This low-tech initiative brings light to remote areas

This remote village in the Philippines has no electricity, and yet it has managed to get light. This is how.đź’ˇ With Low-tech Lab - Nomade des Mers

Liter of Light lamps are a model of open source technology for human development.


This village isn’t connected to any power grid and yet…Corentin de Chatelperron is traveling the world in search of low-tech initiatives.


Myrna Gayoso Employee of NGO Liter of Light:
We have been in the Philippines to meet Myrna, who installs solar lamps in remote areas. Our mission is to bring technology to the communities that have no electricity. We call this a study lamp. This is for children. Before, they could not study really because they were only using gas or kerosene. But now, even at night, at 11 pm, the kids can still read their books. I’ll show you how to make it.


Plywood board and a solar panel. Cut out 2 rectangles of the size of the solar panel and 2 slightly smaller rectangles. Large plastic bottle and piece of wood. Cut 4 strips of the same length as the bottle’s body. Screw the 2 small rectangles to the strips to form a box. Cut off the bottom of the bottle and insert the box into it. Using a heat gun or a portable stove, heat the bottle. Once it has taken the shape of the box, cut off the ends. Unscrew the box and keep the plastic. Make small cuts and fold the edges in. Screw one of the small rectangles onto a larger one.


Drill a hole through both rectangles to thread the solar panel wires through. With electrical wires, a load module, USB voltage converter and 2 battery holders, connect the load module to the USB port. Then, connect the load module to both battery holders. Using a power switch, LED light create a closed circuit starting with the load module, passing through the power switch and then the LED light. After the circuit is finished solder 2 more wires to the load module to connect it to the solar panel. Attach the components to the small rectangle. Unscrew the rectangles and place the folded edges of the plastic bottle between them. Screw back both rectangles together. Drill a hole for the power switch to go through. Find 2 lithium batteries of 2.5V or more from an old computer. Insert the batteries. Attach the second wooden lid. Solder the 2 wires to the solar panel and glue it to the lid. Cut out a hole for the USB port.


If it breaks, you can change each component easily. Most of the lamps we can buy on the market are not made to be repaired. It’s usually cheaper to throw it away and buy a new one, which is sad because our dumps are full of components that still work. After a few unsuccessful attempts and an emergency repair of a 220V converter to power the thermal scraper, Low-tech Lab’s solar lamp is finally ready and illuminates the bridge of the catamaran. Now they just need to document the process and post the tutorial online.


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