAKE A HOLE
Make a hole in a 1m x 1m patch of sheet roofing material the size of the bottle's circumference. Insert bottle bottom down, leaving half to a third of the top part exposed to sunlight.
3. PLUG IT IN
Cut a bottle-sized hole in the roof of the structure and fix the bottle there. Seal the roof with a waterproof sealant. Now bathe in the refracted, glorious light of your bulb.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
