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Solar Bottle Bulb

Free daylight for your home

Done in 180mins
Skill level medium

Light up dark areas in your home during daytime using this green and sustainable concept. Recycle used clear plastic soda bottles, add water and bleach, then install it into your roof. After installation this solar light bulb can provide approximately 55 watts of light from the sun!

Published under CC:BY-NC-SA by

Liter of Light

Author · Illac Diaz

What you need

material overview
material overview

PET soda bottle 1 litre plastic bottle.

Pencil

2 Glavanized Iron Sheets 10x10 inches, corrugated or flat - has to be the same form like your roof sheets

Gun with Rubber Sealant If you do not have a gun, you can also apply the sealant with a putty

Bleach

Filtered water

Paper One sheet to make the patterns

Riveter

Rivets

Electric Power Drill

hammer

Sandpaper

Chisel

Curve Metal Sheet Cutter

How you make it

At the center of your metal sheet, draw 2 circles

Trace 2 circles on your metal sheet. The first / outer circle has a similar circumference like the bottle, the other / inner one is 2mm smaller. Use a paper pattern for this.

Draw 2 circles
Draw 2 circles

Cut out the inner smaller circle

Cut out the inner smaller circle
Cut out the inner smaller circle

Cut the 1 cm difference radially, make strips and bend them upwards, perpendicular to the metal sheet

Making strips
Making strips

Use Sandpaper and rub the surface of the bottle

Scratch the surface around the upper third of the soda bottle where the metal sheet will be placed, to allow the rubber sealant to stick better.

Scratching the surface of the PET bottle with sandpaper
Scratching the surface of the PET bottle with sandpaper

Insert the bottle into the metal sheet until the upper third.

Insert the bottle into the metal sheet
Insert the bottle into the metal sheet

Apply rubber sealant on the strips above and around the area below. Wait to dry

Apply rubber sealant
Apply rubber sealant
Apply rubber sealant
Apply rubber sealant

Fill up the soda bottle with filtered water and ~10 ML or (2 capfuls) of bleach.

Fill up the soda bottle
Fill up the soda bottle
Fill up the soda bottle
Fill up the soda bottle

Cover With Its Original Cap

Cover With Its Original Cap
Cover With Its Original Cap

Your solar bottle bulb is now ready for installation!

Ready!
Ready!

How you install it

Carefully climb the roof. Cut a hole in the roof, similar to the bottle circumference

Make a hole in the roof
Make a hole in the roof

Place the solar bottle bulb into the hole.

Place the solar bottle bulb into the hole
Place the solar bottle bulb into the hole

Make sure the bottle is firmly in place.

Drill 4 holes on each side of the metal sheet. Put in rivets

The holes have to go through the roof.

Attach the solar bottle bulb at the roof
Attach the solar bottle bulb at the roof

Use a cordless power drill and a riveter for this step.

Apply rubber sealant around all edges of the metal sheet of the solar bottle bulb to avoid leakage. Make sure to cover the rivets.

Apply rubber sealant

Apply rubber sealant
Apply rubber sealant
Apply rubber sealant

Place a protective plastic tube on the bottle cap and apply rubber sealant

Apply rubber sealant
Apply rubber sealant

Well done. You have successfully installed your solar bottle bulb!

From Inside

From Inside
From Outside
From Outside
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