Solar lighting system transforms water bottles into lamps

More than just a personal lighting device, Suli aims to help light up communities without ready access to power and fuel.

Seeing the need for accessible lighting sources in many parts of the world, especially far-flung areas, several collaborators from Chile designed a portable lighting module called Suli.

Suli is a solar-powered multipurpose lighting system that can be screwed onto practically any type of PET bottle filled with water, transforming the bottle into a lamp. Suli can also be fastened to 3D-printed fittings so that it can be used as a reading, hanging or bicycle lamp.

The system consists of three batteries and a 25-lumen high-brightness LED. It needs to be charged under the sun for six to 12 hours, providing up to 50 hours' worth of lighting on a full charge. Illumination has a 5m reach.

Suli successfully met is crowdfunding efforts on Indiegogo. Creator Sulilab is engaged in social programs, with their first project focusing on distributing Suli modules in Haiti. A partnership with a Chilean nonprofit organization is already in place, aiming to provide schoolchildren in Boutín with Suli lights so that they can have more study hours.

Sulilab is also planning to add Bluetooth capability in the second stage of product development, allowing a smartphone app to control several Sulis simultaneously.

See a comparison table of solar camping lantern suppliers on GlobalSources.com