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I live off-grid, and have done so for nearly 20 years, and I never needed indoor lighting during daylight hours. I also dislike the idea of poking holes in my

by D9u 13y ago

I live off-grid, and have done so for nearly 20 years, and I never needed indoor lighting during daylight hours. I also dislike the idea of poking holes in my roof, for any reason. I'm much more intersted in the gravity light which was featured here a few months ago. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gravitylight-lighting-for-developing-countries http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gravitylight-lighting-for-... Although the initial cost may be prohibitive for the poverty stricken, it may be well within the acceptable price range for many others, and the gravity light has the added bonus of not requiring any fuel, nor does it require punching holes in one's roof. (I live in an upland rainforest)

Klinky 13y ago
Lights are used indoors all day long in much of the world. If you don't like poking holes in your roof, then you probably don't like sun windows either. The gravity light requires manual labor to produce light, has moving parts that are more likely to fail, is more costly, and produces less light.
- duskwuff 13y ago
  The gravity light produces a shamefully small amount of power - about 100 mW ("one deciwatt") by the manufacturer's own measurement. Even given the increased efficiency of LEDs, the illumination provided by one of these "bottle lights" is still about 100x greater, it's basically free, and it doesn't require you to tend to it every 15 - 30 minutes.
  - tehwalrus 13y ago
    It would, however, work as an addition to bottle lights, to be used at night.
eksith 13y ago
Would you share a bit more about your off-grid setup? (Power, water, sanitation etc...) Or do you have any pictures you've shared or would like to share publicly?
- D9u 13y ago
  My neighborhood is under served by municipal utilities (No telephone, no electricity, no water, no sewage, no cable, no pavement,) so for water most here use rainwater catchment systems using above ground cisterns or pools for storage, and various treatment methods such as UV, RO, and charcoal filtration. (Many haul drinking water from county provided spigots) For sewage most use cesspools dug a minimum of 12 feet deep by 6 feet wide capped with concrete & steel, although those with small lots are required to use septic tank systems. For hot water I have a solar collector thermosiphon setup augmented by a propane tankless (on demand) water heater. For electricity I use PV panels (8 Kyocera 135 W panels) going through an Outback charge controller and a Solar brand voltage inverter, with 6 Interstate 6 volt deep cycle batteries for storage. This is enough to run all of my light electronics, as well as a refrigerator/freezer and more. For heavy electrical loads I have a backup gasoline generator, which I rarely use anymore. Since my area has one of the highest electricity rates in the USA my system began paying for itself after less than three years. My home has a lot of windows, which helps to provide airflow as well as making air conditioning unnecessary, thus I have no need for lighting during the day. (I had some pictures on one of my phones, but am unable to locate them now...)
  - eksith 13y ago
    Thank you. I've been interested in going off-grid for a while, but never could find the appropriate time (or the location, since land here is pricey as well). If you do find those pictures, I'd love to see how you've setup everything. There's a big demand these days for off-grid and sustainable living so if you happen to document your experiences, a la blog or similar, that could be invaluable for a lot of folks. Nothing really beats getting the details from someone who actually walks the walk. How do you like living off-grid? I imagine you've had more than your fair share of hiccups on the way.
    - D9u 13y ago
      I'm honored to share my experiences here. While the initial expenses related to going off-grid may be exorbitant (to some) the resulting savings more than makes up for it, and you can always incrementally add to your system as finances permit. I have had damage due to electrical storm, but placing a TV antenna higher than the panels has worked for the past 10 years or so. Another concern is equipment replacement, with batteries being replaced at about a five year interval, depending on usage and maintenance. Most of the newer panels are warranted for 25 to 30 years at 90% of rated output but the panels will continue to produce power for many years afterward. You'll learn to be frugal if you begin with a small setup, as I did, but that's what we're trying to to so I've adjusted well. My electronics are definitely better off as a result of cleaner power from my pure sine wave inverter, which produces much better electricity and no voltage sags or spikes unlike our local municipal power monopoly. I'm definitely a believer in alternate energy.
hcarvalhoalves 13y ago
I see how a gadget might be more appealing to someone living off-grid by choice, but you can't beat a bottle filled with water.
CompelTechnic 13y ago
> I never needed indoor lighting during daylight hours The way I figure, people in need of one of these lights probably won't have windows to let light into their homes, so it makes a bit more sense for their application. Just my .02

by D9u 13y ago

Klinky 13y ago

Lights are used indoors all day long in much of the world. If you don't like poking holes in your roof, then you probably don't like sun windows either. The gravity light requires manual labor to produce light, has moving parts that are more likely to fail, is more costly, and produces less light.

duskwuff 13y ago
The gravity light produces a shamefully small amount of power - about 100 mW ("one deciwatt") by the manufacturer's own measurement. Even given the increased efficiency of LEDs, the illumination provided by one of these "bottle lights" is still about 100x greater, it's basically free, and it doesn't require you to tend to it every 15 - 30 minutes.
- tehwalrus 13y ago
  It would, however, work as an addition to bottle lights, to be used at night.

eksith 13y ago

Would you share a bit more about your off-grid setup? (Power, water, sanitation etc...) Or do you have any pictures you've shared or would like to share publicly?

D9u 13y ago
My neighborhood is under served by municipal utilities (No telephone, no electricity, no water, no sewage, no cable, no pavement,) so for water most here use rainwater catchment systems using above ground cisterns or pools for storage, and various treatment methods such as UV, RO, and charcoal filtration. (Many haul drinking water from county provided spigots) For sewage most use cesspools dug a minimum of 12 feet deep by 6 feet wide capped with concrete & steel, although those with small lots are required to use septic tank systems. For hot water I have a solar collector thermosiphon setup augmented by a propane tankless (on demand) water heater. For electricity I use PV panels (8 Kyocera 135 W panels) going through an Outback charge controller and a Solar brand voltage inverter, with 6 Interstate 6 volt deep cycle batteries for storage. This is enough to run all of my light electronics, as well as a refrigerator/freezer and more. For heavy electrical loads I have a backup gasoline generator, which I rarely use anymore. Since my area has one of the highest electricity rates in the USA my system began paying for itself after less than three years. My home has a lot of windows, which helps to provide airflow as well as making air conditioning unnecessary, thus I have no need for lighting during the day. (I had some pictures on one of my phones, but am unable to locate them now...)
- eksith 13y ago
  Thank you. I've been interested in going off-grid for a while, but never could find the appropriate time (or the location, since land here is pricey as well). If you do find those pictures, I'd love to see how you've setup everything. There's a big demand these days for off-grid and sustainable living so if you happen to document your experiences, a la blog or similar, that could be invaluable for a lot of folks. Nothing really beats getting the details from someone who actually walks the walk. How do you like living off-grid? I imagine you've had more than your fair share of hiccups on the way.
  - D9u 13y ago
    I'm honored to share my experiences here. While the initial expenses related to going off-grid may be exorbitant (to some) the resulting savings more than makes up for it, and you can always incrementally add to your system as finances permit. I have had damage due to electrical storm, but placing a TV antenna higher than the panels has worked for the past 10 years or so. Another concern is equipment replacement, with batteries being replaced at about a five year interval, depending on usage and maintenance. Most of the newer panels are warranted for 25 to 30 years at 90% of rated output but the panels will continue to produce power for many years afterward. You'll learn to be frugal if you begin with a small setup, as I did, but that's what we're trying to to so I've adjusted well. My electronics are definitely better off as a result of cleaner power from my pure sine wave inverter, which produces much better electricity and no voltage sags or spikes unlike our local municipal power monopoly. I'm definitely a believer in alternate energy.

hcarvalhoalves 13y ago

I see how a gadget might be more appealing to someone living off-grid by choice, but you can't beat a bottle filled with water.

CompelTechnic 13y ago

> I never needed indoor lighting during daylight hours The way I figure, people in need of one of these lights probably won't have windows to let light into their homes, so it makes a bit more sense for their application. Just my .02