This was such a cool and interesting idea. In an effort to help residents in the light-deprived slums of Manila, Philippines get light in their homes, project managers took empty plastic water bottles, filled them with water and a few teaspoons of bleach, and installed them through holes on the roof, with half sitting on the rooftop and exposed to the sun, and the other half hanging down into the living space. When the sun hits the water, it refracts and sends light or "electricity" out into the room. Watch the video for the whole story.
(Video: Reuters)
The Ultimate Used Furniture Cleaning Kit
Ana Creates a Community at Home
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Z2 iPod Dock and Wi...
Soda Recipe: Homemade Ginger Ale
Recipe: Spring Fruit and Nut Tabouli
That is so cool!
brilliant
Absolutely brilliant. I'd put one in my house, if I owned one.
thats so great! I hope they are also teaching them how to make the bottle lights so the residents can add more or fix them as needed.
I kinda want to add one to my shed.
That's cool, but it's not electricity. Sigh. Seriously.
It's nice, But they steal their electricity anyways, and the shanty are a burden to the government.
Oh no not the poor government be burdened by the poor! How Horrible!
That is AMAZING! It's cheap, low-tech, recycles, lasts a long time, eases stress on overburdened utilities, and frees up family's resources to pay for more important things (food, medicine, school).
@QueenOfTheFall - Yes, IT IS electricity - solar electricity.
@CatLoversInc - Nice comment. I'm sure if they had access to family planning or medical care for children to reduce infant mortality, they might choose a smaller family.
Thank you wseattlemom for saying what I was thinking.
Read a science book. Light =/= electricity. Seriously.
Ok. Sorry to be so snarky. Electricity is the flow of electrons. Light is the transmission of photons.
Light passing through water does not create the flow of electrons. It does NOT create electricity. Or your arse would get one hell of a shock every time you dipped in the pool.
Solar power comes from photovoltaic cells. X units of photons bombarding the material bumps one electron. N*X photons = N electrons. The flow of those electrons can then be used to power stuff.
Turning on a light bulb does not send electricity out into a room. Light does not equal electricity, even when said light comes from the sun.
I would really have expected more from the authors of this article. (And anyone who passed a high school physics course)
@QueenOftheFall, honestly, I think it's pretty clear that this isn't actually electricity. I used that term simply to give a sense of what the design is emulating - a hacked light bulb, basically. It hangs inside from the ceiling and gives off light.
how do they turn of the light? lets say a couple want to make out in day, now will the guy has to climb the tower, take out the bottle and while doing so he fall down on his back. to him love making will cost more.
or r they provided with some way to turn it of :P
(ps: this is joke, dont bombard me with comments on negativity)