Although many of the areas in the Philippines have electricity, a huge portion of the rural areas continue to live in the dark ages – meaning everything stops by nightfall because there is no electricity to light up the night.
A study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies determined that as many as 16 million families are living off-grid!
Most of the people living in these areas have to find ways to light up their homes even for just an hour or two before bedtime.
For many, kerosene-powered lamps are the most ideal option while others use lamps powered by denatured alcohol or even oil. Some also use pressurized paraffin lamps, locally known as “Petromax” [though the term is actually a brand name].
An Engineer in Kalinga
Working as a direct dialogue campaigner (DDC) for non-government organization Greenpeace Philippines in Kalinga, Aisa Mijeno who was also an engineer, experienced the difficulties of having no steady source of light. The locals have to travel far just to buy kerosene to power their lamps.
So, she used what she knew about renewable sources of energy in high school chemistry to create an alternative lighting system that uses salt and water, as opposed to the rather expensive kerosene or batteries.
The lamp was aptly called as “SALt” for “Sustainable Alternative Lighting” runs on a glass of water containing 2 tablespoons of salt. Of course, there are metal parts that help create the electricity but the saltwater is the main fuel.
Because the lamp banks on the science behind batteries, it does not have flammable components which could accidentally cause fire accidents. Moreover, the process is safe and harmless.
According to salt.ph, the anode SALt has a lifespan of 6 months – if you use for 8 hours on a daily basis. If used as an alternative source of energy, the anode’s lifespan could go anywhere from one year to a couple of years. When used up, the anode consumable must be replaced.
During the Startup Nations Summit 2014 held in Seoul Korea, the invention won the People’s Choice Award.
Lighting Up Poor People’s Homes
With a power of 90 lumens, this lamp is enough to power up a small home.
Right now, Mijeno and her team are working on sharing this technology to poor communities. This was made possible through the help of sponsors, funding, and portions from their winnings.
Source: Salt, Choose Philippines, Techinasia
